Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee OC-45

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee OC-45 is a beautifully soft off-white paint color that can also be a bit finicky about what it pairs well with.

Walls and ceiling are painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee.


What is the LRV of Swiss Coffee?



What is the “undertone” of Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee? Will it look yellow?

It might. It depends on the context of the lighting and what’s around it.

If we take an objective look at Swiss Coffee’s LCh* spectral data, we can see that it has a hue angle of 101.31°, putting it in the Yellow hue family

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee hue family spectral data

Swiss Coffee has a very high lightness value (93.3) which means it’s nice and bright. At 5.39, Swiss Coffee also has a fair amount of chroma, or color saturation. This means that it has just enough color pigment to give it some nice warmth. 



In certain qualities of light, Swiss Coffee’s warmth will really stand out and may look more yellowish. Like all white paint colors, Swiss Coffee is highly reflective and vulnerable to the lighting around it. 

  • Swiss Coffee will look more balanced in rooms with North-facing light or rooms that have dim lighting.
  • The warmth of Swiss Coffee will be more noticeable and more intense in rooms that receive a lot of Southern light or afternoon Western light. Both are warmer and a bit yellow. 
  • Soft white bulbs (the most popular, easily available light bulb color) tend to be quite yellow as well and may amplify the yellow in Swiss Coffee. Using the right color light bulbs (3000 K to 3500 K) will give BM Swiss Coffee a much more balanced appearance.
  • Kitchens that have cool-toned marble or quartz countertops, bright white subway tile, or white appliances may be too stark to pair well with Swiss Coffee.

What trim color goes with Swiss Coffee? Can I use it for cabinets and walls?

If you have Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on the walls, I recommend using Swiss on the trim and cabinets. 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.

These cabinet are paint in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a semi-gloss finish. The walls are Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a flat finish.

What other paint colors are equivalent or similar to Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee?

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 Swiss Coffee in another brand, there are options: 

The walls are Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in flat finish, and the paneling is Swiss Coffee in semi-gloss finish.


Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee vs White Dove

Is Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee a good exterior paint color?

It can be for some houses, but it’s not our favorite or one we specify often for exteriors in our color consultations. When it comes to off-white and warm white paints, there are simply others that are a little more flexible. Again, this is why sampling swatches of the actual paint color in its intended space (on an exterior wall) and viewing it at different times of the day is so important.

Home exterior painted in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee.


What other paint colors go with the Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee color palette?

We think this beautiful warm white looks fantastic with tans, beiges, and shades of green! Take a look at some of our favorite Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee complimentary colors:

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee OC-45 is a beautifully soft off-white paint color that can also be a bit finicky about what it pairs well with.

Need Help Choosing a Color?

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exterior paint color

Exterior Paint Color Report | Virtual

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About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Published by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of "Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging" and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

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