Benjamin Moore Pale Oak: The Quick and Dirty on LRV, Undertones and a Little More
I love doing colour reviews, but can’t cover EVERY colour out there with wild and glorious photos of it to boot. Which is why I’ve created a ‘Quick n’ Dirty’ series, where I’ll cover the BASICS of paint colours that aren’t talked about as much in the Design world – colours like Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
And because these colours aren’t AS popular as the others and also because I rely 100% on photos from my Online Colour Consulting clients, you won’t find a ton of beautiful images, but you WILL find the information you’ve been looking for.
What type of paint colour is Pale Oak? Is it warm or cool? Greige or beige?
Pale Oak is a taupe. So, it’s a neutral paint colour sitting in between gray and beige, but leaning WARMER vs grayer. And it has some VERY important undertones that we’ll get into shortly and are one of the reasons why I DON’T refer to this paint colour as often as others.
What’s the LRV of Pale Oak?
Pale Oak has an LRV of almost 70. So, while it’s in the ‘light range’, it has a bit more freshness than many other greige paint colours.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save you paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
What are the undertones of Pale Oak? Will it look pink or purple?
Now, THIS is where you have to be careful. A lot of people turn to Pale Oak expecting a soft warm gray. And it CAN look like that (especially in a north-facing room), however, it can also flash a purple-pink undertone (not overpowering, but noticeable), so you have to sample it carefully in your space before you start slappin’ paint on the walls.
Read more: North, East, South, West – Which Paint Colour is the Best?
What’s the best way to sample Pale Oak?
Like with every paint colour, I highly recommend using SAMPLIZE. Make sure you place white paper around your sample so that your perception isn’t skewed by your existing wall colour.
Which white paint colours work with Pale Oak (for trim)?
I like to keep things simple, along the lines of BM Oxford White or SW High Reflective White.
Read more: The 4 Best White Paint Colours from Sherwin Williams
Why isn’t Pale Oak as popular?
It’s ALLLL in the undertones. When I do my Online Colour Consulting, there’s a questionnaire where I ask ‘are there any undertones you don’t like?‘ Hands-down, purple and pink (and green) are the LEAST desired undertones (pink is definitely in first place). If you LIKE purple-pink undertones, then you should be ready to roll (literally). However, if you don’t, you’ll want to tread carefully. I find a lot of people approach Pale Oak as though it’s a more simple neutral, but it’s anything but straight-forward.
That doesn’t mean that Pale Oak won’t work for YOU and your room, but might make you think more about whether it really IS the right fit. And if it is…SEND PHOTOS!
Not sure if Pale Oak is right for you? Want a bit more gray, more beige, less undertone? I’ve got more!
BENJAMIN MOORE COLLINGWOOD
Read more: Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Collingwood
BENJAMIN MOORE CLASSIC GRAY
Read more: Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY
Read more: Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Not sure which paint colour is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Colour Consulting – I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
Hi, Kylie,
I love your blog and all the information you provide on pant colors. Even your Quick n’ dirty reviews are thorough and easy to understand.
I have Pale Oak throughout most of my downstairs, and I can attest to the fact that it can flash a slight pink or purple undertone in the right lighting. I have found that sometimes it can look warm gray, off-white with a pink undertone, or even pick up some beige. As I’ve learned from you, though, many times the undertone is not overly obvious, but the color lends a softness to the walls as it remains neutral. I’ve found that it really plays well with black and charcoal gray, as these colors pop out against the softness of Pale Oak.
Thanks again for the interesting read!
Joe
Thank you Joe, it’s comments like yours that help other readers decide if a colour will work for them or not – I’m glad you’re seeing what I do and I’m glad you love it!
I love this colour! We have it in our bedroom and it looks so nice, clean and cozy. It can definitely flash some pink/purple at certain times of the day. I like that it still provides some contrast with the white trim. We have been trying to find something similar for our main floor but the struggle is real. Collingwood, agreeable grey, and classic grey all flash a lot of pink in our living room (perhaps a lighting issue?). Haha even our current coventry gray flashes a decent amount of pinkish purple in our house. Maybe it is all the dark hardwood and cabinets from 2010. Hopefully I will luck out and be able to purchase a package of yours, they have been sold out every time I check, good for you and your business, bad for me and my sample covered house haha.