Chantilly Lace Benjamin Moore: Is It Right For Your Home?

Color showcase swatch card for Chantilly Lace.

If you've spent approximately 5 minutes searching the internet for white paint colors, you definitely have come across Chantilly Lace from Benjamin Moore.

It's by far the most popular color we get requests for when doing interior painting projects, and for good reason! It's crisp, clean, and about as close to true white as you'll find without going stark white. Unfortunately, it's also the most common color we talk homeowners out of painting their home - and we'll get into exactly why.

What makes Chantilly Lace from Benjamin Moore so popular?

Chantilly Lace has a very high LRV (Light Reflectance Value), sitting at 90.4 - which puts it near the top of the brightness scale for a wall or trim color. Its undertone is about as neutral as white paint gets: no obvious yellow tinge and only the faintest whisper of a cool grey underneath.

What is Light Reflectance Value (LRV)?

Light Reflectance Value is a number that quantifies how bright and light a color is. LRV goes from 0 to 100, 0 being dark and 100 being light. The value refers to how much light is absorbed by the color. Typically, the blackest of blacks have a LRV at around 5, whereas the whitest whites have a rough LRV above 85. At 85, the color is reflecting 85% of light and absorbing the rest. At 5, the color is absorbing 95% of the light.

When a color has such a high light reflectance value, it can be important to have a lot of light in the room as it needs that light in order for it to look its best.

Back to why people love Chantilly Lace so much. The neutrality is why it's preferred by so many homeowners and designers alike. It is subtle enough that it doesn't fight with other colors in the space, and it reads as a true, bright white in most lighting.

It's preferred for trim, ceilings, and cabinetry in particular, since a neutral white typically doesn't clash with whatever wall color surrounds it.

Where Chantilly Lace can fall short

Here's where we get a little controversial, though. As professional painters with over 15 years experience, we've painted a lot of homes. A lot of homes with Chantilly Lace...and we've seen the areas that it can fall short in.

Honest and open communication is a big pillar of how we run our business, so we assess each space in order to give a tailored recommendation to each client on if we think Chantilly Lace could work in their home. Here's a few of the things we look at:

Low Natural Light

Because Chantilly Lace has so little warmth to it, rooms that don't get much natural light can end up feeling cold or flat rather than bright. A high-LRV white needs some light to bounce off of - without it, the crispness that makes this color so appealing in a sunlit room can be less impressive in a darker room.

This can also mean that in general, the disadvantages of Chantilly Lace are more prevalent in north-facing rooms, as there's typically less light involved, making the color look less impressive overall.

To be clear - this doesn't mean that Chantilly Lace doesn't work well in low-light rooms! Colors with higher LRVs are typically more suitable for lower lit rooms, however, Chantilly Lace can look less impressive or more stark than intended, if the room is dimly lit.

Imperfect Walls

Bright colors, especially when choosing a glossy finish, can highlight imperfections on walls. If you're someone who finds those types of things super noticeable and distracting...you may need to be prepared to switch to a different color, or know that you need to prep your walls just a little bit more in advance before proceeding with Chantilly Lace.

When You're Covering Darker Colors

This is the number one reason why Chantilly Lace is the most common color we talk homeowners out of painting their home. Homeowners listing it for sale see the color and think it's a great universal color to paint their home, as it can appeal to lots of potential buyers and not have a risk of clashing with anything. Or, you're looking to refresh your home with a modern color to brighten up the place and see Chantilly Lace recommended everywhere.

Both are super common, and we don't blame them - it is a beautiful color that is truly timeless. The only downside is...most of these homeowners have darker colors on their wall, which in a color like Chantilly Lace - the most whitest of whites - takes quite a few coats to cover.

Typically, most paint colors cover in 2 coats, depending on the color that you're painting over, and the color you're going. For example: red is notoriously bad in terms of coverage, but that's another story for another time. Chantilly Lace could require 3 or 4 coats depending on the color you're trying to cover, and that typically also includes a primer to block out the previous color.

Having to buy the primer is another expense, and on a big project, it can add up. Additionally, the time to recoat the walls is costs extra in labor, or it's extra work for a DIYer. This can be a huge surprise to homeowners as it can increase costs significantly, especially if it's a larger project or home - we aim to avoid situations like those by communicating openly about what we think your project needs.

This is a home where the homeowner wanted to repaint their walls using Chantilly Lace, but we ended up talking them out of it. We recommended using a different color that could apply in less coats, as they didn't want unnecessary extra costs.

