Benjamin Moore Simply White Coordinating Colors: The Complete Architect's Guide
Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117 has become one of the most reached-for bright whites in the brand's library, and it earns that reputation on a genuine dual personality: an LRV of roughly 91.7 carried by a subtle yellow undertone that pulls in opposite directions depending on the light — crisp in a sun-filled room, distinctly warm and almost creamy in a dim one.
I have specified Simply White across projects where clients wanted a bright white that would not read clinical, and here is the honest truth: the challenge is not choosing Simply White — it is choosing what goes with it. The wrong coordinating color makes its warmth read as an accident, or its brightness read as sterile; the right one lets that dual personality work in the room's favour. Here are the Simply White coordinating colors that actually get named for this specific white, and exactly why each one works.
Understanding Simply White Before You Coordinate
Simply White's LRV of roughly 91.7 places it near the very top of the white scale — brighter than a creamy near-white like White Dove, and only a hair below a true cool white like Chantilly Lace. It reflects almost all the light that hits it, which is exactly why it can read so differently from room to room.
The undertone is a subtle warm yellow with no gray, pink, or blue in the mix — which is what keeps it feeling clean rather than muddy even when its warmth is visible. In a sun-filled south or east-facing room, the brightness dominates and it reads crisp. In a low-light room or under warm bulbs, the yellow base steps forward and it can look soft, almost cream. This is genuinely why the same color earns both "perfect bright white" and "too yellow" reviews from different homeowners.
That dual behaviour tells you what to coordinate it with: warm, natural materials settle it into its welcoming register in any light, while another white nearby is specifically the one thing reviewers advise against — a second white risks reading as a mismatch rather than a deliberate layered scheme. Beige, gray, blue, green, red, and yellow accents all sit comfortably with it; it is whites that need the most careful handling.
For a full breakdown of how Simply White compares to other warm whites, the Simply White vs Creamy guide covers the undertone differences in detail — useful reading before you commit to a whole-house scheme.
Quick Reference Table
The six colors below are covered in full in the pairings section that follows — each one is named repeatedly for Simply White specifically across independent color reviews and Benjamin Moore's own coordinating data. Two additional colors are included here for completeness.
Color | Code | Why it works with Simply White |
White Dove | BM OC-17 | Creamier, grayer near-white — the color Simply White is compared to most often |
Cloud White | BM OC-130 | Another soft near-white frequently set alongside Simply White for a layered look |
Revere Pewter | BM HC-172 | Warm greige wall color named explicitly as pairing naturally with Simply White trim |
Pure White | SW 7005 | Sherwin-Williams' cooler, grayer equivalent — the cross-brand benchmark comparison |
Hale Navy | BM HC-154 | Deep navy accent — a real, named category (blue) Simply White is said to pair with |
Balboa Mist | BM OC-27 | Soft warm gray — a real, named category (gray) Simply White is said to pair with |
Chantilly Lace | BM OC-65 | The crispest, coolest benchmark — reviewers use it to show how warm Simply White is by comparison |
White Heron | BM OC-57 | Another soft, warm-leaning near-white in the same general family |
Simply White as a Wall Color — Best Pairings
White Dove OC-17 with Simply White Trim
White Dove is the color Simply White is compared to most often — a creamier, grayer near-white with an LRV of 85.4. Putting White Dove on the walls with Simply White on the trim gives the trim genuine brightness while the walls carry the softer, more grounded story.
This combination suits living rooms and hallways where you want real brightness at the edges of the room. Keep wood tones warm and hardware in brushed brass — the two colors are different enough that they read as a deliberate layered scheme rather than a mismatch.
For the full comparison of Simply White against White Dove — the two colors most frequently weighed against each other in this family — the Simply White vs White Dove guide explains the LRV gap and which rooms suit each.
Cloud White OC-130 with Simply White Trim
Cloud White is the other soft near-white most frequently set alongside Simply White. It reads gently warmer and quieter, which makes it a good alternative to White Dove when a scheme wants slightly less contrast between wall and trim.
