Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65): Undertones, LRV, & Best Uses
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is a bright, warm white paint color. It works beautifully on interior trim and doors, kitchen cabinets, and walls.
Its slightly warm-leaning undertone can influence how Chantilly Lace coordinates with interior finishes. It’s also greatly affected by lighting conditions.
When finding the best white paint color for your project, Chantilly Lace is a great place to start, whether you’re painting walls, cabinets, trims, or even your exterior. However, even though it’s badass and beautiful, it’s not always the best white for the job.
This is why we’re diving deeper today with a close-up look at this gorgeous white paint color…
WHY IS CHANTILLY LACE SO DARN POPULAR?
Some whites are super creamy and warm, while others are stark and cool—not Chantilly Lace. This gorgeous shade of white bridges the world between warm and cool, offering a relatively neutral, true-white experience.
This isn’t to say Chantilly Lace is a true white; however, as far as Benjamin Moore is concerned, it’s THE WHITEST shade of white!
But that’s not to say it’s the whitest white ever, as Behr, Kelly Moore, and Sherwin Williams take those top spots (I’ll post the links later at the end of this article). Even though there are brighter whites, if you love Benjamin Moore paint, I won’t hesitate to say that Chantilly Lace is a great way to get a gorgeous, relatively true white look.
IS CHANTILLY LACE A WARM OR COOL WHITE?
Being a relatively clean, simple white, Chantilly Lace will flex greatly depending on your exposure and interior finishes. Sure, it has a wink of warmth, but you’d hardly know it unless you compare it to a real, true white or a cool one.
Like every white, its high LRV means it will change a lot depending on your room’s exposure and interior lighting. For example, if you have a north-facing light, it might pick up a subtle, cool, grayish cast. If you have south-facing light or even afternoon western light, you’ll see it leaning a bit warm, without looking as warm as a traditional warm white paint color would.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S CHANTILLY LACE’S LRV?
Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90.4, which puts it well into the white range. While it isn’t the WHITEST WHITE, it can act that way in the absence of a brighter white. In fact, I find some of the brighter whites (with higher LRVs) can come off a bit sharp or harsh. The beauty of Chantilly Lace is that it offers the appeal of a clean white without looking as stark.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
WHAT ARE CHANTILLY LACE’S UNDERTONES?
The great thing about Chantilly Lace is that it has very little undertone (color or gray), meaning it’ll act like white—more so than most other Benjamin Moore white paint colors. Sure, it has a wee tiny wink of warmth, but it’s fractional, at best.
If you read that Chantilly Lace has a blue undertone, don’t mind that. It seems this way if you compare it to the surrounding colors in the fan deck. However, if you separate it from its friends, it’s a very slightly warm white.
WHICH WHITE GOES WITH CHANTILLY LACE?
So, you want to know which shade of white goes best with Chantilly Lace. The answer is…Chantilly Lace. Sure, it can humor a wide range of whites, but its best partner is itself.
Why?
When you play two whites off each other, one will highlight the undertones/softness/temperature in the other. In most cases, Chantilly Lace is the brighter of the two whites. This can make a white with a lower LRV look dingy, yellow, blue, pink, or purple – just in comparison.
White Walls, Trims, & Cabinets: Do They Need to Match?
- If you paint your walls Chantilly Lace, I 100% suggest painting your trim/cabinets Chantilly Lace as well to avoid contrasting undertones.
- If you have Chantilly Lace trim/cabinets and want a white for your walls (and don’t want to reuse it), your walls should be a darker shade of white (lower LRV) than Chantilly Lace. Compare your chosen white to CL to make sure you like what you see.
- It would be best if you didn’t have Chantilly Lace walls and a darker white on the trim and cabinets – it’s ass-backwards.
- BLOG POST: Which Two White Paint Colors Go With Each Other?
However, if you’re okay with mixing and matching, knowing that Chantilly Lace will make MOST other whites look a bit off-white or creamy (or at the worst, dingy or cold), you could explore colors like Benjamin Moore White Dove…
Chantilly Lace cabinets, White Dove walls
Is White Still TRENDY for Walls, Cabinets, & Exteriors?
