The 5 Best Creamy White or Off-White Paint Colors

THE ELUSIVE ‘CREAMY WHITE NEUTRAL’

When it comes to light, warm neutrals, it’s all in the undertones. And other than pink and green, yellow is the undertone many of my clients want to avoid.

Yellow is one of the tougher colors to coordinate with, especially when it comes to hard interior finishes. Go to any store, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find many countertops, tiles, and carpets with a noticeable yellow in them.

But this isn’t why people don’t love yellow undertones. In fact, I don’t even know why people have such an aversion to them (with exceptions, so don’t shoot the lil Ginger messenger if you love yellow). On the other hand, if you’re reading this blog post based on its title, I’ll take a WILD GUESS that you don’t.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE BEST CREAMY WHITES

I’m not just here to show you what I can do—I’m here to teach you the what, why, and how of it so you can do it, too! And here’s the deal, Aly McBeal (I know, I just dated myself)…

If you’re looking for a warm, creamy white neutral, you DO like yellow. 

Why?

Because cream is yellow, it’s just yellow with a neutral base to calm it down. And I’m going to save you a HECK of a lot of time, energy, and stress by telling you that…

There is no ‘creamy white neutral’ with no yellow undertone – it doesn’t exist. Without yellow, there’s no cream (but all is not lost!)

Remove the yellow, and you’re left with a warm neutral with orange or pink undertones (e.g., beige)—not cream. I’ll share a few of these as well, but they aren’t cream-based or creamy white…at all.

The magical color YOU’RE looking for is a warm neutral with a minimal commitment to yellow while still having the warmth and hue that makes a creamy color creamy! 

I’ve had hundreds of Online Color Consulting clients say, ‘I want a warm creamy white or off-white with no yellow undertones,‘ and they list a few that they’ve been looking at—colors like BM White Dove, SW White Duck, and SW Alabaster (some of which I’ll be listing below). And I’m like, ‘Ermmmm, awkward moment—those colors ALL have yellow undertones—they’re just subtle.‘

As for me, I don’t like overt yellow undertones, but boy, do I love a good creamy white.

This is because the creamy whites I love are passive, and the yellow is nothing more than a polite nod. Once I dive into a REAL cream, I get nervous as the yellow can show up more, and I need to temper things with some beige/tan/gray. Again, if I take the yellow OUT, I no longer have a creamy anything – I have beige, tan, greige, or taupe.

This all leads up to the moment you’ve been waiting for – the BEST creamy white colors. Luckily, now you know that they WILL have a degree of yellow in them because if you want a creamy white, you need yellow.

THE TOP 5 CREAMY-WHITE OR OFF-WHITE SHADES

These colors below will get you started on your color journey. But before you start, here’s a HOT TIP…

When choosing paint colors, it’s ALL about comparison. I recommend getting some additional samples (which I’ll list below) to compare to the colors suggested. Having these samples on hand will help you see how creamy or not my suggestions are!

1. BENJAMIN MOORE WHITE DOVE OC-17

In the wild world of creamy whites with minimal yellow undertone, White Dove is hard to beat. Are there shades of white that are more muted than White Dove but still have a touch of yellow? Yup, Sherwin Williams Pure White. However, with this reduction in yellow, it’s far from creamy, and to say it’s warm is an overstatement.

Here’s White Dove in a bathroom at our lake home (walls/trims/ceiling)…

Sherwin Williams Network Gray & Benjamin Moore White Dove in a north-facing room

Notice White Dove’s subtle warmth with minimal commitment to yellow. If you don’t find this warm enough, you really DO like yellow and need a warmer shade, in which case, a creamy white like Sherwin Williams Dover White or Alabaster could come in handy (which I personally find WAY too yellow for my home).

Here’s another look at White Dove on the walls and trims in this living room with creamy white furniture…

White Dove is the perfect blend of neutral and yellow, offering passive warmth without a ton of color commitment. Remove the yellow, and you’re left with a dingy mess.

In this next image, compared to the true white backdrop, Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and the similar Benjamin Moore Steam look like creamy whites. They look STRONGER as they’re directly compared to a bright, true white. As shown above, they most often settle into subtle, creamy whites.

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore White Dove

TO SEE THE DEGREE OF YELLOW/CREAM IN WHITE DOVE

• Compare it to Sherwin Williams Dover White. The stronger yellow hue in Dover White will help you see how subtle White Dove is in comparison!
• Also, compare it to Sherwin Williams Pure White, a warm white that almost looks cold compared to White Dove’s subtle warmth (it’s not; it’s just barely warm).