This pairing works well in bedrooms and bathrooms where a soft, enveloping scheme is the goal. As with any two near-whites this close, sample them together in the actual room — the difference is real but subtle enough that lighting will decide which one reads correctly.
For how Simply White compares to Cloud White — two soft near-whites frequently weighed against each other for a layered scheme — the Cloud White vs Simply White guide covers how they actually sit side by side.
Revere Pewter HC-172 with Simply White Trim
Revere Pewter is named explicitly as a warm greige wall color that pairs naturally with Simply White trim — one of the more specific, direct pairing recommendations in the research for this white. The greige gives the room real depth while Simply White keeps the trim bright and clean.
This suits living rooms and dining rooms where the walls need genuine warmth and weight. Keep the rest of the palette warm-toned — natural wood, brass, warm textiles — so Simply White's own brightness does not feel like the odd one out.
Pure White SW 7005 with Simply White Trim
Pure White is the cross-brand benchmark comparison for Simply White — Sherwin-Williams' equivalent bright white, but with a cooler, slightly gray undertone against Simply White's warmth. Comparing the two on the same wall makes Simply White's yellow base far easier to see than it is alone.
This is a genuinely useful pairing for testing purposes as much as a design one — if a client is deciding between the two brands, seeing them side by side settles the decision faster than any description can.
For the full cross-brand comparison of Simply White against Pure White — the decision many people actually face when picking a bright white — the Simply White vs Pure White guide covers the undertone gap in detail.
Hale Navy HC-154 with Simply White Walls
Blue is named directly as a color that works well with Simply White, and Hale Navy is the classic, most dependable choice within that category. Its deep saturation makes Simply White trim and ceilings feel genuinely crisp by comparison, rather than merely light.
Use it on a single surface — a front door, an island, built-in cabinetry — rather than spreading it across the room. Brass or aged bronze hardware keeps the pairing feeling warm rather than nautical.
Balboa Mist OC-27 with Simply White Trim
Gray is named directly as a color that works well with Simply White, and Balboa Mist is a soft, warm-leaning gray that avoids the harshness a colder gray could bring against Simply White's yellow undertone.
This pairing is well suited to open-plan spaces where the wall color needs to hold up under mixed light across the day. Test it under your actual light — because Simply White itself shifts with the light, the two need to be sampled together.
Simply White for Trim, Ceilings, and Woodwork
Simply White is genuinely well suited to walls, trim, ceilings, and cabinetry alike — reviewers specifically name it as an all-purpose color for whole-house schemes precisely because its brightness holds up across so many different surfaces.
On ceilings, Simply White keeps a room feeling open without the flatness a cooler white can create. In a sun-filled room, this is where it performs best — the high LRV dominates and the ceiling reads genuinely crisp rather than yellowed.
For woodwork and joinery, use a satin or semi-gloss finish. In a low-light room or a north-facing space, Simply White is a better trim color than a cooler white like Chantilly Lace, because its warmth prevents the flat, gray look a true cool white can take on without direct sun to activate it.
For the full comparison of Simply White against Swiss Coffee — two warm near-whites at different points on the brightness scale, useful when weighing how much depth a trim color should carry — the Swiss Coffee vs Simply White guide covers which rooms call for which.
Simply White vs Chantilly Lace — Which for Trim?
This is the single most frequently cited comparison for Simply White, because the two sit almost identically on the brightness scale. Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 92.2 against Simply White's 91.7 — a gap so small it is effectively invisible. The real difference is undertone, not depth: Chantilly Lace is clean and slightly cool, while Simply White carries that soft yellow warmth.
The decision comes down to how much warmth you want visible. If you want something very clean and crisp with no warmth at all, Chantilly Lace is the right call. If you want something slightly softer and warmer without losing brightness, Simply White is the better fit.
When in doubt, Simply White is the more forgiving choice for rooms with mixed or lower light — its warmth keeps it from ever looking flat. Chantilly Lace is the right choice only when the room has strong, consistent light and the brief specifically wants a cooler, more neutral bright white.
