Why Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117 Is One Of The Best White Paints
Simply White by Benjamin Moore (OC-117) is a versatile, warm white paint color that works beautifully in any space. With its subtle undertones & soft glow, it’s a designer favorite for walls, trim, and cabinetry. Whether you're looking for the perfect crisp white or a cozy neutral, Simply White delivers timeless elegance with just the right balance of warmth.
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
paint swatches online (here's a site
where you can order Benjamin Moore reusable swatches!), or having the paint
delivered to your door.
Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117
You might see Simply White referred to by two different paint codes: Simply
White OC 117 and Simply White 2143-70. This is because Simply White appears in
two Benjamin Moore paint collections (the Color Preview Collection and
the Off-White Collection), but it is the same colour.
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. You'll
find that most decorators have their "favourite white paint" from Benjamin
Moore, for good reason!
Benjamin Moore White Paints
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)
Benjamin Moore Peel and Stick Paint Samples
No matter which paint you choose, the one thing I suggest you absolutely
MUST do is order paint samples. Luckily, new companies have come on the
market that offer
reusable and repositionable paint samples.
Hello Paint
(a Canadian company) and
Samplize
(a US company) are just two of the sites that sell large format peel
& stick paint samples. See how I used them
when picking paint for my home office:
From top to bottom, the paint samples I used were:
Calm OC-22 / 2111-70,
White Dove OC-17,
Decorator's White CC-20,
Cloud White OC-130 / 967, and
Chantilly Lace OC-65 / 2121-70. You can see how these peel and stick samples stick easily to trim and
paint, giving you an accurate idea of how the paint will look around the
room, in different lighting conditions.
White paints are surprisingly complex. You might be asking yourself:
Is Benjamin Moore Simply White cool or warm?
Benjamin Moore Simply White is a warm white with a yellow
undertone. The undertone is subtle and generally doesn't make the paint
seem overly creamy or yellow in natural balanced light. Simply White
mostly appears neutral unless you have extreme light conditions: In an
absence of natural light, it will appear more cream and warm. In bright
light, it will look more cool. Additionally, pairing it with cooler
whites will emphasize the warm undertone.
What are the best Benjamin Moore white paints?
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. 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
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.
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 Benjamin Moore Simply White paint
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.
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.
In our traditional home, Simply White provides a quiet and peaceful
backdrop. Darker accents and furnishings stand out nicely against this
paint.
Simply White Trim
Simply White OC-117 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.
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.
Simply White Paint 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!
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.
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.
Overall, Simply White is a great choice wherever you need white. It's
timeless, warm, and classic.
A Benjamin Moore 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.
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 want to use a white paint that makes them feel
even colder.
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.
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.
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