Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-017

Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-017 is a beautifully soft, warm white paint color. It’s a popular choice for trim and cabinets, but it’s not necessarily the perfect go-to color for every situation. White Dove is a great option when you want a white that’s not too sterile and stark, but not too creamy either. Let’s take a look at White Dove’s spectral data to see if it’s a good match for your next project.

Photo by Divine Custom Homes – Browse entryway ideas

Trim is painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove. Walls are Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray.

What is the LRV of White Dove?

Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a measure of how much light a paint reflects back into a room, with 100% being highly reflective and zero being not reflective at all. BM White Dove has an LRV of 85%, which means it will reflect quite a bit of light but won’t be as glaring or bright as a white with a higher LRV, such as Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White or Benjamin Moore Simply White. 

Photo by John Kraemer & Sons – Browse staircase photos

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You must sample this color in the space you intend to use it before you start putting it on your walls and trim! (We mail 8″ x 10″ paint swatches of our recommendations to our Virtual Color Consultation clients.)

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Is BM White Dove a cool white or a warm white?

If we take an objective look at White Dove’s LCh* spectral data, we can see that BM White Dove has a hue angle of 100.797°, putting it in the Yellow hue family. Technically speaking, this makes it a warm white.

White Dove has a very high lightness value (93.210) which means it’s nice and bright. At 4.975, White Dove also has a decent amount of chroma, or color saturation, for white paint. This means that it’s bright and clean, but has just enough color pigment to warm it up a bit.

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Will White Dove look yellow?

It might, depending on its surroundings. Context is really important when you’re talking about color, especially white paint, and White Dove is no exception. White Dove’s warmth will really stand out and may look more yellowish under certain conditions:

• In a room that receives a lot of Southern light or afternoon Western light. Both are warmer and a bit yellow which intensifies the warmth of White Dove.
• In a room where Edison bulbs (1900 K) or soft white (2700 K) light bulbs are used. Edison bulbs cast and orange-yellow light, and soft white bulbs (the most popular and most readily available light bulb color) tend to be quite yellow as well. Both tend to amplify the yellow in White Dove. Using the right color light bulbs (3000 K to 3500 K) will give White Dove a much more balanced appearance.
• When partnered with products that are stark white. Kitchens that have cool-toned marble or quartz countertops, bright white subway tile, or white appliances may not be a good match for White Dove.
• When partnered with other white paint. If you have Benjamin Moore White Dove on the walls, I recommend using White Dove on the trim and/or cabinets as well. Simply change the sheen or finish to give it some dimension (e.g., eggshell for the walls and satin for the cabinets and trim). When you start trying to mix and match white paints, their differences in hue and chroma become much more obvious. One will likely end up highlighting the hue family of the other, causing it to look grayer/yellower/dingier by comparison.

Photo by Kirby Home Designs – Look for kitchen pictures

Walls, trim, and cabinets in this kitchen are all painted in differing sheens of Benjamin Moore White Dove.

What other paint colors are equivalent or similar to Benjamin Moore White Dove?

As a reminder, I don’t recommend color matching between brands. This is especially true when it comes to white paint. You cannot color match between brands and expect to get identical results. You will see shifts in color and depth. But if you’re looking for something with a similar vibe to White Dove in another brand, there are options: 

• Sherwin-Williams Cotton 9581 
• Sherwin-Williams Alabaster 7008
• Behr N330-1 Milk Paint
• PPG Gypsum PPG1006-1

Photo by Jamie Keskin Design – Browse kitchen photos

These cabinets are painted in Benjamin Moore White Dove.

Need Help Choosing a Color?

Need help finding the right paint color? Order a Virtual Color Consultation Report from the color professionals at Three Bears Home Staging to get a custom, curated palette and guidance for your next painting project.

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