White paints might be sophisticated. And imagine me, we’ve tried various over time. Over a decade in the past, we lastly landed on Benjamin Moore’s Merely White (OC-117) as our favourite go-to white paint. It’s a heat and vibrant white that we put all over the place: partitions, trim, doorways, and cabinetry. Case closed, proper? Nicely, it’s not fairly that straightforward…
What makes BM Merely White a preferred white?
Choosing the right white paint on your dwelling is difficult as a result of a real “easy” white doesn’t exist. And even when it did, you wouldn’t need it in your partitions! The greatest white paints usually have hints of black and delicate colourful undertones like yellow, inexperienced, or pink. You could not discover these hues at first look, however they’re the qualities that preserve white paints from wanting too stark or too blindingly vibrant in your house. It’s additionally why there are seemingly limitless choices to type via.
Merely White has earned a repute for being one in all greatest white paint colours on the market. It was even named Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Shade of the Yr resulting from its recognition and flexibility. Designers flip to it when on the lookout for a vibrant, heat white that can be utilized on nearly any floor in a house. However after utilizing it for therefore lengthy ourselves, we now have found it does have drawbacks.
Is Merely White heat or cool?
BM Merely White is a distinctly heat white, making it a good selection for partitions, trims, cupboards, and extra. Cooler whites usually make interiors seem stark and sterile, so most specialists want heat whites as an alternative. It’s additionally the rationale we selected it because the trim colour all through our total dwelling. We knew it might be the right complement to the greige paint we used on lots of our partitions, Edgecomb Grey (HC-173).
You too can think about how a cooler white paint may conflict with lots of the heat tones in our bed room – just like the rust-colored rug, gentle taupe headboard, and off-white dresser.
What’s Merely White’s undertone?
Merely White has seen yellow undertones. That is what offers it the delicate (however distinct) creamy heat many search in a white paint. The yellow undertone isn’t sturdy sufficient to veer it into off-white territory, however in sure lighting (like rooms with low or synthetic gentle) the yellow can change into extra pronounced. For a lot of, this makes Merely White an excellent, cozy white.
Within the picture above, you’ll be able to see the yellow undertones of the built-in bookshelf, which seem hotter than the kitchen cupboards within the background. These are a cooler, stock-white end.
Does Merely White look dingy and yellow?
Merely White can typically seem too yellow for some folks. Whereas it’s vibrant sufficient to keep away from wanting dingy, it may possibly look off-white or cream in sure circumstances. So if that is one thing you’re involved about, we advocate utilizing one thing like Sherwin-Williams Pure White as an alternative.
In our expertise, Merely White appears yellowest underneath these circumstances:
- In north-facing rooms with little pure gentle
- When paired with cooler wall paints, accent colours, or wooden tones
- As paint ages and yellows over time
We realized a few of these classes the laborious approach in our front room (under) which skilled a little bit of all three. The beams, partitions, and hearth are all painted Merely White. The ceiling beams had been particularly liable to a yellow look since they obtained the least quantity of pure gentle of any floor within the room. Take a look at the ceiling trim within the high left nook of this picture:
To keep away from this pitfall, we discovered Merely White labored higher in brighter south-facing rooms – like our daughter’s room under. Through the use of it on the trim in addition to the partitions, the entire room achieved that crisp white look we needed.
We did ultimately repaint her partitions a mushy greige (BM White Heron OC-57). Not as a result of we disliked the white partitions, however as a result of we had been giving her room a basic refresh as she bought older. The trim remained Merely White as a result of it labored so properly as a crisp distinction to her colourful door, pink ceiling, and taupe partitions.
Merely White labored properly for us in the house pictured on this submit. However its tendency to look too yellow in sure lights brought about us to maneuver away from it in our present dwelling. That is the white paint colour that we want to make use of now.
What’s the LRV of Merely White?
Benjamin Moore Merely White has a Mild Reflective Worth (LRV) of 89.5. This quantity is a standardized method to measure the quantity of sunshine a floor displays, with 100 being the very best (pure white) and 0 being the bottom (absolute black). It’s a helpful metric when evaluating paint colours, particularly white tones. With a rating close to 90, Merely White is without doubt one of the brighter white paint colours obtainable. That’s the way it achieves that crisp, clear white tone that folks search.