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For the full comparison of Simply White against Chantilly Lace — the two brightest whites in Benjamin Moore's library, separated by undertone rather than depth — the Chantilly Lace vs Simply White guide covers the gap in full.
Simply White Coordinating Colors by Room
Living Room
Simply White walls with Revere Pewter furnishings and warm wood floors is a reliable, bright living room combination — the greige grounds the room while Simply White keeps it feeling open. For a bolder living room, take Hale Navy onto a single fireplace wall.
Simply White is often compared to Greek Villa — a warmer, more committed near-white despite a similarly high LRV. The Simply White vs Greek Villa guide explains why the two are not interchangeable on a living room wall.
Bedroom
For the calmest bedroom, pair Simply White walls with White Dove or Cloud White trim and linen bedding — a soft, layered scheme with almost no visible seam. For something with more presence, Balboa Mist on an accent wall gives Simply White a quiet, grounded contrast.
Kitchen
On cabinetry, Simply White holds its brightness well in rooms with ample natural light — reviewers specifically name kitchen cabinets as one of its strongest uses. Pair it with brushed brass or matte black hardware and warm or neutral stone countertops; in a lower-light kitchen, its warmth will be more visible than the chip suggests.
For the cross-brand comparison useful for kitchen cabinetry decisions, the Simply White vs Shoji White guide covers which one holds up better against stainless appliances.
Bathroom
Simply White gives bathrooms a bright, clean quality that holds up well even without abundant natural light, thanks to its warmth stepping in under artificial lighting. In a bathroom with strong, direct sun, expect it to read close to a true white for most of the day.
Exterior
Simply White works well as an exterior color, particularly in south, east, and west-facing exposures where reviewers note it takes on an especially clean appearance. For high contrast, pair it with Hale Navy or Iron Ore on shutters and the front door. For an understated look, pair it with Revere Pewter trim instead.
Watch for its yellow undertone in shaded areas of the exterior — reviewers specifically note that as the sun moves and leaves a patch in shade, the warmth becomes noticeably more visible there than on the sun-struck sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors go with Benjamin Moore Simply White?
Beige, gray, blue, green, red, and yellow accents all work well with Simply White. Another white is the one category to approach carefully — reviewers specifically caution against pairing it with a second white, since the two can read as a mismatch rather than a deliberate layered scheme unless the LRVs and undertones are genuinely complementary.
Is Simply White a good trim color?
Yes. With an LRV of roughly 91.7, it is bright enough to read crisp on trim in most rooms, and its warmth is an advantage in lower-light or north-facing spaces where a cooler white like Chantilly Lace can look flat.
What is the difference between Simply White and Chantilly Lace for trim?
The two sit almost identically on the LRV scale, so brightness is not the real difference — undertone is. Chantilly Lace is clean and slightly cool with no warmth; Simply White carries a soft yellow base. Chantilly Lace suits bright, consistently lit rooms; Simply White suits rooms with more variable or lower light.
Can Simply White be used on walls and trim together?
Yes. A monochromatic Simply White scheme — matte or eggshell on the walls, satin or semi-gloss on the trim — creates a bright, cohesive look through sheen alone. It works especially well in sun-filled rooms where the color's crisp side dominates throughout.
Final Thought
Simply White's defining trait as a coordinating color is its dual personality. Every winning combination in this guide works by giving that duality something steady to sit against — a warm greige, a genuine accent color, or a deliberately different near-white — rather than leaving its shift between crisp and creamy to happen unpredictably on its own.
For one more angle on where Simply White sits in the broader bright-white field, the White Heron vs Simply White guide covers a comparison against another soft, warm-leaning near-white.
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About the Author
Beril Yilmaz is a qualified architect and interior designer based in the UK. She runs BY Design And Viz, a design platform covering paint colour reviews, interior design guidance, and residential design projects. Beril has specified Benjamin Moore Simply White across residential projects in the UK and internationally — in sun-filled rooms where a bright white was needed without the sterility of a fully cool white, most often paired with Revere Pewter on adjoining walls or White Dove on the trim.
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