There’s nothing more difficult when it comes to paint than selecting the perfect white. Seems like it should be simple but if you’ve ever stared at a wall of white paint chips before you know exactly what I mean. Individually they all look the same but lay a few of them side by side and you’ll suddenly see different colours shine through.

The “pure” white you love may have an undertone and that will affect how the colour is perceived when you paint your walls, cabinetry or your trim. I’ve written an entire blog post about the undertones of white paint which you can read here.

Two of the most beloved white paint colours are Benjamin Moore’s White Dove and Chantilly Lace. Both homeowners and designers have long gravitated towards these colours and they’re both heavy hitters but are they right for you?

Why Is White Paint So Difficult?

It all circles back to the undertones I mentioned above. White is never a pure colour and will always show just a hint of another colour, the undertone.

You may have never needed to understand this before but undertones are hiding everywhere in your home - in the paint, fabrics, tile and yes, even in your wood and stone. Once you understand how to pick out the undertone your life will be transformed. Well, at least your paint selections will become easier. Instead of poring over hundreds of white options you’ll be able to narrow your choice down to the few that will be perfect in your room.

Until you truly understand undertones this will make picking a white paint like a stab in the dark. You’ll be gambling with the undertones and hoping they match with the white present in your fixed materials.

Chantilly Lace At a Glance

Like I said, no white paint is pure without undertones but if there’s one that comes close it’s this one. It's like paper white and if you hold up other whites beside it you'll see that Chantilly Lace looks white while the others show their undertones. Chantilly Lace is a cool white that works well with cool, modern palettes.

White Dove At a Glance

In spite of its name White Dove is not a pure white. It has creamy undertones and I put it into the category of off-white.

I would avoid using White Dove in any room where there is already an existing white (cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, etc). This will look dirty next to a more stark white.

Understanding LRV of Paint

LRV is a popular acronym that stands for Light Reflective Value indicating how light or dark a colour is. The scale goes from 0 to 100 with the darkest (black) being 0 and the lightest white is 100.

White Dove has an LRV of 83.16 and Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90.04. That little bit of information immediately tells us that Chantilly Lace is slightly lighter and reflects more light into a room than White Dove.

FUN FACT: Benjamin Moore doesn’t have any white paint with a higher LRV than Chantilly Lace. There are other manufacturers with higher but if you prefer Benjamin Moore, this is the brightest white you’ll find.

Where To Use White Dove

All white paint is versatile and can be used both inside and outside of your home. There’s virtually nowhere you can’t use white including walls, cabinetry, doors and trim. It’s just a matter of finding the right white.

White Dove is a creamier off-white so it tends to work better with an earthy palette. That means if your fixed materials lean more towards brown, beige, sand and tan you’ll want to use an off-white.

I love White Dove in historical spaces where you want a white that reads as a natural, easy off-white and doesn’t draw too much attention away from the architectural details of the space.

Where to Use Chantilly Lace

This colour is perfect for kitchen cabinetry because it never reads as dirty like some other whites do. In fact, this is probably the most popular white used on kitchen cabinetry. One of the reasons is that a lot of builder grade homes have fixed materials like backsplash tiles that tend towards the cooler side of the colour spectrum. Chantilly Lace will pair well with those whereas a warmer white will look dull and dirty compared to a crisper white.

It also works well for doors and trim in a more modern environment where a crisp, clean palette is being used. Because of its almost indiscernible blue undertone this is a cool colour and looks better paired with other cool colours. If you have linen, sand or taupe fabrics in your room skip this one and find a warmer white.

How Do Lighting Conditions Affect These Paint Colours?

The natural light that flows into our homes does more than just illuminate our space and make us feel happier. The direction of the light has a strong influence on how the colour is perceived. Always consider your room’s orientation when selecting paint colours. Here is an overview of how the orientation affects the colours:

Northern Exposure - this cool light brings out the cooler tones of a paint colour.

Southern Exposure - the warmest exposure that can wash out colours and make them feel dull.

Eastern Exposure - this light starts the day warm and bright but turns cool throughout the afternoon.

Western Exposure - this light is dark and can be dull in the morning but the afternoon’s strong rays will have warm, yellow tones.

Which Lighting Works Best With White Dove?

White Dove works best in a southern exposure. It brings out all the beautiful warm tones of this paint. It also performs extremely well in a northern exposure because the warmth of the white can hold its own even against the cold light.

Which Lighting Works Best With Chantilly Lace?

Chantilly Lace looks best in southern exposure because this will bring out its best characteristics and prevent it from feeling cool. Conversely, northern exposures can bring out a slightly blue cast from this cooler white.

It can work in both eastern and western exposures. You’ll see it change throughout the day but you may find periods of the day where it’s stark and feels colder than you like.

Which Colour Palette Works Best With White Dove

We’re seeing a trend back towards the warmer beige palette of the early 2000’s and away from the cool gray of the last decade or two. This means that we’ll be seeing a lot more homeowners using White Dove than maybe we have recently.

White Dove is a flexible colour that works well with many palettes but it needs to be amongst a warm palette to look its best.

If you like blues and greens this will work but just remember to lean towards the warm side of the colour deck. In the last decade we’ve seen a lot of kitchens with white marble. Most of the time this marble tends to be cool with either gray or blue veining. For spaces like this, I would avoid White Dove as the paint will look dirty compared to the cool tone of this countertop. If you’re considering replacing your countertop this year this post explains the best options available to you.

Which Colour Palette Works Best With Chantilly Lace

Blue, green, purple are all colours that can be cool and Chantilly Lace pairs beautifully with those. Be careful when selecting a white paint to pair with any of those because there is such an immense variety of colours within each of these families. There are as many warm versions as there are cool so be sure what you’re using and pair the white accordingly. I would avoid anything too warm with Chantilly Lace because this will bring out the cool tones and can look visually confusing to your eye.

Deep, saturated tones also look great paired with Chantilly Lace when you want a crisp contrast between the neutral white and the deeper colour. This works really well in modern environments.

Summary

White Dove is more creamy while Chantilly Lace is more neutral.
White Dove has an LRV of 83.16, Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 90.04.
White Dove is a warmer white while Chantilly Lace wins for the whitest white.
White Dove looks best in southern or northern exposures.
Chantilly Lace looks best in southern exposure rooms.
White Dove pairs well with warmer palettes.
Chantilly Lace pairs best with cooler palettes.

I hope this helps you understand how to differentiate between all white paint colours but specifically between White Dove and Chantilly Lace. If you find selecting paint colours overwhelming, reach out to me to discuss how I can help with a colour consultation.

Warm regards,

Adrienne