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Simply White By Benjamin Moore Around My Home

by - Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Last week, I finished up a paint consultation with one of my e-design clients. Because of the pandemic and with many of us still under lockdown, the simple act of picking paint is no longer the easy task it once was. You might find yourself researching and consulting friends for recommendations, ordering swatches online, or having the paint delivered to your door. 

Simply White OC 117


If you're researching white paint, and specifically Simply White by BenjaminMoore, let me share what I know about this paint colour to help you make your paint decision easier. Simply White OC-117 is one of the most popular white paint colours out there for good reason!

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Benjamin Moore White Paints


I've used many, many paint brands over the years, but when it comes to white paint, no one does it better than Benjamin Moore. While many brands have one or two good white paints, Benjamin Moore has more than a few that are dependable, interesting, and useful in different scenarios. 

Choosing the right white paint depends on a few things. You'll want to consider:
  • how much natural light you get in the space
  • where you'll be using the paint (walls, trim, ceiling, cabinetry)
  • what kind of feeling you're looking for (warm, cool, or neutral)

White paints are surprisingly complex. My favourite white paints from Benjamin Moore are:
  • Simply White OC-117: a versatile slightly warmer white paint that is easy to live with and looks great on walls and cabinetry
  • Chantilly Lace OC-65: a pure white that looks good on trimwork and in modern spaces
  • Seapearl OC-19: a warmer off-white. Great for calm, serene spaces. See it in our previous primary bedroom.
  • Cloud White CC-40: a soft warm white. It's an easy choice for trim and ceilings
  • Decorators White CC-20: a cool white with a slightly grey undertone. Looks great with deeper grey and cool colours
  • Paper White OC-55: a light grey-white that feels fresh and bright. A good paint colour for our guest bedroom

Benjamin Moore has dozens of whites to choose from. In general, I find Benjamin Moore paint one of the best for your money. It's not the cheapest paint but the quality is worth it. It has excellent coverage and the paint spreads easily without being too thin or runny.


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Choosing Paint Finishes

Aside from choosing your paint colour, you'll want to consider the paint finish. The amount of light reflected by your paint will impact how it looks in your space. Generally, in our home we use:
  • flat or matte for most walls
  • eggshell for walls that need to be more durable and wipeable such as kitchens and bathrooms
  • matte or satin for trim
Satin or Semi gloss is a more typical choice for trimwork but over the years, I've come to like a more matte look. Matte paint does require more touching up so be aware if you use it in higher traffic areas. I LOVE this product to help keep our white walls white! See here for more tips on selecting a paint finish.

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What colour is Simply White?

Simply White is a neutral white with a slightly yellow undertone. That yellow can look more pronounced in low light conditions, or against other brighter, cooler whites.

Generally, Simply White is a basic warmer white that provides a neutral, calm backdrop to furnishings and other colours.

Where to use Simply White

Simply White is amazingly versatile. It can be used on almost any surface: walls, doors, trim. Use it in any space that you want to feel bright, white, and clean. Consider it for:
  • hallways and entryways
  • bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens
  • restful or calm spaces
  • traditional homes, country homes, farmhouse spaces
  • rooms with changing light conditions
  • kitchen cabinetry
  • moulding and architectural details
  • as a backdrop to more colourful accents
  • paired with other pale neutrals, warm tones, or saturated colours

In our home, we used Simply White to brighten up all of our main hallways. We wanted a colour that would be easy to live with and would look good on lots of surfaces and in different light conditions.

 
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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, best white paint, simply white paint

You can see how the hallway was previously white but felt darker and more cream. Now, the Simply White makes this hallway feel brighter and fresher. It feels white without being too stark. At night, it does feel a bit warmer, but not as cream or yellow as the previous paint.

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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, simply white hallway, simply white paint

In our traditional home, Simply White provides a quiet and peaceful backdrop. Darker accents and furnishings stand out nicely against this paint.

Simply White Trimwork


Simply white is a fantastic choice for trim and moulding. We have traditional mouldings in our dining room and the white paint highlights them beautifully.

We used the Simply White on the wainscotting, baseboards, door and window casings, crown, and also the ceiling. Using a single white paint in a single finish (matte) creates a uniform feel. 


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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, white dining room, simply white paint

You'll notice that the Simply White works well with the wallpaper and the sideboard. Occasionally, white paint can be jarring when next to white painted furniture. The Simply White is neither too cool or too warm. It's fairly complementary to other white shades.


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Simply White in Small Spaces

I love how Simply White looks in this small powder room. This bathroom gets a lot of light and most of the day, the white paint makes this room positively glow. It feels calm and bright and clean - ideal for a bathroom!

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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, simply white bathroom, simply white paint

Simply White on the walls and ceiling helps make this 8' ceiling feel taller. Having a darker paint on the wainscotting (Stonington Gray HC-170 by Benjamin Moore) grounds the space and makes the upper part of the room feel expansive and light. 

Simply White Basement


The one other room we used Simply White OC-117 was in our basement. We wanted a bright coastal breezy feel for our basement. I was unsure if this was the right paint for the job as there is little natural light in the basement and in certain conditions, Simply White can look creamy. But we took a chance, and it turned out fine.

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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, simply white basement, simply white paint


Picking white paint for a basement can be very challenging. Not only are you dealing with little natural light, but typically basements have recessed lights which can give off a yellow cast or blue cast depending on if they're incandescent or LED. Basements can also physically feel cold - you don't a white paint that makes them feel even colder.

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simply white benjamin moore, simply white oc-117, simply white basement, simply white paint


The paint does look slightly warmer in the basement. I do think a lot of it has to do with the recessed pot lights. In real life, the walls don't look as yellow and the floors don't look as light and pink. It's terribly difficult to capture true-to-life colours when there's no natural light.

Were we going to paint this basement again (we're not!), I might choose a slightly purer white like Chantilly Lace. The Simply White is liveable and looks good throughout the entire basement so we're happy to live with it.

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Here's probably the best depiction of Simply White in our basement. You can see how it works with the warm wood and taupe tones of our basement kitchenette cabinetry and tile.

Overall, Simply White is a great choice wherever you need white. It's liveable, warm, and classic.

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