This excessive LRV additionally makes it candidate for lightening up areas that are typically darkish, like closets, hallways, or loos.
The place must you use Merely White?
This white paint has many good qualities that make it a robust candidate for many makes use of, so let’s go over just a few.
Merely White as a trim paint colour
In our expertise, Merely White works greatest as a trim or molding colour in rooms with different heat undertones. It gives that crisp white distinction that helps different accents within the room pop, like taupe partitions, conventional rugs, honey toned woods, and heat metals.
Within the dwelling pictured above (our earlier dwelling), Merely White is used as a complete home trim colour. It’s a simple, no-brainer selection for trim.
Merely White as a wainscoting colour
Merely White is a unbelievable crisp white for adorning moldings and wainscoting, just like the one we selected for the eating room proven under in a showhouse that we designed. It was additionally used for the trim and ceiling on this area. It’s an excellent trim selection for highlighting your wall colour or different colourful equipment. For instance, we paired it with deep heat grey partitions, Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal (HC-166) and colourful artwork.
We advocate utilizing high-quality paint like Benjamin Moore Advance for trim, wainscoting, cupboards, and doorways. Decrease-quality paints can yellow quicker and intensify its inherent yellow undertones.
Merely White as a door colour
We love Benjamin Moore Merely White as an inside door colour as properly. It’s going to give your doorways a clear, crisp look with out leaving them wanting unpainted. It’s a unbelievable choice for a basic vibrant white door that may pop towards different surfaces in your room. You possibly can see under how we used it on this frosted glass door to our lavatory in our former dwelling.
Watch out when utilizing Merely White on exterior doorways, although. Out in direct pure gentle, vibrant whites like this will seem too stark and blinding. For exteriors, we advocate white paints with a decrease LRV, like Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17) or Benjamin Moore Snowbound (7004) (which we used on our former dwelling’s trim).
Merely White as a cupboard or built-in colour
Utilizing Merely White on cupboards is an effective way to attain that basic white kitchen look. The identical goes for built-ins like bookcases, pantries, closets, and mudrooms. Its yellow undertones preserve cupboards and built-ins from wanting chilly or grey, white the excessive LRV nonetheless gives a vibrant, crisp white.
However do not forget that in north-facing rooms that are typically darker, Merely White can seem barely creamy or yellow. This further heat is usually a profit to some, however should you want a white with fewer undertones, think about Sherwin Williams Pure White (SW 7005) as an alternative.
Merely White as a wall colour
Benjamin Moore’s Merely White is usually a tough wall colour. In lots of areas, it’s an effective way to get a clear, fashionable white that’s nonetheless heat sufficient to really feel stark. We particularly find it irresistible in rooms which can be south-facing or obtain good pure gentle. In our daughter’s room, it was the right backdrop for a colourful, playful youngsters room.
The tough half is when Merely White is utilized in lower-light rooms or areas that includes cooler colours, like this dwelling workplace from our Showhouse under. The porch outdoors this room brought about it to be darker than we anticipated, and when paired with the blue ceiling, Merely White regarded yellower than we’d hoped – you’ll be able to particularly see the yellow undertones within the doorways within the picture under:
Brilliant white partitions additionally are likely to mirror the colours round them, like in accent partitions or daring furnishings. You could discover the teal ceiling casts a little bit of inexperienced on the high of the partitions within the workplace above. Whereas the roses and pinks in our daughter’s gave Merely White a reddish undertone.
Merely White as a complete home colour
Merely White is an effective complete home colour should you’re snug with is variation in numerous lighting, significantly its tendency to look creamy and off-white in decrease gentle. We used it within the open-concept front room & kitchen of our Showhouse. It gave the home the intense, fashionable, and colourful aesthetic we had been in search of.
You possibly can see extra rooms on this Showhouse we designed by watching the video tour under. It might provide you with a greater concept of how Merely White performs as you stroll via the open residing area.
Word: You too can watch this video on YouTube.
For our present dwelling, nevertheless, we determined to decide on a whole-house white paint with much less noticeable yellow undertones. It’s now our high advice for a whole-house white paint colour.
Evaluating Merely White to different common whites
One other method to resolve if BM Merely White is the appropriate match on your house is to see the way it compares to different common white paint colours that specialists use time and again. As you’ll be able to already see, slight variations in undertone or brightness could make a giant distinction.
