Posted on February 2, 2022 by KylieMawdsley
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak: the Quick & Dirty on LRV, Undertones & More
With a wide range of warm grays and taupe paint colors to choose from, it’s hard to narrow things down. Let me help. Via these color reviews, you’ll find today’s TOP paint colors; colors requested by my readers and clients time and time again – colors JUST like Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
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I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality pics I need (hence the ‘QUICK Review’), but DEFINITELY have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!
What type of paint color is Pale Oak? Is it warm or cool? Greige or beige?
Pale Oak is a taupe. This means that it’s a neutral paint color sitting in between gray and beige. However, while some taupes cater to gray or beige, Pale Oak hovers somewhere in the middle.
If you have a room with southern exposure or warm afternoon western sunshine, expect Pale Oak to lean into its warmth more than usual. However, in north-facing light or flatter eastern light, Pale Oak can settle nicely, SOMETIMES even winking at the warm gray end of things.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is The Best?
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 colors.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save you paint lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
With an LRV of 70, Pale Oak WILL wash out in a super bright room – as will any light paint color. To avoid this, you’ll want to look at colors with LRVs starting at approx. 55 or lower. If you have a dark room, Pale Oak can look a touch drab and dingy if you don’t supplement with interior lighting.
What are the undertones of Pale Oak? Will it look pink or violet?
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 violet-pink undertone (with either the violet OR the pink being more dominant).
While these undertones aren’t overpowering, they can be quite noticeable. Make sure you sample carefully and compare it to other similar colors before you start slappin’ paint on the walls.
What Are The BEST Gray Paint Colors With NO Undertones?
What’s the best way to sample Pale Oak?
Like with every paint color, 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 color.
Learn all about Samplize HERE
Which white paint colors work with Pale Oak (for trim)?
When it comes to choosing the best trim or cabinet color to partner with Pale Oak, I almost always opt for SIMPLE and classic and avoid overly creamy whites…
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
Benjamin Moore’s 8 Best White Paint Colors
Is Pale Oak super popular?
While Pale Oak has its followers, it’s not SUPER popular. WHY? It’s ALLLL in the undertones.
When I do my Online Color Consulting, there’s a questionnaire where I ask ‘are there any undertones you don’t like?‘ Hands-down, violet and pink (and green) are the LEAST desired undertones (pink is definitely in first place). If you LIKE violet-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 straightforward.
This 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!
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Collingwood
The 12 Best LIGHT Greige & Taupe Paint Colors
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
Chat soon,
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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
Author
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.
I am currently testing out pale oak as our new exterior paint color of our home. I like it but I’m nervous about the purple undertones. My home faces West. Will that mean I’ll see more of that purple pull through? I only have one large area currently painted in the front to test. Hate to wait until the entire home is painted.
Author
Hi Marci! It depends on how sensitive you are. There’s a local home painted in this colour and PERSONALLY…I find it a touch too violet, but the owner didn’t find it too violet at all, but saw it once I pointed it out ;).
Hi Kylie, Maybe you can shed some light… I have maple cabinets (pulling yellow/orange). I was thinking of using a neutral with purple undertones (pale oak) on the walls to camouflage the orangey-ness a bit (since they are opp color wheel). Room gets significant south-facing light. Ideas? Any help is appreciated!!
Author
I think this sounds like a GREAT start, absolutely. My only thought is that if the room is super bright, Pale Oak COULD wash out quite a bit. Have you checked out colours like SW Popular Gray and Versatile Gray? Just a thought 🙂
Hi Kylie,
Thank you for all of the info you provide on your website, it has helped tremendously! I am repainting our master bedroom which is a decent size with large north and west facing windows. We have gunstock oak floors, wood trim, and medium stained wood bedroom pieces. So lots of wood! (Thanks hubby!) I am trying to figure out a warm griege that wont get too dark, and will lighten things up, but also not change into strange colors as the day goes by. We want to paint one of the walls as an accent color of BM Puritan Gray. We have pale oak in the master bathroom and it looks great!! It has a small west facing window in it. Do you think pale oak would be a good color for the bedroom as well, or would it look too light? I tried a bit of edgecomb gray but it looked almost too creamy yellow for my taste.. what would be your slightly darker version than pale oak?
I believe revere pewter is a darker similar version. I used it (albeit lightened 50%) in my living room and LOVE it. I have mid toned wood floors and trim (and lots of it), a brown leather couch and mid century brown furniture, not many windows nw/sw and houses are close together so little natural light and I like cozy so I don’t have bright artificial light either. It looks beautiful and is still light and airy (what I wanted). If you like blue grays farrow and ball’s pigeon looks absolutely beautiful with the wood trim and floors and while I used it in a hallway it would look great in a study or bedroom imo.
Hi Kylie,
I’m really enjoying all the videos you have made and am just now navigating the website. We have Pale Oak in our kitchen and connecting living room. I enjoy the color I like grey and my husband likes beige so we compromised with Pale Oak. I understand the pink undertones you brought up. I’m going to be painting the kitchen cabinets soon with a color like you mentioned Chantilly Lace but for the island I wanted to have a darker color like a charcoal or cinder color. I was wondering what your take is for a dark grey they would go well with Pale oaks undertones.
Hi Kylie,
We are painting our kitchen walls Pale Oak. The cabinets are Kendall Charcoal (lower) and SW Pure White (upper cabinets). All the trim/crown moulding will be Pure White. My question is, what should we paint the ceiling? Pure White? Pale Oak? A lighter version of Pale Oak?
Thank you for all of your blogs and videos! You are my go-to paint guru.
HI there, I am in a bit of a Pale OAk “dilemma” lol I am wondering what you chose to use for your ceiling and how it turned out. Our cabinet maker painted our kitchen cabinets PAle Oak and I am not at all happy with them in our space. We have a blank canvas so can introduce anything really. I was looking for a WARM white and the end result was pale oak ( picked by her) I do not want them to wash out and literllay have a day to decide on wall colours and ceiling colours to ensure our pale oak kitchen cabinets look warm and soft. I would love your feedback. I am so grateful!