Benjamin Moore Ballet White Color Review

Learn all about Benjamin Moore Ballet White in this paint color review from the paint color consultants at The Color Concierge.

A bucket of BM Ballet White paint

Benjamin Moore Ballet White is a warm, creamy, off-white paint color perfect for homeowners who don’t want a stark, bright white but still want their home to feel light and airy.

Ballet White has enough pigment to add depth and warmth to a space and works well in dimly lit rooms. The client’s home we’re featuring in today’s post, was pretty dark inside, and Ballet White was the perfect way to bring the interior to life.

Keep reading to learn more about this warm white paint color and determine if it’s the right hue for your home.

A swatch of Benjamin Moore Ballet White paint

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About The Color Concierge

What Color Is Benjamin Moore Ballet White?

Benjamin Moore Ballet White (Sample) is a soft, muted, and warm very light beige paint color. It’s a creamy hue, but isn’t as yellow as many creamy paint colors. It’s a really lovely choice for the warm beige trends (Article) we’re seeing homeowners look for today.

What Is the Ballet White LRV?

Ballet White has an LRV of 71.97, which makes it darker than most off-white paint colors but still light-reflecting. The scale goes from 1 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) and indicates how dark or light a color is.

Is Ballet White warm or cool?

Ballet White is definitely a warm paint color, thanks to its undertones. It’s creamy and muted and helps a space feel cozy and inviting.

What are the Ballet White undertones?

Ballet White gets its warmth from green undertones, which give this color a unique hue compared to many other creamy paint colors. However, it shouldn’t look green on the wall.

Does Ballet White look yellow?

No, it doesn’t. This is one of the things that makes Ballet White such a popular paint color. It’s warm without leaning toward yellow, thanks to its green undertones. Even in very warm light, it won’t look yellow.

Does Ballet White look dingy?

Ballet White has enough pigment to stand up to dark shadows in dimly lit rooms (Article). Its warmth helps ensure it won’t look dingy even in the corners.

Sample BM Ballet 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 Ballet White Interior Paint

Benjamin Moore Ballet White is a versatile, creamy paint color ideal for many interior spaces. In the client’s home pictured in this post, we used Ballet White throughout many different spaces, and it worked so beautifully in all of them.

Can I use Ballet White as an interior trim color?

No, it’s not recommended. Ballet White is typically too dark to use as a trim color for any other wall color. While you could consider color-drenching (Article) a room (walls, trim, and ceiling), Ballet White looks best when paired with contrasting, brighter white trim.

Are BM Ballet White cabinets a good idea?

Yes! I love the idea of Benjamin Moore Ballet White kitchen cabinets (Article). They’re a great option if you want a light kitchen but are worried your cabinets will look too stark. It would look fantastic with earthy, warm quartzites. If you want to refresh an older Tuscan kitchen, this color is a good candidate.

Ballet White cabinets would be creamy and lovely, and would pair well with warm quartz countertops or even a granite countertop. 

Is Ballet White good for a North-facing room?

Yes! Ballet White is a great paint color for North-facing rooms (Article), which get cool light and tend to be darker than some other exposures. Ballet White has enough pigment and warmth that it won’t look dingy in these spaces and can help the room feel brighter and cozy.

A living room painted with BM Ballet White, one of the best paint colors for north-facing rooms.
BM Ballet White living room; Photo by M. Marceny

Should I try a Ballet White living room?

A Ballet White living room (Article) is gorgeous. We painted our client’s formal living room and more casual family room with Ballet White and both spaces look beautiful with this hue.

In the formal living room below, Ballet White walls look really pretty alongside a beige couch with warm throw pillows and warm art and decor on the walls.

A formal living room painted with BM Ballet White paint.
BM Ballet White living room; Photo by M. Marceny

The family room is open to the home’s kitchen, which was recently renovated. The client originally tried SW Shoji White in this space. It looked ok, but Ballet White has a much cleaner base and is slightly less muted. Ballet White was the perfect color for this space.

A family living room painted with BM Ballet White paint.
BM Ballet White living room; Photo by M. Marceny

This room featured a really pretty wood accent wall and warm LVP floors. Ballet White looked gorgeous with these warm finishes and the client’s beige curtains, rug and furniture. The couch is a dark brown that also looks lovely in this space.

A living room is painted with Benjamin Moore Ballet White paint, a very light beige paint color with green undertones.
BM Ballet White living room; Photo by M. Marceny

Does a Benjamin Moore Ballet White bedroom work?

Yes! One of the first projects we did with BM Ballet White was a cozy bedroom makeover (Article) for a client. We kept the decor, bedding and decor muted and low-contrast, which made a really calming, zen space.

Master bedroom painted with Ballet White walls
Bedroom with Ballet White walls; Photo by M. Marceny

Is Ballet White a good whole-house color?

It could be! Ballet White is a great candidate for a whole-house paint color because it is so versatile. It’s warm without leaning yellow and light without looking dingy. 

It’s always important to test any paint colors throughout your home before choosing a whole-house hue, but Ballet White could absolutely work.

An entryway painted with Benjamin Moore Ballet White paint.
BM Ballet White entryway; Photo by M. Marceny
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Using BM Ballet White Exterior Paint

Benjamin Moore Ballet White exterior paint is really lovely! It has enough pigment that it won’t look washed out or stark even in the bright sunlight. 

We love to use Ballet White as an exterior trim color, but it’s also beautiful as a whole-house exterior creamy color. While we don’t have a client photo of Ballet White exterior paint to show, it works very similarly to SW Neutral Ground (Article), which is pictured as the “white” trim color (Article) on the home below.

