Want to paint your home cream? Here's things to take into consideration and the best Benjamin Moore cream paint colors!
Cream is one of my favorite paint colors for a home.
It's light, bright, and inviting. The warm undertones help to keep your room from feeling cold or stark at all.
I love sharing all of my favorite cream paint colors with you, but today I am going to focus on paints by Benjamin Moore. This brand is a classic and trusted by designers and the pros!
In this blog post, we will explore the best Benjamin Moore cream paint colors to give your home that bright and cozy aesthetic.
What color is cream, anyway?
You might think that cream is white. However, cream actually is considered to be a very light shade of yellow. In reality, it is often an off white with heavy yellow undertones.
We will talk about Light Reflective Values later, but in general:
- LRV > 82 is considered white
- LRV of 73-82 is considered off-white
- LRV < 73 is considered not white at all
Why should you choose a cream color paint?
Cream paint colors are light and bright enough to work in many spaces. They are very neutral.
Even if they are light and simple, they are more warm and inviting compared to a pure white color.
Cream colors also tend to have a bit more depth to them than a warm toned white, making it great for very brightly lit spaces that can easily get washed out.
Cream walls are a soft, neutral option that works with many styles of home decor and different accent colors. Cream colored walls are timeless and this paint job will last you decades!
How do I choose a shade of cream paint?
The easiest way to get a feel for a cream paint color is to get a paint strip for that color.
Follow it down to darker shades. Suddenly it's easier to see the brown, yellow, or pink undertones!
Here's my complete guide to paint undertones!
The easiest way to tell this is to get a paint swatch and hold it up to something true white - such as a sheet of paper. Suddenly the undertones pop out!
What colors go well with cream?
Cream is a neutral color that can go with almost any other color palette.
You can pair cream with other soft colors, such as light tans or grays, for a very neutral look. Or, you can pair it with darker or bold accent colors and it will still look great.
As far as picking accent colors, I suggest looking at the undertones of the cream paint color that you are using and choose colors that coordinate with or complement that tone!
What is the best cream paint?
The best cream paint will depend on where you want to use it and the light conditions and existing fixtures in your home.
My general process for picking a wall paint color is:
- Get paper swatches
- Hold them up all over the room
- Pick 3-5 to get samples of
- Paint on multiple walls, look at it day and night, lights on and light off
- Pick a color
You can read ALL about my paint color formula here!
What is the best cream paint color for walls?
The best cream paint color for walls will be one that the undertones coordinate with the existing features in your room.
Remember that light white and cream wall paint has a high LRV - light reflective value. This means that they are light colors but also means that they literally reflect light. They will reflect the colors of the things around them.
So, a cream wall next to a big red rug will get a bit of a pink reflection to it. If the cream already has pink undertones, it could look VERY pink! This is why it's so important to swatch colors in yours space!
It's very important to swatch colors on your wall to make sure they look good – day and night – in your actual space before committing.
Click here to get removable peel & stick paint samples to easily swatch with!
What is the best cream paint color for the exterior of a home?
Once again, you are going to want to choose a cream paint with undertones that match or coordinate with the color of your home's siding, brick, or stone outer finish.
Also consider how much bright light the space gets - whites and off whites can look completely washed out in bright light! If your home gets a lot of sun, pick a color with a lower LRV and a bit more color to it to help it still look creamy.
What is the best cream paint color for kitchen cabinets?
Pick a cream paint color that complements your existing features like countertops, flooring, and backsplash. If there are existing white elements, I'd suggest comparing those specifically to the paint samples to be sure you have a good match or at least they don't clash.
What is the best trim color to pair with cream walls?
You have two options for trim colors when it comes to cream walls: use the same cream on the trim, or go with more of a stark white.
If you want a soft, layered look, going tone-on-tone with the trim is a great option. Choose a flat or eggshell paint for the walls and a semi gloss finish on the trim, but make it the same color!
If you prefer more contrast, you will want a clean white trim. Anything too warm will look murky next to the cream. Think of Extra White or Ultra White, for example.
The best Benjamin Moore cream paint colors
Benjamin Moore Simply White
LRV: 91.7
Undertones: yellow, slightly green
Simply White is a very light white cream color. It's really more of a white with creamy yellow undertones!
