Learn all about Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace in this color review (OC-65, 2121-70) (Sample Here).
There is no doubt that this color is one of our most popular white paint colors. It is a workhorse, but as with any tool, it should be used carefully. Chantilly White is a clean white with barely-there cool undertones. It is so clean, that I use this color as the baseline for clean whites. Bluer whites are cool whites and darker whites are warm whites. We frequently recommend this white as a trim and ceiling color, but not often as a wall color.
Please note that all our photos come from Color Concierge projects and from projects we discovered when we met our clients in this post.
Keep reading to learn more about Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace and how to use this paint color in your home.
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What Color is BM Chantilly Lace?
Chantilly Lace is the cleanest of Benjamin Moore white paint colors. It is crisp and bright – a very true white paint color.
What is the LRV of Chantilly Lace?
The LRV of Chantilly Lace is 92.2, which makes it a clean bright white. LRV (Light Reflectance Value) is a measurement used to identify how light or dark a color is. The scale goes from 1 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) and indicates how dark or light a color is.
What are the Chantilly Lace undertones?
Chantilly Lace has slightly cool undertones, but they are very subtle. This color won’t look blue on the wall, just crisp and clean.
Is Chantilly Lace warm or cool?
Chantilly Lace is not really warm or cool. That’s what we mean when we say it is a clean white. When I want to know if a white color is cool or warm, I compare it to Chantilly Lace.
In the graphic below, for example, you can see how different whites compare to Chantilly Lace, whether cooler or warmer.
Sample BM Chantilly Lace
We always recommend that you test paint colors (article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and 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 and sample BM Chantilly Lace via the link below.
Using Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Interior Paint
Chantilly Lace is a very versatile color since it is so clean. It pairs well with crisp white finishes like subway tile or quartz countertops. But it can also work alongside warmer paint colors.
Is Chantilly Lace good for dark rooms?
No, it’s not a great choice for dark rooms. We’ve mentioned this in other blog posts, and bright whites such as Chantilly Lace need a light-filled room to come to life. The light can be natural, or artificial.
In a room with low light, this white paint color will look dingy. What happens is that the shade in the corners will look like a dingy gray. I once painted my laundry room a clean white, and it looked glorious. It was a new build, and when they built the house next door the light was cut off and the white walls looked absolutely dirty.
We don’t often recommend Chantilly Lace as a wall color because the conditions need to be so perfect, and most rooms don’t have enough light to be able to carry off this clean bright color.
Is a BM Chantilly Lace bathroom a good idea?
Since this white is so clean, we recommend that you pair it with crisp finishes.
Below is a bathroom that we painted Chantilly Lace to sell. Although the window is North facing, the room was flooded with light at all hours of the day. The countertop was white and the tile was peach-colored. The vanity was painted Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray. It looked gorgeous.
Can you use Chantilly Lace kitchen cabinets?
This white paint color is fantastic for cabinets if you have white quartz, real marble, and other crisp finishes. In fact, it’s one of our favorite white paint colors for cabinets (Article).
In the kitchen below, the cabinets are Chantilly Lace with Carrara marble countertops and simple white subway tile. Ceilings and trim are Chantilly Lace. This color is a great option for upper cabinets in a tuxedo cabinet color palette (Article), like the kitchen below.
When you use this clean white, you should have lots of warm wood and other colors in the room to avoid a very sterile feel. Below we used Chantilly Lace in this laundry room for the cabinets, walls, and ceilings, in different sheens. The light was naturally pretty low, but since it was essentially a hallway, it looked really sterile. We added an accent wall in Stonington Gray (Color Review Article) to add some dimension.
Is Chantilly Lace a good whole-house paint color?
We don’t often recommend Chantilly Lace as a whole-house paint color since it needs so much light. But in the right house, it can work.
This photo was from one of our customers, but not one of our projects. She had already painted the interior of her house Chantilly Lace, and it was gorgeous. She had tons of light in her house, and Chantilly Lace was the perfect choice.
Is BM Chantilly Lace a Good Trim Color?
Chantilly Lace is one of our favorite trim and ceiling colors, for most rooms. We prefer this white paint color for homes with clean finishes – countertops and backsplashes.
Our favorite trim and ceiling color for Chantilly Lace is…… Chantilly Lace! You can paint the trim with a Satin or Semi-Gloss sheen. The ceiling is an Ultra-flat sheen with ceiling paint. The walls would be Matte or Eggshell. If you are on a budget, you can paint both ceilings and walls a Matte sheen to save labor costs. You can also paint the ceilings with BM Ceiling White paint.
Don’t leave the ceiling a warmer color because then the ceiling will look dingy.
Below is a photo with trim, bookshelf, and doors painted with Chantilly Lace. The homeowner left the ceiling as it was, and it didn’t look perfect.
Using BM Chantilly Lace Exterior Paint
Chantilly Lace can look good for exteriors, but only if you paint the entire house one color. You can use as a trim color if the rest of the house is a very light color. Since the paint has low pigment, we advise that you paint the first coat with primer, otherwise it may take several coats to get good coverage.
