Benjamin Moore Oxford White Color Review

Learn all about Benjamin Moore Oxford White (869) in this paint color review.

I’ve been waiting a long time to write this review of Oxford White paint. We use Oxford White almost every day in our paint color consulting practice, usually as a white trim and ceiling color. However, we rarely use it as a wall color or an exterior paint color.

Oxford White is also known as White Heron OC-57. You may also see it by its Canadian colo code, CC-30.

For years, my associate and fellow color consultant Maddie Camilli has been trying to convince me to use Oxford White as a wall color, and I’ve always dragged my feet. BM Oxford White is such a clean color that I was concerned that it would create shadows in the corners and look dingy.  

But as you’ll see in today’s post, Maddie proved to me that Oxford White can work as a whole-house paint color with lots of different light conditions. The photos throughout this post are from Maddie’s condo, which she painted to sell. 

Read on to see Benjamin Moore Oxford White wall paint in action and learn more about using this beautiful, clean white paint color.

*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps pay for the costs of the blog, so I can continue to offer great content to our readers.

What color is BM Oxford White?

Oxford White (Sample) is one of Benjamin Moore’s cleanest white paint colors. It’s soft, clean and crisp and truly a neutral paint color. It’s not cool and not warm. 

Like most white paint colors, Oxford White has the potential to act like a mirror and reflect other colors around it (such as green foliage from outside), especially in rooms with very bright light.

What is the Oxford White LRV?

Oxford White has an LRV of 86.7. While this still makes it a very light paint color, it is darker and has a lower LRV than Benjamin Moore’s other clean white paint color, Chantilly Lace (Article) (LRV: 90.4). LRV is short for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measurement of how light (LRV=100) or dark (LRV=0) a color is.

Oxford White’s lower LRV means it has more pigment, so it won’t reflect the colors around it as much as a white paint color with a higher LRV. I was pleasantly surprised at how well Oxford White stood up to the bright green foliage around her condo and the bold accent colors Maddie used throughout her home.

In her primary bedroom below, for example, I would have expected the wall opposite the window to look very green. But Oxford White stays looking clean and lovely. The wall on the left is the one that is opposite to the window with the greenery.

Below is the window on the other side of the room. You can see how much foliage there is outside the window. Of course, if the opposite wall were closer, you might see more green, but this is one of the things you need to test for when selecting a white paint color.

What are the Benjamin Moore Oxford White undertones?

Unlike many of the white paint colors popular among homeowners today, Oxford White does not have any yellow undertones. Instead, it has truly neutral undertones, which is what makes it such a clean color. 

Is Oxford White warm or cool?

It is very neutral. If it tends to lean in one direction or another, I’d say Oxford White was very slightly warm, but not much. You can see its touch of warmth when comparing it to BM Chantilly Lace, which is one of the most popular clean whites. Unlike Oxford White, Chantilly Lace leans a bit more into a very slightly cool blue tone.

Sample BM Oxford White

We always recommend that you test paint colors on your home because lighting can change a color completely, both with interiors as well as exteriors.  

In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess. 

Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!  

• Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
• Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
• Delivered overnight
• Colors are accurate
• Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
• No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of

I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results.  Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples:

Using Benjamin Moore Oxford White Interior Paint

As a paint color consultant, I’ve loved BM Oxford White for years as a trim and ceiling color. But it wasn’t until my associate Maddie used this color throughout her condo that I was convinced it could also be a beautiful wall color.

Maddie used Oxford White for ceilings (Ultra-flat sheen), walls (eggshell), and the trim and doors (Satin). It looks glorious! 

Maddie is an artist, so you’ll also see some of her beautiful wall art in coordinating colors.  Maddie and I both love to experiment with paint colors in our homes and Oxford White lays a beautiful foundation for these accent hues.

Can I use BM Oxford White interior trim?

Yes, Oxford White interior trim has always been my primary application for this color. I prefer it to a clean white like Chantilly Lace because it’s not quite as cool and stark so it can work with a variety of wall colors.