By sandwiching White Dove between these two ‘warm whites with yellow undertones,’ it will be easier to see where White Dove rests.

You might also encounter Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in your sampling adventures. Swiss Coffee is another popular shade of creamy white. Personally, I prefer White Dove for all of the reasons listed here; however, it never hurts to sample it if you’re curious!

Check out my CURATED COLOR BUNDLE of Warm Whites (with a few comparison whites). 

2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WHITE DUCK SW 7010

White Duck is one of my go-to’s for those who want a warm, creamy off-white with no yellow…that actually has yellow in it. To tell the truth, White Duck isn’t REALLY a creamy off-white; it’s a warm neutral that has a subtle cream backdrop. It can look a bit creamier depending on your room’s exposure and the finishes you partner it with, but it’s definitely on the END of the ‘creamy’ scale, which is why I chose it for you and your rue for the yellow hue.

First, how do we know that White Duck is an off-white, not a white? It has an LRV of 74, so it’s not only off-white but also on the lower end of the range. And while it has some cream/yellow, it’s super diffused by a gray-beige base.

Here’s a great example of White Duck in action…

Now, here’s the SAME home/room, but the other end has a different exposure and a WARMER KELVIN bulb casting light on it. Notice how White Duck warms up and looks more legitimately creamy-white…

Crazy, eh? Oh, the glory of lighting. Which is why, for those who are yellow-averse but still want some warmth, White Duck can be a great happy medium.

Along with White Duck, you might also check out Sherwin Williams Shoji White, which is White Duck’s kissin’ cousin. Even though kissin’ your cousin is illegal in some States, these two dirty birds are often found vying for the same spot on your walls and exterior color palettes.

TO SEE THE DEGREE OF CREAM IN WHITE DUCK

• Compare it to Benjamin Moore’s Ballet White (coming up shortly).
• Compare it to Sherwin Williams Egret White, which isn’t creamy and, in comparison, shows the beautiful warmth of White Duck (and Shoji White).

By sandwiching White Duck between these two ‘warm off-whites – one with more cream, one that leans taupe,‘ it will be easier to see where White Duck sits.

3. BENJAMIN MOORE BALLET WHITE

Whereas White Duck and Shoji White flirtatiously wink at the cream world, Ballet White tiptoes in wearing a tutu and holding a beer (like Tim on Friday nights – wink wink). Compared to the previous two shades, Ballet White has more cream in it, but this doesn’t mean it’s cream-dominant, not at all.

Ballet White is a cream blend grounded by a neutral base, which sometimes makes it look more like a ‘light tan.’ Remember, colors with cream (yellow) in them can change a lot based on the exposure of your room, the surrounding finishes, AND the temperature of your light bulbs!

Like me, during my time of the month, notice Ballet White’s varying personalities from left to right, top to bottom in this next photo…

Ballet White looks its MOST creamy yellow at the door but falls back DRASTICALLY on the far left. This is why it’s so important to compare a variety of samples in different lights. See which one settles best OVERALL.

For example, you might also try Sherwin Williams White Duck or Shoji White on an exterior like this one above and love them on the door wall (as they’re less creamy than Ballet White), but they might fall too FLAT in other areas as they’re not as creamy warm as Ballet White!

COMPARE COMPARE COMPARE

The kitchen cabinets in this next home are painted Ballet White (and look at that FARMHOUSE SINK – love it!)…

Here’s another shot of Ballet White looking well-balanced between cream and tan…

TO SEE THE DEGREE OF CREAM/YELLOW IN BALLET WHITE

• Compare it to Benjamin Moore Navajo White, which really IS a cream. This will help you see how passive Ballet White is.
• You can also compare it to Sherwin Williams White Duck, which isn’t as creamy but helps showcase the pretty, slightly stronger warmth of Ballet White.

Sample and compare my FAVORITE WARM FLEXIBLE OFF-WHITES – HERE / HERE! 

4. BENJAMIN MOORE DOVE WING OC-18

Dove Wing sits beneath White Dove in the Benjamin Moore Collections fan deck and has a similar approach but with a bit more depth and a touch more color (chroma). Dove Wing is the epitome of a ‘warm creamy white’ with its LRV of 77.52 (learn more HERE). This LRV puts Dove Wing on the slightly higher end of the off-white range without nudging the white world.

FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Dove Wing

This next home is a BEFORE photo from one of my E-design clients (just waiting on the after!) Dove Wing looks GORGEOUS on the walls but is a touch too creamy for the beige tendencies of the travertine tile floor…

I was hired to pick a new cabinet color, but I kindly suggested they change the walls, too, to satisfy the floors a bit more. 

If you love creamy whites or off-whites with minimal commitment to yellow, Dove Wing could be the shade for you. Is it married to a yellow hue? Yup, but like a polygamist, it’s not very committed. It offers warmth via a passive creamy backdrop with no strong allegiance to green or pink and a soft, neutral backdrop to calm it down.

Get your SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF DOVE WING HERE. 

TO SEE THE DEGREE OF CREAM/YELLOW IN BALLET WHITE

• Compare it to Benjamin Moore Maritime White in the beige (orange undertone) world.
• Also, check out Benjamin Moore Navajo White, a cream that shows how muted Ballet White really is.

5. SHERWIN WILLIAMS PEARLY WHITE SW 7009

While I haven’t had many Online Color Consulting clients fall for Pearly White, I’m surprised. Pearly White is awesome for those who don’t love yellow.

This fabulous creamy off-white has an LRV of 77, putting it on the slightly higher end of the range. Along with that comes a very small commitment to yellow while still paying homage to a subtle warmth. Yellow often caters to yellow-orange (or a wink o’ pink) or yellow-green. Pearly White is unique as it doesn’t really cater much to either.

Notice how I put the white circle on the above image…

When looking at light colors, it’s much easier to get an idea of their depth/color if you compare them to a brighter, truer shade of white.

The other great thing about Pearly White is its chroma (degree of actual color) is super low (actually, whether this is good or not is open to perception). So not only is it nodding at the warm, creamy white world, but for those who don’t like yellow, it does it in the MOST SUBTLE WAY possible. Personally, even though I’m yellow-averse, I like to see a bit more yellow-cream in a color like this, but you do you, boo!

The Best Warm Neutrals With NO Yellow Undertones

However, there are two things to watch for with a color like Pearly White…

1. Pearly White’s lack of commitment to an undertone means it can be subject to its environment, more so than colors that commit. For example, if you have green-tinted light from your landscaping or your LOW-E windows, a color like Pearly White is more likely to pick it up and run with it. Colors with a bit more taupe (violet-pink) can balance this light a bit (but even then, it can be tough).

My client (below) chose Pearly White PRIOR to hiring me. As you can see, its warmth comes up nicely on the exterior, especially compared to the white windows…

However, because Pearly White doesn’t lean into pink/taupe, it looks too yellow for the violet, pink, and beige tones of the brick (which she hired me to remedy with a new paint color – I can’t wait to see some after photos!)

2. Because Pearly White has a lower chroma (degree of actual COLOR in it), in the right (or wrong) lighting, it can look dingy and dirty. Ensure your space has adequate natural or interior lighting to show Pearly White at its best! This being said, its muted look makes it an ‘interesting’ choice for kitchen cabinets, if you’re going for that moody, earthy, off-white cabinet look.

TO SEE THE DEGREE OF CREAM/YELLOW IN PEARLY WHITE

• Compare it to Sherwin Williams Creamy, one of my favorite muted creamy paint colors. Its slightly increased commitment to yellow helps show the muted look of Pearly White.
• Also, check out Sherwin Williams Heron Plume, which isn’t AT ALL similar, but its taupe approach shows the warmth of Pearly White.

ARE YOU STILL LOOKING FOR A WARM NEUTRAL WITH NO YELLOW UNDERTONES?

If you took the title of this blog post seriously but realize you don’t want ANY yellow undertones at all, I’ve got you covered.

The only difference is that now you KNOW you aren’t looking for ‘creamy kinda anything.’

In this case, I’ve written a blog post JUST FOR YOU (and a few of your friends).

Well, there you have it! There are many more beauties in the warm white and off-white worlds, but these should get your color journey started on the right foot!

READ MORE

The Best Off-White & Light Depth Paint Colors for Cabinets (PART 2)

Warm Neutrals Paint Colors with NO YELLOW UNDERTONE! 

The 11 Best Warm Flexible Neutrals That AREN’T BEIGE! 

How to Update Golden or Honey Oak Cabinets

NEED HELP?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!

Chat soon,