The home below is painted with Sherwin-Williams Extra White exterior paint. Chantilly Lace would work similarly.
If you live somewhere with lots of bright sunlight, such as in the south or in the high altitudes of Colorado, Chantilly Lace may look too bright or stark outdoors.
When should I avoid Chantilly Lace?
For interiors, avoid in rooms with Tuscan or very earthy interiors. Don’t use this paint color for trim outside unless the rest of the house is a very light color. Otherwise, it can look overly bright and harsh.
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Complementary Colors
Because it’s so clean, BM Chantilly Lace is a very versatile paint color. Here are some of our favorite colors that go with Chantilly Lace.
Dark Paint Colors
Chantilly Lace can work if you need a trim color for a dark accent wall. If the color is very dark, however, a warmer white could be a better fit. It can also pair well as a cabinet color paired with dark blue or black lower cabinets. In the kitchen below, the lower cabinets are painted with Sherwin-Williams Cyberspace, a warm, muted blue-gray paint color.
Gray and Beige Paint Colors
Chantilly Lace is a great pairing with the warm grays and beige paint colors that are so popular with homeowners today. This color would work well as a trim color for Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore Manchester Tan, Benjamin Moore Natural Linen (Color Review Articles) and more.
Warm White Paint Colors
Chantilly Lace paint even pairs well with warmer white paint colors, such as Benjamin Moore Cloud White, Benjamin Moore Simply White and Benjamin Moore White Dove (Color Review Articles).
Best Chantilly Lace Alternatives
Simply White vs. Chantilly Lace
Chantilly Lace is MUCH cooler than Simply White (Sample). Where Chantilly has almost cool tones, Simply White has vibrant yellow undertones, which can make it an interesting choice for a darker room. For more information about how Simply White behaves, link to our Simply White Color Review. Simply White is gorgeous as a wall color with Chantilly Lace trim and ceilings.
SW Pure White vs. Chantilly Lace
Sherwin Williams Pure White (Sample) is one of our favorite Sherwin interior paint and trim colors. Pure White is slightly warmer and more muted than Chantilly Lace. They are close enough that you could use them together. Pure White would look great as a wall color with Chantilly Lace trim and Ceilings.
Decorator’s White vs. Chantilly Lace
Benjamin Moore Decorator’s White (Sample) is much cooler, bluer and darker than Chantilly Lace. Decorator’s White has strong blue undertones vs. the clean white of Chantilly Lace. Just because it’s called Decorator’s White (Color Review Article), a lot of homeowners think it’s a great white to use. The truth is that Decorator’s White is even more limiting because it is so much cooler. I would use Chantilly Lace as a trim color for Decorator’s White, but not the other way around.
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace vs Benjamin Moore White Dove
Benjamin Moore White Dove (Color Review Article) is another popular white paint color. White Dove is much warmer than Chantilly Lace, with yellow undertones. It looks much creamier on the wall and works better in dark rooms because of its warmth. You can use Chantilly Lace as a trim and ceiling color with White Dove.
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace vs Sherwin-Williams Extra White
Extra White (Color Review Article) is a very popular trim and ceiling color, much like Chantilly Lace. But it’s actually harder to work with than Chantilly Lace because it is darker and much cooler, with blue undertones.
Which Sherwin-Williams Colors are like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace?
Sherwin-Williams White Snow is my favorite replacement for Chantilly Lace if you want to use Sherwin paint colors. White Snow is one of our favorite Sherwin-Williams white paint colors – and more good reason!
It is very clean and really lovely, and performs much better than SW Extra White or SW High Reflective White. It has a similar LRV to Chantilly Lace, but is slightly darker.
While Chantilly Lace leans very slightly cool, White Snow tends to lean toward warm. But both are colors that I use as a benchmark for a clean white.
Learn more about matching paint colors here.
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Fantastic cabinet color, especially with white quartz, marble and crisp finishes
- Wonderful interior white trim color that pairs with many different hues
Cons:
- Not the best wall color unless you have a bright, light-filled room
- Doesn’t pair well with warmer ceiling colors, which can look dingy with Chantilly Lace
- Not great for rooms with Tuscan or very earthy finishes; it looks too stark
Key Learning Points
Chantilly Lace is a clean white paint color. It is most commonly used as a trim and ceiling color.
- Chantilly Lace should be used with clean finishes. Avoid this color if you have earthy or Tuscan finishes.
- Make sure you have tons of light for use as a wall color, otherwise it will look dingy.
No matter what, don’t forget to 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.
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.
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Related Posts
Our 5 Favorite Benjamin Moore Whites
Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Color Review
Benjamin Moore White Dove Color Review
Benjamin Moore Simply White Color Review
Benjamin Moore Cloud White Color Review
The 6 Best White Paint Colors For Dark Rooms
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.
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, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colors. Thank you for your understanding.