This is a great option if you are looking for a white paint color with just a bit of warmth to it.
Benjamin Moore Soft Chamois
LRV: 78.94
Undertones: greige, green, gold
Benjamin Moore Soft Chamois is a golden greige shade off off-white. It has a definite warmth to it and just enough color for interest, without feeling dark at all.
Click here to get a peel and stick sample of Benjamin Moore Soft Chamois
Benjamin Moore Linen White
LRV: 80.94
Undertones: warm yellow
Linen White is a cream paint color, but the undertones feel more warm than straight yellow. It is soft an elegant. With an LRV around 81, it's on the very light end for an off-white paint color and is practically white.
Benjamin Moore Vanilla Milkshake
LRV: 80.97
Undertones: gray, cream
Vanilla Milkshake is a very light greige paint color that skews beige or cream. It's a super soft neutral option for a light, bright, and warm wall color.
Click here to get a peel and stick sample of Vanilla Milkshake
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
LRV: 81.91
Undertones: gray, yellow, green
This is a very light and bright cream color. It has a good amount of gray to it, which keeps it from reading too yellow.
Beware cool light which can put a blue cast on and make it read slightly green.
Click here for my complete Swiss Coffee color review.
Click here to get a peel & stick sample of Swiss Coffee.
Benjamin Moore Featherbed
LRV: 83.6
Undertones: yellow
Feather bed is a cream color with a lot of yellow to it. Like, it's on the edge between creamy yellow and yellow-yellow.
If you are looking for an almost pastel yellow - this could be a great option. It's light and bright enough to work well on the walls of any room.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White
LRV: 85.05
Undertones: warm neutral, yellow
Cloud White is a warm, creamy white color. If you want something light and bright, this is a great option.
If your room is very bright, be prepared for a shade this light to be washed out and look white - while still warm and inviting - on the walls.
Benjamin Moore Timid White
LRV: 82.45
Undertones: yellow, gray
Timid White is a cream paint color with a bit of gray to it, bringing it close to a greige. The gray helps to keep the color feeling soft and muted. However, the tan/yellow tones definitely are stronger than the gray.
Click here to get a peel and stick sample of Timid White.
Benjamin Moore Indian White
LRV: 75.44
Undertones: beige, orange
This color is just dark enough that it is barely on the cusp of being considered off-white. That gives it a good amount of depth that won't wash out in bright light.
Beware the orange undertones - if your room has very warm light, or you decorate with reds or oranges, that could be played up and more noticeable! Not bad, but it has to be something you like!
Click here to get a peel and stick sample of Indian White
Benjamin Moore Natural Cream
LRV: 64.78
Undertones: greige, yellow, gray
Natural Cream is really a greige paint color, but it leans towards beige with warm yellow undertones that I count as creamy.
This is a darker, more mid-toned color. It has a lot of depth to it and is not at all light. In a dark room, it will look even deeper!
Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream
LRV: 71.32
Undertones: brown, orange
If you want a cream color with a good amount of depth to it that reads more tan than yellow, this is a great bet. It has a touch of orange to it, keeping it warm without being very yellow.
Benjamin Moore Ballet White
LRV: 71.97
Undertones: cream, greige, green
This is a super muted cream color with a lot of gray tones to it. It's almost more beige than yellow, but I think that it reads like a cream in most spaces.
The color has a nice depth to it so it won't get too washed out!
Click here to get a peel and stick sample of Ballet White
What's your favorite cream paint color?
Still unsure which paint color is right for your space?
Choosing paint doesn’t have to be stressful! My free Paint Color Planning Quick Start Guide walks you through the exact steps to confidently choose the perfect color — without the overwhelm, second-guessing, or endless swatch testing.
👉 Click here to download the free guide!
My Paint Color Formula course walks you through the painless process of expertly testing paint swatches to ensure you have the perfect color for your home.
The best way to sample paint? Samplize!
Get peel-and-stick removable and reusable paint samples here!
Thanks for reading!
Morgan is passionate about home decor and paint colors. She has been sharing DIY home decor tips since 2012 at CharlestonCrafted.com. From there, she learned to love paint colors, and the Paint Color Project was born in 2022!