Get your Samplize Peel & Stick of Chantilly Lace!
IS CHANTILLY WHITE A GOOD EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR?
If you want to paint your exterior siding or brick white, it certainly could be. White is also a great choice for trim and garage doors, providing a clean contrast with the main color.
However, white is DAMN REFLECTIVE, and you’ll have a bright white home if you paint your siding, brick, or stucco this shade of white. If this is what you want, awesome possum. However, many paint their exteriors softer, flexible, warm off-whites to avoid an overly bright look.
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
IS CHANTILLY LACE THE MOST POPULAR SHADE OF WHITE?
According to Samplize, it’s the top shade of white. But because many people have sampled it doesn’t mean it’s the best. Sure, it’s in my TOP 3, but it doesn’t beat the flexibility and popularity of Sherwin Williams Pure White and Benjamin Moore White Dove.
The 4 Most Timeless Shades of Beige
Why?
THE CHALLENGE WITH CHANTILLY LACE
Chantilly Lace is gorgeous once the dust settles. However, getting to the finish line with this shade of white is tough. This is because Chantilly Lace doesn’t have great coverage. Sure, every shade of white struggles as whites don’t have a ton of tint in them, but more so than others, Chantilly Lace is well-known for its pure coverage.
Chantilly Lace built-ins with a lightened version of Edgecomb Gray on the walls
For white to look its best and most solid, you need three coats of paint. And depending on which color you’re painting over, you might even need a coat of primer to start. Again, all whites are harsh, even a soft white like Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. However, the brighter a white is, the more challenging it can be.
The great thing is that Benjamin Moore uses Titanium White in their paints, which has decent coverage. Ask your paint store to top up the gallon of paint with extra white tint, which can help with the coverage.
All the same, expect to paint at least three coats.
Top to bottom – High Reflective White, Super White, Chantilly Lace, Decorators White
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR?
There is no perfect match amongst shades of whites, especially with Chantilly Lace. Sure, once you hit the true whites, you can get pretty darn close, but once you have even a slightly lower LRV, a white will have its undertones. However, I love comparing a few shades with Chantilly Lace when looking for the best white for walls, cabinets, or trims.
- Sherwin Williams White Snow is awesome and comparable to Chantilly Lace. Its LRV and overall approach to being ‘white with a tiny wink o’ softness’ is similar. However, it’s in the Emerald Designer Collection, so it’s more expensive.
- You might also check out Sherwin Williams High Reflective White, a brighter, truer white. It’s awesome sauce, but it’s not as easy to get.
- If you’re craving a bit more warmth than Chantilly Lace offers, take a boo at Benjamin Moore Simply White.
- The best way to figure out which white is best for your home is to COMPARED popular shades. Make your sampling life easier with…
A CURATED Warm White Color Bundle
Also, brands can’t color-match each other’s whites – if they say they can, it’s not true. Sure, they can get similar or close, but when dealing with undertones and whites, close isn’t good enough for this color cowgirl.
What Are the WHITEST White Paint Colors?
Here’s another image showing some good comparables (with warm natural light)…
Pure White | Chantilly Lace | White Dove | High Reflective White
WHAT COLORS GO WITH CHANTILLY LACE
Being a brighter shade of white with fractional warmth, Chantilly Lace is one of the most flexible and versatile white paint colors. However, there are a few things to consider…
- It loves cool shades like blue, green, and violet and neutrals with these undertones. I’d name some, but the list is pretty massive (it’s hard to go wrong).
- It often comes down to the contrast you want to see. Many colors look good with Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore White Dove, or Sherwin Williams Pure White. Chantilly Lace gives a cleaner contrast, whereas the other two offer a slightly softer but still white look.
