If you’re looking for a sophisticated, warm off white color, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee might be the one for you!
Warm, welcoming, and yet still light and bright, this color is popular for a reason! Learn how this color could work in your home with all the details and specifics.
See Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in the freshly painted basement of our home, as well as our brick tudor exterior!
For years I have been integrating warm white and cream paint colors into our home, and advising readers on how to do the same. They’re warm and cozy without feeling yellow. Swiss Coffee is among my favorites for so many reasons!
We chose Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee (OC-45) for our recent basement remodel because like my favorite Soft Chamois, it’s soft and creamy, but not yellow. It also has a high LRV (light reflective value) which is perfect for spaces without a lot of natural light.
In fact, we loved it so much there, that we also chose it for the exterior paint on our vintage brick tudor. We’re sharing images of both today!
Swiss Coffee is a versatile paint color that works well with or without natural light. It will make any space feel light and inviting. It’s tranquil and serene.
Unlike most websites, I have personal experience with the paint colors I highlight and actual photographs to share that are a true reflection of the color. I love to share my own original photography and snapshots from people I have worked directly with.
In this case, I’ve also included a few photos from Studio McGee, because it felt relevant. It’s one of their favorite warm white colors and we all draw so much inspiration from them!
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
Because I love sharing our home, DIY projects and choices with you, I know how difficult paint decisions can be.
Yes, choosing a “white paint color” seems easy at first, until you go to your local paint store and realize there are hundreds, if not thousands of options.
While Swiss Coffee is certainly not a true, authentic white color, it is a warm, creamy beige tone that we love in our home. I hope you enjoy these photos and examples of how the paint truly feels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Swiss Coffee is a paint color with a little touch of yellow and ever-so-slightly green undertones.
Yes, it can! In fact, Benjamin Moore suggests pairing Swiss Coffee Paint Color with Mt. Rainier Gray 2129-60 and Nickel 2119-50.
Swiss coffee paint color is a warm, creamy color that can actually be classified as more of a beige.
Swiss Coffee 81.91 LRV
LRV, (Light Reflectance Value) is a scale used by design professionals. Basically, 0 = the darkest black and 100 is a true white paint color.
Swiss Coffee paint color has an LRV of 81.91, which is considered high.
Swiss Coffee has a high LRV (light reflective value) which is the percentage of light it reflects. It reflects nearly 82% of light, making spaces appear lighter and brighter.
Undertones
The undertones in Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee are more of a golden yellow tone. This can read differently in different light, so be sure to test a swatch on your walls.
When contrasted against a truer white trim, the yellow undertone can be more pronounced, so be aware of this when you’re sampling.
Trim Color to Pair With It
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee works well with Benjamin Moore White Dove and Benjamin Moore Cloud White as trim.
You can also try it in a tone on tone method, which is Painting Trim and Walls the Same Color. This can actually help to tone down any undertones in the paint, because the comparison of a clear white to a cream is so much stronger.
I am actually a fan of simply using an un-tinted white paint throughout many rooms of our home. It’s always a fresh, clean white that contrasts beautifully with my cream paint colors and it keeps me from overthinking my choices!
Read more about The Best Trim Paint and Painting Trim White.
Colors to Pair It With
It pairs beautifully with an array of colors including Revere Pewter, Senora Gray, Nickel, and Nightfall. You can also easily pair it with other off whites.
Where to Use this Color
- Exterior
- Traditional and Cottage style homes
- Cabinetry
- Trim
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Exterior
This is a beautiful exterior color, too. Here are a couple great examples – and we loved it so much, we painted our home that color, too!
It’s interesting to see the difference that lighting makes with this color. In some bright lighting, our house feels quite white. Other times of day, it’s very much a soft creamy color.
Tips
- For a little less color, dilute! Mix at 75%. This seems to especially be a great solution if it’s reading a touch to yellow on your walls.
- Have it made at Benjamin Moore for best results. Every paint company uses a different formula which can make a color read different. For example, having it made at Sherwin Williams could potentially make it feel too green or yellow.
- Test two coats. So often readers panic when they have applied a single coat. Unfortunately your original paint color will show and it tends to alter the color.
Hi,
I was wondering what you thought about white dove cabinets and trim with Swiss coffee walls? Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Nicole!
I love both of those colors but keep in mind that they are very similar! They have a similar LRV too, which means you won’t see much contrast between the cabinets and trim and walls. But yes, they will coordinate well and look beautiful regardless – you can also read my post about painting walls and trim the same color for more insight.
Good luck!
Julie
So we picked BM Beach Glass for our bedroom. Now we’re trying to decide between BM Decorator White or White Dove or maybe Swiss Coffee for trim and baseboard. The room gets a nice amount of sunlight. I know it is a personal preference, but we don’t know what to pick. Any opinion?
Hi David!
I’m not familiar with Beach Glass. Decorator’s White is a cooler white with no cream/yellow undertones, so it will read as a pure white for trim. White Dove and Swiss Coffee have more yellow so could read as an antique/creamy white on trim, depending on the wall color.
Good luck with your choice, so much fun!
Julie
Hello, we are looking to paint our walls in the entry way and living space two-tone, using Swiss coffee (considering diluting to 75%) on top and Paris Rain on the bottom. The walls are 9′ high and we plan to paint 1/3 lower band, 2/3 upper band. We are debating how to treat the trim. We are considering painting baseboard and door trim Paris Rain (up a sheen on the finish). My question is – what’s the best way to choose a trim color when you are doing two color bands? If we do the lower band color on the trim but keep the doors white, is that going to look too all over the place…? help!
Hi Julie,
We just started demo on a kitchen remodel. I’m trying to pick a lighter paint that will coordinate with Manchester Tan in the rest of the house. Would Swiss Coffee work? What white cabinet and trim color would you suggest?
Thanks so much!
I haven’t paired the two together…it has been years since I have worked with Manchester Tan.
What sheen of Swiss Coffee for kitchen cabinets? Eggshell? Semi?
Also, if I don’t want to go brass, what your second choice be for hardware with swiss coffee cabinets?
Thank you
Polished nickel is pretty, too. I recommend semi-gloss. You can learn more about sheens here.