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Benjamin Moore’s White Dove (also known as PM-19) is a very popular white paint color that has been favored by homeowners and designers alike year after year. It is not just another white paint color!
In fact, many people would say that White Dove is Benjamin Moore’s most versatile white paint color. It is a favorite choice for moldings and trim, as well as interior walls.
White Dove is a soft warm white paint color. It feels warm and creamy thanks to its yellow undertones but never comes across as too yellow thanks to a slight hint of gray that cools it back down.
White paint colors are not all the same; they vary and fall into different categories like warm whites, cool whites, and neutral whites.
White Dove does not look like a pure clean white as some white paint colors do, but instead has a warm softness to it. These warm undertones make it much more versatile in a variety of lighting conditions.
I’ve struggled for years to find the perfect paint color my bedroom that has west and north facing windows. This room is very dark in the mornings and then beautifully warm when the afternoon light streams in.
White Dove is the perfect color because its high LRV and warmth make the bedroom bright in the morning without feeling cold. In the afternoon, it warms up considerably, but that slight gray undertone stops it from ever looking too creamy.
What is The LRV of White Dove?
White Dove has a Light Reflective Value of (LRV) of 85, which means it’s on the lower end of whites. For reference, off-whites range from 70-82, while bright whites range from 83+. A bright white like BM Chantilly Lace has an LRV of 93.
In case you don’t already know, Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is an indicator of the amount of light that is reflected by a color when it is illuminated by a light source. A higher value (closer to 100) means that a color will reflect more light back at you and a lower value (closer to 0) means that a color will appear darker, or absorb more light.
Don’t Forget…
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides real paint samples that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
Is White Dove a Warm or Cool Color?
Benjamin Moore’s White Dove OC-17 is a soft warm white paint color.
What Are The Undertones?
Every paint color has some sort of undertone, and these undertones greatly influence how a paint color will look on your walls.
Related: How to Find the Undertones of Paint Colors.
White paint colors can be particularly tricky, especially when you pair them with other warm or cool finishes.
White Dove has a soft creamy greige undertone. The yellow in the cream warms it up but the gray cools it back down just a touch to help it come across with just the perfect amount of warmth for your walls.
Where To Use White Dove
BM White Dove is suitable for various spaces: kitchens, cabinets, interior walls for bedrooms, dining rooms, bathrooms, trim & moldings, exterior, ceiling, and shiplap.
Does BM White Dove Look Yellow?
While White Dove does have a creamy undertone, thanks to a touch of gray, it never looks yellow.
Real Room Examples
Benjamin Moore White Dove is a very versatile color, that can look good in rooms with lots of natural light to darker rooms with artificial light. Use it on your living room and bathroom walls, on kitchen cabinets, even ceilings.
Kitchen
White Dove is a great choice for kitchen cabinets. House of Jade Interiors did an amazing job in this space.
There is a lot of natural light in this kitchen, which ties in the cabinets, countertop, and tile beautifully.
You will want to make sure this color is the right white for your kitchen space. Flooring, countertop type, backsplash, and appliance color can all be a factor affecting your paint color choice.
Living Room
This is why I love to pair White Dove in darker rooms and as the perfect whole-house white if you’re planning on painting walls and trim. It’s also a great shade of white if you have a lot of warm woods like honey oak in your house.
Bathroom
White Dove paint looks amazing on ceilings, walls, or on cabinets in a bathroom. This is the perfect color to elevate your current outdated bathroom.
Look how gorgeous these shiplap walls are, what a good wall color.
Is it a Good Exterior Color?
White Dove is a great off-white paint choice that will work on any style of home. It is also a great choice for windows, doors, and trim.
Related: My favorite exterior paint colors.
White Dove as a Trim Color
White Dove is a really popular choice as a trim color because its softness works well with both warm and cooler wall colors for an overall soft look.
If you prefer a bright white trim, however, White Dove is probably not the right choice. Something like BM Chantilly Lace or SW Pure White would be better suited.
If you are looking for a soft creamy trim that looks very classic and traditional, then you’ll love White Dove for your trim.
I Have White Dove Walls, What White Trim Color Will Look Best?
You have two options if your walls are painted White Dove:
- Paint the trim also in White Dove, but use a higher sheen (satin or semi-gloss)
- Use a brighter white that also has some warmth to it. SW Pure White is a great choice, as is BM Chantilly Lace.
Related: Learn which paint sheen is best to use for your project.
Benjamin Moore White Dove Complementary Colors
BM White Dove pairs really well with warmer greige paint colors. White Dove pairs well with coordinating blues like BM Palladian Blue, BM Boothbay Gray and BM Britannia Blue.
It also looks great alongside warm neutrals like BM Classic Gray, SW Accessible Beige and BM Chelsea Gray. If you’re looking for a brighter white for ceilings and trim, then BM Chantilly Lace is a good choice.
- White Dove pairs well with light wood as well as warmer honey oak wood.
- It can be used for ceilings when paired with colors like Coventry Gray, Agreeable Gray, Repose Gray, and Revere Pewter.
When Should I Not Use White Dove?
If you want a bright “traditional” clean white, this may be too warm for you. Try Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, instead.
