Looking for the perfect warm neutral paint color for your home? Let’s compare Pale Oak vs Swiss Coffee to see if one might be perfect for your space!
If you’re torn between grays and tans for your paint job, consider warm neutral paint colors – they’re the best of both worlds! Picture those perfect greige shades.
Warm neutrals bring a comfortable vibe, unlike cooler colors that can feel stark and cold. Plus, they blend seamlessly with other paint colors, wood tones, and finishes, making them a popular choice!
Whether you prefer something light and airy or dark and rich, warm neutrals have you covered. Just remember to check out their undertones before making your final choice!
Today I want to compare two super popular shades of warm neutral paint – BM Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee.
Let’s talk about the difference between these two popular shades.
Read my full review of Pale Oak
Read my full review of BM Swiss Coffee
Pale Oak vs Swiss Coffee
Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee are warm, neutral paint colors that can make a space feel cozy, inviting and warm. However, Pale Oak is quite a bit darker than Swiss Coffee!
What is similar about Pale Oak vs Swiss Coffee?
Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee are both popular neutral paint colors. Some even consider them warm greiges.
Both have warm yellow undertones, although Swiss Coffee has some other undertones as noted below.
Both colors are neutral enough to be used as whole house paint colors.
However, note that Pale Oak has a lower LRV, which means it may look slightly different in rooms with lots of natural light vs rooms without much natural light.
What is different about Pale Oak vs Swiss Coffee ?
Pale Oak is darker than Swiss Coffee. With LRVs of 70 and 82, the difference in color depth is significant.
Their LRVs also mean Swiss Coffee is considered an off-white, and Pale Oak is too dark to be categorized as an off-white.
While both colors have warm yellow undertones, Swiss Coffee also features some beige and some slightly green undertones.
| Pale Oak | Swiss Coffee | |
| LRV | 70 | 82 |
| RBG | R: 222 G: 216 B: 205 | R: 237 G: 234 B: 224 |
| Undertones | warm: yellow | warm: yellow/beige, slightly green |
Light Reflectance Value
Light Reflective Value is the measurement of how much light a color bounces around. This is on a scale of 0 to 100 with 0 being pure black and 100 being pure white.
These are both mid-toned paint colors, but they are not equal in color depth.
With an LRV of 82, Swiss Coffee is noticeably lighter and brighter than Pale Oak, which has an LRV of 70.
Generally, anything with an LRV from 72-82 is considered off-white, meaning Swiss Coffee is an off-white and Pale Oak is too dark for this category.
Undertones
Both Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee have warm undertones.
Pale Oak has warm yellow undertones. Swiss Coffee has warm yellow and beige undertones, as well as some slightly green undertones.
In south-facing rooms with lots of natural light, both colors will look lighter and warmer. Pale Oak may appear as more of a creamy off-white.
In north-facing rooms that lack natural light, both colors will look darker and cooler. Pale Oak may appear as more of a gray.
Swiss Coffee’s green undertones may be more apparent in north-facing rooms with cool lighting or in rooms with LED light bulbs.
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!
How do I decide between these two colors?
Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee are both great neutral paint options!
If you’re looking for something lighter and brighter, go with Swiss Coffee. If you want an off-white, Swiss Coffee is also the best choice here.
However, if your space is at all dark or gets north-facing lighting, I suggest sticking away from Swiss Coffee. It could read as slightly green in these circumstances.
If you want something a bit darker and want to avoid a white or off-white, go with Pale Oak.
However, if your room gets a lot of natural light, Pale Oak may look too washed out, so you might want to go with Swiss Coffee.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Color Palette
Want to use this paint color in your home? Instantly upgrade your home’s aesthetic with our exclusive paint color palette. Unlock the perfect trim color and six stunning accent colors, a combination of neutrals and bold hues for an instantly harmonious space!
Get your perfect paint color palette by clicking here!
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee color palette
Want to use this paint color in your home? Instantly upgrade your home’s aesthetic with our exclusive paint color palette. Unlock the perfect trim color and six stunning accent colors, a combination of neutrals and bold hues for an instantly harmonious space!
Get your perfect paint color palette by clicking here!
Still not sure what paint color to choose?
My Paint Color Formula ebook 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!
Meg Hemmelgarn is a freelance writer and home decor + DIY blogger who loves to talk about paint colors. She and her husband are currently renovating their third fixer upper. You can see their projects on her blog, Green With Decor.