- As for warm colors, Chantilly Lace loves them and looks great with a wide range of creams, tans, and beiges. If you already have Chantilly Lace, sample it with the warm color you’re exploring and see how things look. However, warmer colors usually prefer a warmer shade of white. This isn’t to say it doesn’t work, but if you’re starting from scratch, you can probably do better (check out some of the popular warm shades of white from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams).
Not sure if Chantilly Lace is right for you? Want a bit warmer or cooler? I’ve got more!
READ MORE
The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors
The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2020, UPDATED IN 2024
Hi Kylie,
I have spent hours watching your video and reading all your posts on whites.
I just bought a house and trim and doors are white but the kitchen cabinets are a cream colour. I want to paint the walls a white colour it’s a bright open concept area kitchen, living room and high ceilings and lots of windows so very bright. What would you suggest. I’m thinking a white is not going to work.
Ooooo, sounds scary to me, especially if you’re eyeing up Chantilly Lace. I just worry that your cabinets will look more yellow/dingy in comparison. Chances are, your cabinets need to be painted white FIRST and then hit those walls from there.
That’s what I’m afraid of yellow/dingy. Wonder what colour I could use that wouldn’t make them yellow. Any suggestions.
All of my walls and ceiling and trim are Chantilly Lace. The walls are eggshell and the trim is satin. The stucco fireplaces are flat. The ceiling color was decreased by 10% and everything looks great. I painted my kitchen cabinets Vanilla Milk Shake and it looks great with the walls and nothing looks dingy.
Hi Kylie! I have a north facing kitchen with Chantilly Lace cabinets and white subway tile. Brazilian cherry floors. Can you recommend a quartz counter and wall color to warm up the space?
Hi Nadine, that’s a really big design question! With Chantilly Lace and white subway tile, there will be a range, but you might need to hire someone as my focus is paint colors 🙂
Is Sherwin Williams High Reflective White still the most comparable or is Snow White similar better now? I love the look of Chantilly Lace but our painters use Sherwin Williams and color matching makes me too nervous! Do these whites go well with 90’s style honey oak cabinets and trim or am I way off base?!
Signed a paint newbie drowning in too many shades of white
Hey Genell! I’d shift into White Snow for sure. It’s in their more expensive line of paint, but it’s a beautiful color!
Hello! I am in a pickle. I have Chantilly Lace Cabinets, crown molding, doors and trim. I have low natural light and LOVE how crisp and beautiful it is … but now I am painting the walls/ceiling. I am too afraid of using CL on the ceiling. Can you recommend an off white (not too yellow or grey) for the walls? and ceiling???? Is there any white that will look good on the ceiling next to CL crown molding!? Any recommendations would be SO helpful. Thank you!
I am looking at using Chantilly lace on my kitchen cabinets and glass slipper on my walls… I have Frigidaire white appliances, a porcelain white sink and oak looking wood floors…
Will the Chantilly lace work with this?
This was such a great article and the paper sample comparison pics were so incredibly helpful for me. Thank you!
I’ve painted my walls Chantilly Lace in Matte and my trim Chantilly Lace in Pearl before and in the end the colour appeared warmer in the glossier paint.
This time I want to paint my ceilings Chantilly Lace with Matte and I’d like to paint my trim Chantilly Lace – probably in pearl or whatever sheen is best for trim. Is this a bad idea if I want the colour to be the same? Should I add 2 drops of black to the trim paint so it doesn’t become warm since the sheen is glossier? Or should I use Benjamin Moore Bright White on the Trim when I use Chantilly Lace in Matte on the ceiling?
What would you do?
I’m planning on using Chantilly lace on my kitchen cabinets trim walls and ceilings in a north facing room with no windows but some light from front door windows h will this look right Also my builder wants to use a standard white through out the house on all ceilings he tell me no uses the same white color for ceilings in any room
Wellllll, he’s incorrect, as BUILDERS don’t use the same white, but people who choose their colors and like consistency, do – all the time. THAT SAID, with Chantilly Lace being quite bright, it should transition well enough, so long as the ceiling is ‘white white’ 🙂