White Dove vs Simply White
- White Dove LRV: 83.16 / Simply White LRV: 91.7
- Simply White is a brighter white
- Simply White does not have the slight greige undertone that White Dove has, and can look quite yellow under artificial light.
For comparison sake, Benjamin Moore Simply White has an LRV 91.7 and Decorator’s White 84.6., while Sherwin Williams Extra White has an LRV of 86.
BM White Dove vs Sherwin Williams Extra White
- BM White Dove LRV: 83.16 / SW Extra White LRV: 86
- White Dove is a creamy white, while Extra White is a cool, bright white
- Extra White is brighter than White Dove
- While White Dove is good for north-facing rooms, Extra White is not. It’s best suited to south or west-facing rooms.
Benjamin Moore Dove White vs Sherwin Williams Alabaster
- BM White Dove LRV: 83.16 / SW Alabaster LRV: 83
- Warmer and creamier than White Dove.
- Almost the exact same brightness, with similar LRV’s
- Both are good choices for north-facing rooms.
White Dove vs. Chantilly Lace
- White Dove LRV: 83.16 / Chantilly Lace LRV: 93
- White Dove is a soft warm white, Chantilly Lace is a true neutral white
White Dove vs Swiss Coffee
- White Dove LRV: 83.16 / Swiss Coffee LRV: 81.91
- White Dove is slightly brighter
- Swiss Coffee is just the tiniest bit warmer than White Dove and also has a smidge of green undertone
- Both are popular colors for north-facing rooms.
- Swiss Coffee has been made popular by Studio McGee who like to use it lightened by 25% (making it brighter than White Dove).
BM White Dove vs Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
- BM White Dove LRV: 83.16 / SW Greek Villa LRV: 84
- Similar warm whites
- Greek Villa is slightly warmer than White Dove
- White Dove is more versatile, and more widely used
BM White Dove vs Sherwin Williams Snowbound
- White Dove LRV: 83.16 / Snowbound LRV: 83
- While White Dove is a soft warm white, SW Snowbound is a soft white with a gray/pink undertone.
- White Dove is a more versatile white paint color.
Color Matching Benjamin Moore to Sherwin Williams
I frequently color match between Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams paints and have always had great success, with one exception: I never color match white paint colors.
The reason for this is that the base white that is used is very different, which results in a different color. For darker and more saturated colors, there’s so much more pigment being added that the base white doesn’t seem to matter.
So, I don’t recommend color matching White Dove.
Don’t Forget To Always Use Real Paint Samples!
Don’t forget – no matter what you’ve read or photos you’ve seen online, it’s really important to sample paint colors in your home before committing!
Samplize provides peel and stick paint samples made with real paint, that are easy to move around your home, and cheaper than buying a gazillion paint pots! It’s the only way I buy paint samples.
Other Things to Consider
It’s always important to consider the direction the room faces when picking paint colors.
White Dove will look warmer in southern facing rooms, where the warm light will bring out the warmth in the paint. Conversely, in northern facing rooms the gray is more obvious.
In the photo above, the walls are White Dove and the trim is SW Pure White. This bedroom has both north and west-facing exposure. It gets beautiful warm afternoon sun, but it’s dark and cold in the mornings. White Dove on the walls stops it from feeling too cold and gray
White Dove is also a lovely choice for cabinets, but if you have bright white quartz or marble, you may not love the combination of the two together.
Yes! It’s a nice warm white that won’t gray out on your ceiling, so it’s a good choice for low light rooms.
Other colors similar to White Dove are Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (creamier), Benjamin Moore Simply White (brighter), and Sherwin Williams Alabaster (creamier).
White Dove does not look gray, however it is a warm white with a slight gray base which stops it from look too warm.
FAQ’s
Final Thoughts
White Dove is a beautiful creamy shade of white that is an excellent choice for darker rooms where you want white walls but need some warmth to counteract gray eastern or northern light. It’s also a wonderful choice in rooms with lots of warm wood tones.
It continues to be one of Benjamin Moore’s most popular paint colors year after year.
It is a versatile choice when you want a soft white that can work with both a warm or cool-toned color palette. It brings a traditional look to trim and moldings, but may not be the right choice if you prefer a really bright white.
I already have simply white trim including a fireplace and built in bookcase. I currently have a green color in my living room but want to lighten it up. Would white dove look too warm with the cool trim? I have south East and north west facing windows (both sides of the house)
Simply white is not a cool white, it is a warm white. Get a sample of white dove and paint it next to where your trim is to see if you like it. You’ll know quickly whether it works in your space or not!
I love the warmth of white dove And I am thinking of using it on my trim and doors as well and a different finish then the walls what do you suggest for the ceiling white dove or another white
I would keep it all white dove. Another white on the ceiling may make yours walls and trim look too creamy. If you keep it the same, it will look amazing. Search for Alexis Andra Austin on IG, her entire house is white dove (ceilings, trim, walls)
White dove definitely has yellow undertones and in fact looked too yellow in my south/west facing living room!
Great analysis of this beautiful color! Any thoughts of using it as a cabinet color next to Agreeable Gray walls, and/or using it as an adjacent wall color to Agreeable Gray?