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.
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.
When should I use Chantilly Lace?
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 it 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.
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.
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.
Which color should I use for trim and ceilings with Chantilly Lace?
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.
Can I use Chantilly Lace for Cabinets?
This white paint color is fantastic for cabinets if you have white quartz, real marble, and other crisp finishes. In the kitchen below, the cabinets are Chantilly Lace with Carrara marble countertops and simple white subway tile. Ceilings and trim are Chantilly Lace.
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 to add some dimension.
Can I use Chantilly Lace for Exteriors?
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.
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.
Comparisons with Other White Paint Colors
Simply White vs. Chantilly Lace
Chantilly Lace is MUCH cooler than Simply White. 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 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 is much cooler and bluer 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, 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. If your room is absolutely flooded with light, you could even pair Decorator’s White as a ceiling and trim color, with Chantilly Lace walls. Use Decorator’s White with caution.
Which Sherwin-Williams Colors are like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace?
Sherwin-Williams Extra White and Sherwin-Williams Pure White are the closest paint colors, but they are not exactly the same. We never recommend paint matching unless you are willing to spend alot of time going back and forth with the paint company. If you want to match, then make sure you check the paint color with a swatch from Benjamin Moore. They aren’t exactly the same, but will save alot of frustration. When paint stores try to match Chantilly Lace, I’ve seen it go green. UGH.
Learn more about matching paint colors here.
The Verdict
Chantilly Lace is a clean white paint color. It is most commonly used as a trim and ceiling color. Make sure you have tons of light for use as a wall color, otherwise it will look dingy. It is cleaner than Simply White, warmer than Decorator’s white and cooler than SW Pure White. Chantilly Lace should be used with clean finishes. Avoid this color if you have earthy or Tuscan finishes.
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.
We always recommend that you test paint colors in your house because lighting can change a color completely.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have SAMPLIZE, 9X14″ Pre-Painted peel-and-stick paint samples. Check out the SAMPLIZE website HERE
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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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