In the photos below, for example, Oxford White trim is paired with Benjamin Moore Cloud Cover (Article) walls and Benjamin Moore Cornsilk (Article) walls.

Should I try Oxford White kitchen cabinets?

Absolutely, especially if it matches or is similar to your trim and ceilings. The stock upper cabinets in my kitchen are very close to Oxford White, as pictured below. Oxford White is one of our favorite white paint colors for cabinets.

Can I use Oxford White for dark rooms?

Yes, you can! This actually really surprised me. I really thought that Oxford White would look dingy in darker rooms or shadowy corners because it doesn’t have warm undertones. Seeing it used throughout Maddie’s home, however, showed me that I was wrong. Because it has more pigment than many other white hues, it can still hold up in the shadows.

Is an Oxford White bedroom a good idea?

Absolutely! I love the way the Oxford White bedrooms turned out in Maddie’s condo. You can see a bit of warmth on the headboard wall below, which is coming from the foliage in the facing window.

The crisp, clean hue looks soft and lovely, and lays the perfect foundation for the warm decor and layered textures throughout this space.

Can I try an Oxford White office?

An office with Oxford White walls can be a beautiful, calming space. In Maddie’s home, the office has lower light with lots of shadows in the corners. It was this space that convinced me that Oxford White wouldn’t look dingy in darker spaces. It actually looks lovely and quite interesting.

Is Oxford White good for Open-Concept spaces?

Yes, Oxford White is a great whole-house paint color (Article) or a color for open-concept living areas. Because it is so neutral, it can pair well with a variety of other paint colors, hard finishes and decor.

In Maddie’s open-concept living area above, for example, there’s a beautiful mix of warm wood floors, terracotta fireplace tiles and warm beige decor items combined with a cooler gray cement countertop (a gray with violet undertones similar to BM Baltic Gray (Sample)) and gray-green kitchen cabinets.

With a neutral white like Oxford, it’s nice to balance warm and cool. It’s also important to have lots of warm decor to keep the white from looking too cold, even though it is neutral.

Best Oxford White Coordinating Colors: A Whole-House Color Palette

As a clean hue, Oxford White looks best when balanced with a mix of warm and cool colors. Maddie’s Oxford White color palette is the perfect example of this.

View the full color palette and explore some of the best Oxford White coordinating colors in more detail below.

BM Oxford White with Gray

Oxford White looks beautiful with gray hues, especially neutral grays with violet undertones (which we like to call elephant grays). 

The carpeting throughout the upper level of the home is similar to Benjamin Moore Collingwood (Article), which looks beautiful with the Oxford White walls in the stairwell pictured below.

The upstairs bathroom was painted with Benjamin Moore Silver Satin (Sample), which is also a violet gray. The door and trim were painted with BM Lead Gray (Sample).

These paint colors pair beautifully with the tile in the shower enclosure, pictured below.

BM Oxford White with Warm Colors

Oxford White also looks really beautiful paired with warm hues like reds, oranges and yellows. Maddie is an incredible artist, and isn’t afraid to experiment with color as a paint color consultant. Her home features pops of bold colors and custom murals in gorgeous warm colors.

In the living room, the window sill pictured below is painted with Benjamin Moore Mayflower Red (Sample). A mural on the wall uses the same hue.

In the laundry room, a mural is painted with Benjamin Moore Mayflower Red and Benjamin Moore Bryant Gold (Sample), a warm golden paint color. Both colors look beautiful alongside the Oxford White laundry room walls.

BM Oxford White with Blues and Greens

While most of the hard finishes and accent paint colors in the home are warm, Oxford White also looks beautiful with cooler colors like blues and greens.

In the living room of this home, the fireplace border is painted with Benjamin Moore Tarrytown Green (Sample), a very deep green paint color.

The downstairs half-bath is painted with Benjamin Moore Blue Spruce (Sample), a dark blue paint color with warm undertones. Blue Spruce helps bridge the gap between the Oxford White whole-house color and the earthy terracotta floors in the powder room.