What colors work best with Chantilly Lace?

Since it's such a popular color, lots of homeowners wonder what colors happen to look best with Chantilly Lace. The best part about this color is that it can work with almost any color.

Chantilly Lace's undertone is rather neutral - even though it does have a touch of cool grey added, this is more so that it doesn't appear as a stark white and rather slightly warmer. This makes it an easy choice that homeowners commonly reach for when painting their home.

If you're looking to pair Chantilly Lace with another color, we've seen homeowners choose colors like these:

Deep Navy

Color	Code	LRV	Description
Naval	SW 6244		Sherwin-Williams' deep, saturated navy - slightly darker and more dramatic than Hale Navy, popular for front doors, cabinetry, and accent walls.
Hale Navy	BM HC-172		A rich, true navy with just enough depth to feel bold without going black. The most popular pairing for Chantilly Lace, especially on cabinets, accent walls, wainscotting, or exterior trim.

Warm Greige or Taupe

Color	Code	LRV	Description
Revere Pewter	BM HC-172		A warm greige with subtle green undertones - one of Benjamin Moore's most popular neutrals, and a favourite for softening a bright white like Chantilly Lace.
Edgecomb Grey	BM HC-173		Lighter and slightly warmer than Revere Pewter, with the same easy, versatile neutral base.
Pale Oak	BM OC-20		A soft, warm off-white with a whisper of greige. This is a subtler option if you want warmth, without committing to full grey or greige.
Accessible Beige	SW 7036		A warm, soft beige with grey undertones. This is a popular exterior and cabinetry color that pairs very cleanly with Chantilly Lace, for a warm-crisp contrast.

Soft Greys

Color	Code	LRV	Description
Grey Owl	BM OC-52		A light, green-leaning grey that reads as an "updated neutral" - a popular choice for walls alongside crisp, bright whites like Chantilly Lace.
Stonington Grey	BM HC-170		A cooler, classic light gray with a timeless, versatile feel - a common pick for a modern look.

Dark Greys

Color	Code	LRV	Description
Kendall Charcoal	BM HC-166		A versatile, warm-leaning dark gray with a subtle green undertone - a popular cabinet and accent-wall color that's dark without being harsh.
Iron Mountain	BM 2134-30	10.96	A rich, deep gray with brown undertones, slightly darker than Kendall Charcoal - considered one of Benjamin Moore's "soft blacks."
Almost Black	BM 2130-30	9.34	A soft shade of black with a slightly warm cast - dramatic contrast without going for a true, stark black.
Iron Ore	SW 7069		Sherwin-Williams' popular brown-black near-neutral - a well-known trim and accent-wall partner for a white like Chantilly Lace.

Green-blues

Color	Code	LRV	Description
Palladian Blue	BM HC-144	60.4	A soft, muted blue-green that sits between a true blue and a sage green - calming, versatile, and one of the most popular trim/wall pairings for Chantilly Lace, especially in bathrooms and bedrooms.
Saybrook Sage	BM HC-114		A classic sage green with a hint of silver-gray undertone - cool, soothing, and pairs well with Chantilly Lace trim.
Guilford Green	BM HC-116		A gentle, gray-leaning green from Benjamin Moore's Historic Color Collection - reads fresh and modern against a crisp white like Chantilly Lace.
Sea Salt	SW 6204		A soft, chameleon-like green-gray with blue undertones - one of Sherwin-Williams' most popular colors. Chantilly Lace gives it a clean, crisp contrast on trim, especially in bathrooms and bedrooms.

A two-storey home in Cambridge painted white.

Does Chantilly Lace work for exteriors?

Chantilly Lace is available in exterior formulations and absolutely can work outside. The same brightness that makes it striking on cabinets and trim also means that it looks incredible on exterior trim, siding, and doors, especially if you have other accent colors.

Just keep in mind - white is very bright and tends to show dirt and staining more easily than other colors, so it may need more maintenance in order to keep clean, depending on exposure.

Personally, I would research using Chantilly Lace for your exterior before choosing, unless you are really confident in choosing an all-white exterior and the maintenance that may come with keeping it clean.

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Does Chantilly Lace work for bathrooms?

In bathrooms, the same low-light considerations apply, similar to anywhere else in the home. If your bathroom is dimly lit, Chantilly Lace can still look great, although it won't have as much opportunity to reflect light in comparison to a bathroom with lots of natural light.

