Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45): LRV, Undertones, & Best Uses
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee is a warm, soft, creamy white paint color. It works well on kitchen cabinets, as well as interior walls and trims.
Colors with high LRVs like Swiss Coffee can look different in person than online, especially as lighting conditions and interior finishes change.
Now, Swiss Coffee has been around a looooong time – but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the BEST. Sometimes, it’s more about the familiarity of the name rather than the flexibility of the color. And while it could be the PERFECT white paint color for your home, there are some serious things to consider before you start slappin’ it on your walls or cabinets.
I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients.
IS SWISS COFFEE A WARM OR COOL WHITE?
Swiss Coffee is a warm white paint color that’s popular for walls, cabinets, and trims. In particular, Swiss Coffee and other similar whites often suit older style granite and laminate countertops (the ’90s and early 2000s) as these finishes prefer a more subtle approach to a bright and clean one.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S THE LRV OF SWISS COFFEE?
The LRV of Swiss Coffee is 81.91, making it a considerably soft white, one that’s tinklin’ on the toenails of the off-white range (learn more HERE).
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
WHAT ARE SWISS COFFEE’S UNDERTONES?
When it comes to Swiss Coffee, it’s about perception. If you have a lot of warm/beige tones in your home, it can settle as a soft, warm white. If you have cool tones, they can react with the warmth of Swiss Coffee, making it look much yellower in comparison.
But, regardless, Swiss Coffee IS a warm, creamy white. Cream is a yellow base paint color, so Swiss Coffee does have a yellow undertone that can ALSO pick up a weeee wink of green sometimes. This mild tendency makes me a bit nervous, especially when other soft whites are more predictable.
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WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH SWISS COFFEE?
If you’re painting your walls Swiss Coffee, I highly recommend painting your TRIM Swiss Coffee. Because Swiss Coffee has unpredictable undertones, I wouldn’t mess around too much with mixing and matching whites with it.
If you’d rather see some contrast and are okay with Swiss Coffee looking more like a subtle cream, consider Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace or Simply White.
White Trim, Cabinets, & Walls: Do They Need to Match?
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
IS SWISS COFFEE A GOOD EXTERIOR SIDING OR TRIM COLOR?
I wouldn’t do it, as there are SEVERAL other white paint colors that I believe are better and safer choices for white trim or siding.
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO SWISS COFFEE
Swiss Coffee is unique in its particular blend of undertones (as are all colors), but there are a few whites with similar intentions…
- Benjamin Moore White Dove
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
See how Swiss Coffee compares to the TOP WHITE PAINT COLORS HERE.
WHAT PAINT COLORS GO WITH SWISS COFFEE?
When it comes to Swiss Coffee, there aren’t a lot of paint colors that I totally LOVE with it, and I would lean into and away from…
- Beige or tan paint colors that have a weeee tiny wink of green hiding in them (i.e., Grant Beige)
- some slightly darker versions of gray with blue-green undertones can be pretty
- many of the popular shades of greige
- I would absolutely avoid taupe (purple or purple-pink undertones)
- I would avoid many/most gray paint colors, unless they had a bit of depth to them, as well as some green or blue-green
Not sure if Swiss Coffee is right for you? Want a bit warmer or cooler? I’ve got more! Also, because I rarely use Swiss Coffee in my E-design, I don’t have photos of it, but these next reviews have some AWESOME examples for you to check out!
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore White Dove
Sherwin Williams Pure White: Paint Color Review
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Simply White
Swiss Coffee vs. The 5 TOP Shades of White
Why I Don’t Love Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
Isn’t there a white that has a light brown undertone? I don’t want anything with a yellow undertone to it.
Sadly, no. Whites just don’t have enough tint in them to carry brown! You’ll need to head into the off-whites with slightly lower LRVs.
I have SW alabaster on the walls which I really like and looks great. I have lighter granite counter top (st. cecilia) than pics on the internet but same color scheme with nutmeg (lighter more natural) stained oak floors. The house has medium light most of the day (Colorado) facing west with west/east windows. I have the warmer tones with carpet hardwood floors etc. but, I don’t want to over do it. Backsplash TBD, but I’m struggling between using BM Chantilly lace on the cabinets semigloss for some contrast and all the house interior trim OR going BM Swiss Coffee on the cabinets (1995 builder grade)only, SW extra white on the interior trim and finding some tile that ties the the counter top to the cabinet color while fitting in with the SW Alabaster walls. What would you do? Many thanks for all your paint reviews and great explanation on all the factors and potential difficulties choosing white paints can present!!
Oooo, considering St. Cecilia, I wouldn’t get into those bright whites at all and I would worry about Swiss Coffee clashing with your Alabaster walls – not many white slove each other. It seems to me your best bet would be Alabaster on the cabinets too – I woudl stay away from the others with your countertop!
Hi. I currently have swiss coffee on my cabinets. I know you are not a fan of this color 🙂 but I cannot change it right now. But I can change the wall color and trim. If the cabinets are swiss coffee…what should the walls , trim and door to the basement be in the adjoining eating area. It is all one big area…with the dining room area housing a table of 8. So now the trim on the cabinets, walls and ceiling area all swiss coffee in the kitchen area…but what do I with the adjoining room’s walls? Help?
Hey Lisa! Ahhhh Swiss Coffee! The thing is, I do LIKE it…I just prefer White Dove if I’m choosing from scratch ;). So, I would DEFINITELY keep going with Swiss Coffee on your other painted white surfaces, so that things stay consistent :). As for the walls, it depends on the hard and soft finishes in the room as well as exposure, personal tastes, etc 🙂
Could SW Pure White trim/doors work with Swiss Coffee walls?
It would be ooookay, but with their LRV’s being so silmilar, there’s no reason to do two different whites as they undertones can sit a bit funny.
Thoughts on Accessible Beige walls and Swiss Coffee trim and cabinetry?
Hi. So I saw a picture on Pinterest and they are putting Swiss coffee for walls and beach glass for ceiling. .. I have a small beach cottage. And was thinking about trying those two for a change. Right now walls are decorator white with classic gray halfway on walls and wood trim. Ceiling is white. It’s a very small house. Was looking for a change. A beachy vibe. What are your thoughts thank you
Well, I think that sounds darn pretty!
Hi Kylie! We have a rental and the new tenant wants interior painted white. The trim and ceiling are swiss coffee. Should I stick with swiss coffee for the walls or is there another white you’d recommend? Thank you.
Hey Julie, I’d definitely stick with Swiss Coffee!
Hi, Kylie. Great website!
I am painting my home Swiss Coffee, with the walls in eggshell. I want to use Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss for trim/doors and in flat for the ceiling.
However, I am concerned that doing the ceiling in Swiss Coffee would be too dark. Therefore, I am considering doing Swiss Coffee at 75% strength both for the ceiling and for the trim/doors.
Is that a good idea, or will using semi-gloss Swiss Coffee at 75% on my trim/doors/ceiling make my walls with eggshell Swiss Coffee at 100% look creamy and not white? Or maybe I should do the trim/doors at semi-gloss 100% and the ceiling at flat 75%.
What do you think? Help!
Wellll, if it were me, I’d keep things consistent and the same – just varying the sheens. I DO understand your concern for sure. I have White Dove in our home – walls, trims, ceiling, all the same strenght, and the ceiling does take on a slightly different tone at times, but it all still FLOWS. YOu can definitely try lightening Swiss Coffee for the ceiling, just sample and compare carefully. Whites usually have so little tint, that when we lighten them, sometimes they lose an undertone entirely (or they can’t be lightened at all). I would at least TRY and see what it looks like, then you can decide which you’re most comfy with :).