SW Neutral Ground exterior trim
SW Neutral Ground exterior trim; Photo by M. Marceny

On another client’s home, Neutral Ground exterior paint is used on the siding and garage alongside warm brick and looks absolutely beautiful. BM Ballet White would work in a similar application.

A home is painted with Sherwin-Williams Neutral Ground exterior paint.
SW Neutral Ground exterior; Photo by M. Marceny

The Best BM Ballet White Coordinating Colors

Benjamin Moore Ballet White works best with other warm paint colors, from beige and warm grays to warm black, natural wood, greens and even reds. 

Does Ballet White go with black?

Ballet White looks gorgeous alongside black accents and finishes. The home’s entryway is a great example of this. The homeowners added a new, dark railing to the stairs and had coordinating black decor on the stairway walls. It’s a modern, cozy take on a classic black and white palette.

A stairwell and entryway painted with Benjamin Moore Ballet White paint with black accents and hard finishes.
BM Ballet White entryway with black accents; Photo by M. Marceny

Does Ballet White go with red?

Ballet White looks really pretty paired with reds and burgundies. In our client’s home, the formal family room featured pillows and art with deep red and burgundy hues, and Ballet White was a great backdrop for these colors.

A Ballet White living room with red decor and throw pillows.
BM Ballet White living room; Photo by M. Marceny

The homeowner used a similar color combination in their home’s entryway and it looks just as lovely there.

A Ballet White entryway with colorful wall decor.
BM Ballet White entryway; Photo by M. Marceny

Does Ballet White go with green?

Green goes really well with Ballet White, especially muted sage green paint colors (Article). Our client’s dining room is a great example of this. We treated the dining room as an accent room and painted it with Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage.

A dining room painted with Benjamin Moore Saybrook Sage alongside BM Ballet White walls.
BM Saybrook Sage dining room; Photo by M. Marceny

We picked BM Saybrook Sage because it was such a natural-looking color and it really complemented Ballet White beautifully.

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

In our client’s house, we painted the ceilings and the trim with Benjamin Moore Oxford White (Article) – a super clean, neutral white paint color. The ceilings were a flat sheen and trim was painted with a satin sheen. 

Other clean white paint colors can also work well with Ballet White walls, such as BM Chantilly Lace (Article), SW Extra White (Article) or SW High Reflective White.

Best BM Ballet White Alternatives

Not sure if Ballet White is the right color for your project? See how it compares to other warm white and light beige paint colors.

BM Ballet White vs BM Swiss Coffee

I consider Ballet White a darker version of Swiss Coffee (Article). They have the same green undertones, but Swiss Coffee is lighter with an LRV of 81.91.

BM Ballet White vs BM Swiss Coffee

BM Ballet White vs SW Shoji White

Ballet White and Shoji White (Article) are very similar, but Shoji White is more muted. Ballet White has a cleaner base, so it has less gray and looks much cleaner in place. Shoji White is also a bit lighter than Ballet White, with an LRV of 74. Overall, Ballet White is much prettier. I’m not sure how to explain this, but to me, Ballet White has a richer color and look than Shoji White.

BM Ballet White vs SW Shoji White

BM Ballet White vs BM Pale Oak

Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (Article) is darker than Ballet White, with an LRV of 68.64. It also looks cooler than Ballet White in place, with soft taupe undertones rather than green ones. When you place Pale Oak next to finishes with green undertones, It can go pink unlinke Ballet White.

BM Ballet White vs BM Pale Oak

BM Ballet White vs SW Alabaster

Sherwin-Williams Alabaster (Article) is much lighter than BM Ballet White, with an LRV of 82. While Alabaster is warm with yellow undertones, it’s more muted than Ballet White.

BM Ballet White vs SW Alabaster

BM Ballet White vs BM Edgecomb Gray

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray (Article) is significantly darker than Ballet White, with an LRV of 63.09. Edgecomb Gray has similar warm green undertones but looks a bit cooler than Ballet White.

BM Ballet White vs BM Edgecomb Gray

BM Ballet White vs BM Manchester Tan

Manchester Tan (Article) is a darker version of Ballet White. The two colors have very similar warm green undertones but Manchester Tan is darker, with an LRV of 63.24.

BM Ballet White vs BM Manchester Tan

BM Ballet White vs SW Neutral Ground

Ballet White and Neutral Ground (Article) are very similar paint colors and can be used in similar applications. Neutral Ground is just slightly darker than Ballet White, with an LRV of 70.

BM Ballet White vs SW Neutral Ground

What Is the Best Sherwin-Williams Ballet White Alternative?

There are a few Sherwin-Williams paint colors that can work as Ballet White alternatives: SW Neutral Ground (Article), SW Oyster White (Article), and SW Natural Choice (Sample). Based on LRV, Sherwin-Williams Natural Choice is the closest match. Although Ballet White has the lower/darker LRV than Natural Choice, it looks lighter because it’s so much cleaner due to its white base.

BM Ballet White vs BM Natural Choice

Key Learning Points

Benjamin Moore Ballet White is a warm, creamy paint color that sits between a light beige and an off-white. It’s a popular choice for interiors and exteriors.

  • Benjamin Moore Ballet White has green undertones, which keep the color warm without leaning toward yellow.
  • Ballet White looks great with other warm colors, such as greens, warm blues and reds. It also looks really nice with natural wood tones.
  • For exteriors, Ballet White is a good option for a “white” trim color or a light, neutral siding color.

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.

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

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About the Author

Michelle Marceny, principal designer and founder of The Color Concierge, a paint color consulting company in Denver, Colorado.

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.


We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions.  If you want more specific advice, please consider purchasing a color consultation. Thank you for your understanding.

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Meet Michelle

Driven to help clients fall back in love with their homes with intentional paint color schemes. She started the company based on her passion for color and its ability to make a house a home.

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