We would recommend getting a test quart sample of Chantilly Lace to see how you like it at first, since bathrooms are frequently an area in your home that lacks a lot of natural light. Without the natural light, depending on the rest of the colors in your space, Chantilly Lace could read as more stark and sterile than intended. The color may show up slightly different than how you are imagining it - which could be a dealbreaker for some, but irrelevant for others. That's why it's always important to test!

It's also important to make sure whatever bathroom paint you end up using is moisture-resistant. We always select a moisture-resistant paint when painting bathrooms, especially in full baths - showers and baths can create a lot of steam. Moisture and paint generally don't like each other and it's the number one reason that paint can fail.

Some professional recommendations on what we'd suggest instead

The thing is, we work extensively with an interior design consultant who truly knows her stuff. But...we are also well-versed in the world of paint and materials and how those get applied to your walls in actuality.

If you were thinking of going Chantilly Lace and now you aren't so sure, or if you're unhappy with how the Chantilly Lace is currently looking on your walls - here's some best of both worlds recommendations for other similar colors:

	Color Code	LRV	Description
Are you in a space without a lot of natural light and want to avoid stark whites?	Try SW 9166 - Drift of Mist	69	An airy, inviting warm grey. Great for lower light spaces. We painted this in our basement bathroom at home and it works great in the low-light area.
Are you looking for something very similar to Chantilly Lace, but brighter?	Try SW 7757 - High Reflective White	93	The brightest, cleanest cool off-white Sherwin-Williams offers.
Are you wanting a similar vibe to Chantilly Lace, but with soft green undertones?	Try Benjamin Moore 2123-60 - Sea Foam	82.71	A very light soft green with a touch of blue, perfect for a calming or serene atmosphere. In 2025-2026, greens seem to be trending colors.
Are you wanting something slightly softer than Chantilly Lace?	Try Benjamin Moore CC-30 - Oxford White	86.69	A softer off-white with the slightest cool cast to it. Perfect for when you want a cozier atmosphere.
Are you feeling like Chantilly Lace doesn't work in your northern-facing room?	Try Benjamin Moore OC-17 - White Dove	83.16	Northern-facing rooms can mean there may be blueish tones present in your lighting, which may make Chantilly Lace look too white. A warmer alternative could be White Dove.

For reference, Chantilly Lace's LRV is 90.4.

All those colors I just mentioned, on a swatch card. It's always best to check things out in-person since your display can change how colors appear, but this is just to provide a rough idea of the difference in colors.

All of these colors we've applied ourselves and know firsthand how they go onto walls. While it doesn't solve the coverage issue, some of these colors may be better suited for your specific space, depending on what type of color you're looking for and how bright your space is. Try them out and let us know what you think!

Frequently Asked Questions

What undertones does Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace have? Chantilly Lace has very subtle undertones - it's more regarded as a neutral white paint, with only the faintest hint of cool grey. Due to its LRV of 90.4 and subtle undertones, it can appear as a very slightly warm white - it's clean, but not stark white. It doesn't have any noticeable yellow or blue undertones in it - just a clean white with a subtle warmth.

Is Chantilly Lace whiter than White Dove? Yes, Chantilly Lace is whiter than White Dove, as it has a higher LRV at 90.4. This means it reflects more light and will be brighter, crisper than White Dove, which has a LRV of 83.16. White Dove reads as a warmer, softer white in comparison, absorbing slightly more light for a warmer, cozier look.

Why is Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace so popular? Chantilly Lace's neutral undertone in white makes it easy to pair with almost every color. Its high LRV gives it a clean, bright look that photographs well and suits modern and contemporary interiors - especially in trim, ceilings, walls, and cabinetry.

Is Chantilly Lace whiter than Super White? Yes, slightly. Chantilly Lace has a slightly higher LRV at 90.4 compared to Super White at 87.36, though the two are close enough where the difference in person is subtle and could be worth comparing side by side before deciding - it's so subtle that it's hard to tell from swatches or online.

Not sure which is right for you?

Choosing between white paint colors can be tricky. We know just how hard it can be deliberating between colors, as we've seen countless homeowners make the same decision.

If you're planning a repaint and want a second opinion on whether Chantilly Lace (or another white) fit your space, reach out to us for a color consultation. We serve the Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, and Guelph region.

We're happy to walk through your space with you and help you land on the color that actually works for your home, all while providing you a painting estimate. If you book a painting project, the color consultation fee is credited towards your painting job!