In the kitchen, the cabinets are painted with Benjamin Moore Gray Cashmere (Article), a muted blue-green paint color. The interior of the cabinets are painted with BM Weekend Getaway (Sample), a bolder blue-green hue, offering a gorgeous pop of color in the Oxford White kitchen.

What are the Best Trim and Ceiling Colors For Oxford White? 

You can actually color-drench a space with Oxford White, using it on walls, trim and ceilings. If you want to use a different color, my preference is to use lighter and brighter colors as trim and ceilings. 

Chantilly Lace will work as a trim color for Oxford White. From Sherwin-Williams paint collections, you could use Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White or Sherwin-Williams White Snow.

Stay away from off-whites as trim and ceiling colors with Oxford white walls. They will look dirty.  

Using Benjamin Moore Oxford White Exterior Paint

Oxford White is not typically my go-to for exterior white paint colors. It can be extremely bright in the sunshine, so I really prefer it for homes that are in the shade.  

In the home below, for example, most of the surfaces were pretty shady, so it was a great color for this home. When the bright Florida sun lit up the front it was gorgeous, but pretty blinding. 

It looked softer in the shade though. Most of the home was in the shade, and the sun rarely hit the front of the house, so Oxford white was a good color.

Below is Oxford white at night.  Soft and lovely and pretty dreamy in this backyard oasis.

Best BM Oxford White Alternatives

Not sure if Benjamin Moore Oxford White is the right color for your project? See how it compares to other popular white paint colors (Article).

BM Oxford White vs BM Chantilly Lace

Oxford White and Chantilly Lace (Sample) are both considered clean whites, but they are different. Chantilly Lace is slightly lighter than Oxford White, with an LRV of 90.04. It also has cooler undertones than Oxford White, which leans more toward warm.

BM Oxford White vs SW Extra White

Sherwin-Williams Extra White (Article) has a nearly identical LRV as Oxford White, at 86. But it looks very different in place. Extra White has blue undertones that look much cooler on the wall than Oxford’s clean, neutral tones.

BM Oxford White vs BM Snowfall White

Compared to Sherwin-Williams Snowfall White (Article), Oxford White looks much cooler. Snowfall White, with an LRV of 89.72, is a bit lighter than Oxford White. It also has subtle yellow undertones that keep it looking warmer on the wall.

BM Oxford White vs BM Decorator’s White

Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White (Article) is much cooler than Oxford White. It has strong blue undertones and is also darker, with an LRV of 82.68.

BM Oxford White vs SW High Reflective White

Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White is pretty similar to Oxford White. It’s another clean white paint color with neutral undertones, but it leans slightly warmer than Oxford White. It’s also lighter than Oxford White, with an LRV of 93.

What is the best Sherwin-Williams Oxford White alternative?

The closest Sherwin-Williams white paint color to Oxford White is SW Pure White (Article). Pure White is very similar to Oxford White, with an LRV of 84, but it’s slightly warmer and not quite as clean. We love SW Pure White, but when we are painting interiors with Benjamin Moore colors, we prefer Oxford White as a clean white color.

Key Learning Points

Benjamin Moore Oxford White is a clean white paint color with neutral undertones.

• BM Oxford White is a great option for trim and ceilings because its neutral undertones help it pair well with warm and cool paint colors.
• Oxford White can also work well as a wall paint color and even a whole-house paint color.
• Benjamin Moore Oxford White can work well in darker rooms and shadowy areas, despite its lack of warm undertones. It has enough pigment that it can still hold up in spaces with less light.

Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens.  Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.

No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.

Online Color Consulting

Still need help picking the best paint colors? Discover our Online Color Consulting Package.

Related Posts

• Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors
• Best Sherwin-Williams White Paint Colors
• Cloud Cover Paint Color Review (with Oxford White Trim)
• Cornsilk Paint Color Review (with Oxford White Trim)
• SW Pure White Paint Color Review
• Best White Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room. 

Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person.  I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.

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