We’re utilizing the paint producers’ net colours to match these white paints as a result of they supply an apple-to-apples distinction. Nevertheless, it’s advisable that you simply take a look at a brand new paint colour in your wall earlier than portray your full area. You too can order pre-printed paint pattern stickers, which is a fast, straightforward, and inexpensive method to take a look at these common white paint colours:
Merely White vs White Dove
Benjamin Moore’s Merely White and White Dove (OC-17) are sometimes urged as options to one another. White Dove has very comparable yellow undertones, however its decrease LRV (83) makes it barely darker. Which means it might seem as a really muted tan or gentle heat grey in some areas. It’s a nice substitution for anybody who worries Merely White is just too vibrant or stark for his or her style.
Merely White vs Pure White
Sherwin-Williams Pure White (SW 7005) is just like Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. It too is darker than Merely White, which prevents it from wanting too stark or vibrant. Nevertheless, its beige undertones are a lot subtler, so it reads nearer to a real, clear white. Use it if yellowing is a priority for you, or when you have cooler tones in your area. We’ve extra details about why Pure White ranks as one in all our high white paint colours.
Merely White vs Chantilly Lace
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (OC-65) is Merely White’s cooler cousin. Cooler, as in it has barely grey or blue undertones. It’s simply as vibrant and crisp, however with out the hints of yellow. It pairs properly with different cool-toned decor, however in some areas might lack the coziness of hotter whites.
Merely White vs Alabaster
Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (SW 7008) is kind of completely different from Merely White. It’s a lot darker and noticeably hotter, giving it a distinctly off-white or beige look. The 2 share comparable undertones which means they might work properly collectively, like Alabaster partitions with Merely White trim.
Merely White vs Greek Villa
Sherwin-Williams Greek Villa (SW 7551) is one other common off-white that may be paired with Merely White. Each have heat undertones that complement one another, however Greek Villa has some hints of crimson that may give it a slight pinkish hue in sure lighting. Think about Alabaster as a muddier different should you’re on the lookout for a light-weight greige.
Merely White vs Swiss Espresso
Benjamin Moore Swiss Espresso (OC-45) is one other nice complimenting colour to Merely White. It’s a bit darker and has hints of inexperienced, which might cool its heat ever so barely. It’s nonetheless firmly within the heat white class, and will even tip over to off-white or gentle beige, particularly if paired with a brighter trim white.
Merely White vs Cloud White
As a result of Benjamin Moore Cloud White (OC-130) is barely darker and barely creamier than Merely White, is extra prone to appear as if an off-white in your area. We recommend sticking with Merely White should you’re in search of a real heat white, however think about Cloud White should you’d like a basic vintage white really feel or have plenty of heat finishes in your area.
Merely White vs Decorator’s White
Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White (CC-20) is a distinctly darker and grayer white than Merely White. Due to its slight blue undertones, it doesn’t run the danger of wanting yellow and might pair properly with different cooler-toned paints. Nevertheless, it might seem too grey for some. A brighter white like Chantilly Lace could also be a greater cool different to Merely White.
Merely White vs Additional White
Sherwin-Williams Additional White (SW 7006) is one other nice cool white different to Merely White. Is it barely darker, however nonetheless seems like a crisp white when used on partitions, trim, or cupboards. It doesn’t have sturdy undertones, which additionally makes it a versatile white selection should you fear about Merely White’s tendencies to look yellow.
Last concerns
Benjamin Moore’s Merely White is a strong selection for a vibrant heat white. We used it all through two completely different homes: on partitions, trim, doorways, cupboards, moldings, and extra. In doing so, we ran into a few of its drawbacks and limitations. It tended to look creamy and off-white in rooms with out good pure gentle. And after a number of years, the inevitable yellowing of previous paint compounded this subject.
In order a lot as we swore by Merely White for therefore lengthy, we moved on to a white paint we like higher for our new home.
Extra paint colours we love
You possibly can take a look at extra of our favourite, go-to paint colours by touring our properties within the menu on the high of our weblog (right here’s the house featured on this submit) or looking our Portray Initiatives part. We’ve additionally written deep-dives on a few of our favourite paints:
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