Get all the details about one of my favorite paint colors, Benjamin Moore Navajo White (not to be confused with the Sherwin Williams color of the same name).
We’ll show you this color used in our home, at various times of the day, for a complete review that will make your paint color decision oh-so-easy!
Navajo White is a beautiful and rich creamy white that is timeless and fresh.
This color feels a little tricky because Benjamin Moore changed the color code of it a couple times through the years, so you’ll see it noted as OC-95 or 947. Rest assured, it’s the same color.
Another reason this color feels a little tricky is because it changes so much throughout the day. I love it as a rich cream, as well as a more bleached out warm white.
With that in mind, you’ll see the color in varying lighting throughout this post. It’s rich and creamy, with strong yellow undertones – though it never feels like an actual yellow. Want to learn more? Keep reading!
Why You’ll Love this Paint Color
We first used Benjamin Moore Navajo White in the North facing mudroom and mudroom bath. This paint color is frequently used by one of my favorite designers, Phoebe Howard. Don’t miss my favorite Warm Whites!
I studied the spaces she used it in and felt it would be a great fit for all the newfound natural light we had in those spaces. I was right! It’s a stunning color – day and night.
It was our hope when we purchased our current home we would use just 1-2 paint colors for the entire home. However, the lighting is vastly different in different areas of our home, so I used several different shades of cream to best fit each space.
Our sizable well-lit breakfast room needed something a bit warmer than the Sherwin Williams Zurich White we had initially painted it. After the roof leaked not once, twice, but three times (after being replaced!), we decided to finish the room to our initial vision.
Having loved it in the mudroom, we decided to use it in the North-facing breakfast room. It was very pretty in that room, though I liked it best it in daytime rather than evening, where it felt significantly more yellow.
While we’ve since painted that room in a brighter white with less yellow undertones, we’ve kept this color in other spaces, because it’s just right!
Benjamin Moore Navajo White OC-95
You can learn more about our favorite cream color paints here.
Spaces it Works Well In
- Open concept spaces
- Rooms with a significant amount of natural lighting
- North-facing rooms
- This can also be a good color for rooms with that face east in the afternoons (western morning sun).
Makes a Room Feel
- light
- warm
Undertones
- yellow (more so than many of my favorite cream paint colors)
Styles it Fits
- traditional
- country cottage
- farmhouse
Benjamin Moore Navajo White LRV 78.26
The LRV of a color is important, because it showcases how much light is reflected on a simplified scale. Learn more in our guide to What is LRV?
Knowing the LRV of a color can also help you make a more educated comparison!
With an LRV of 78, this color is comparable to Soft Chamois at 78.94, and Sherwin Williams Zurich White, which has an LRV of 76.
Tips
- Paint the ceiling in the same color (can use a different sheen). We learned this lesson the hard way – when we painted our ceiling with a traditional bright white ceiling paint, it made this color feel too yellow in our breakfast nook.
- Paint moulding (like our picture frame moulding or board and batten) in the same paint color, but one sheen higher.
- Want to pair Navajo White with a gray paint color? Just make sure it’s a deeper, more saturated shade for contrast.
Coordinating Colors
- Try this color with a mushroom paint color for some contrast.
- Pair it with Benjamin Moore Hale Navy for a striking style.
- I don’t recommend pairing this color with a sage green paint color, as greens can bring out the yellow in this shade.
- This color works well with dark grays and blacks, especially if you’re updating a cream kitchen, as shown in the Instagram kitchen below.
Trim Colors
Careful with trim for this color, as going with a lighter warm white can easily make Navajo White look more yellow in comparison.
- For trim, try using this same color, just in the same sheen or one sheen higher. I first discovered this color being used as a trim. I like to paint the ceiling the same color as well, otherwise BM Navajo White will read yellow against stark white ceilings.
- Another option is to do Navajo White on your trim, but just a percentage! Try lightening it to 75% or even 50% to ensure the trim coordinates, with just a slight change in depth.
- Or, use Navajo White on your walls, with a deeper color on the trim. Our favorite Greige Paint Colors will coordinate beautifully as a trim color.
- Sherwin Williams Extra White or Benjamin Moore Simply White would give you more contrast. Because they both have a slight hint of yellow undertones, they will coordinate well but showcase the rich depth of cream in Navajo White.
Painting indoors? You can learn all about choosing ceiling paint and trim paint here! You will also find detailed information about using this color in tile paint and furniture paint.
Find all of our paint colors in our paint palette here and keep track of all of yours here. If you use any of them, please return to share your thoughts!
We ( the paintors) just finished paint our living room and kitchen area with Navajo White we love it! But it was funny because the ceilings look more white first I thought that they bought the wrong color but I was wrong it’s funny the color.changes depending of the light during the night and cloudy days looks a little yellow, anyway we don’t mind looks fresh and.clean we decided to go with Swiss coffee for our sunroom, office,pantry mudroom and laundry it’s a beautiful color! Thank you for your recommendation about Navajo White .
Hi Gladys!
I love to hear that! Yes, Navajo White is a much richer cream in some lighting situations, which we love too. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.
Thanks for your comment!
Julie
The majority of my NE facing condo is Navaho White and I love it. Yes it is slightly yellow but I love yellow too. All trim is “good old fashioned” cloud white 😄
It’s cheerful!
Thank you for the wonderful paint posts- I have been reading them all afternoon!
I am investigating how to make my new condo feel airier. The living room has high ceilings, north and east-facing windows and yet feels dark. The current paint is a mid-tone beige. The bedrooms all face east and feel really dark. I’m intrigued by the idea of doing all the rooms with the same shade combination so I’m looking at Navajo White, but also Soft Chamois and Swiss Coffee. I love the creamy off-white look, I’m worried about what will look too dark, too yellow/grey, etc. I have the Samplize squares, but I’m caught between colors?
Hi Julia!
I’m sorry to just now see your message.
I am guessing Navajo White might read a little too yellow for you. Start with Swiss Coffee and Soft Chamois – I bet either would be beautiful!
Julie
Thank you so very much for this review on Navajo White by BM. I have a North Facing great room concept that get’s light but not a HUGE amount – due to the windows having an overhang on the back porch. I want a warm creamy white- but the Navajo goes a little peachy at night. My cabinets in the kitchen are Navajo White- so I need to say with a color that works with them.
I used White Down by BM in my north facing bedroom- it looks gorgeous- but it the windows in there don’t have an overhang. Can you recommend any creamy whites that would work well in the open concept great room where my kitchen cabinets are Navajo White? I’ve considered using 75% Navajo White. I also looked into White Linen. HELP! Thank you!
Do you do online consultations? I’m repainting my house after the hurricane.
Unfortunately I don’t due to time constraints, but I hope you find my paint color series helpful!