Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117

Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117 is one of those paint colors that sounds almost suspiciously modest. “Simply White”? That’s it? No poetic fog, no coastal pebble, no whispering linen? And yet this warm white has become one of the most talked-about, most sampled, and most trusted white paint colors in American homes. It was even named Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Color of the Year, which is basically the paint-world equivalent of winning prom queen while wearing a perfectly pressed cotton shirt.

What makes Simply White so popular is its balance. It is bright without feeling icy, warm without turning into buttercream frosting, and versatile enough to work on walls, trim, ceilings, cabinets, doors, and built-ins. In a world where choosing white paint can feel like decoding ancient hieroglyphics under five different light bulbs, Simply White OC-117 is refreshingly approachable.

But here is the tiny plot twist: Simply White is not “just white.” It has warmth, personality, and a subtle yellow undertone that can look beautiful in the right space and slightly too creamy in the wrong one. So before you commit to five gallons and a weekend of questionable ladder decisions, let’s break down what Simply White really looks like, where it works best, what colors pair with it, and how to use it like a designer instead of someone panic-buying paint at 7:45 p.m.

What Color Is Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117?

Benjamin Moore describes Simply White OC-117 as a clean, crisp white with the slightest hint of warmth. That description is accurate, but let’s make it more useful: Simply White is a bright warm white that feels fresh, soft, and inviting. It is not a stark gallery white, and it is not a deep creamy off-white. It sits in that sweet middle zone where a room can feel clean and modern without looking like a dentist’s office waiting room.

Its Light Reflectance Value, commonly called LRV, is about 89.5. LRV measures how much light a color reflects on a scale from 0 to 100. The higher the number, the more light the color bounces around the room. With an LRV near 90, Simply White reflects a generous amount of light, making it a strong choice for spaces that need brightness.

Simply White Undertones

The key undertone in Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117 is yellow. Not lemon yellow. Not school-bus yellow. More like a soft candle-glow warmth that keeps the color from feeling flat or cold. This yellow undertone is why Simply White often looks cheerful, cozy, and welcoming.

However, that same undertone is also why sampling matters. In a south-facing room with strong warm sunlight, Simply White may look creamier. In a darker room, the warmth can become more noticeable, especially next to cool gray floors, blue-toned marble, or stainless steel finishes. In balanced natural light, it often reads as a beautiful soft white.

Why Designers and Homeowners Love Simply White

Simply White has earned its reputation because it solves a common problem: many homeowners want a white home, but they do not want that white to feel cold, sterile, or unfinished. Simply White gives rooms a polished look while still feeling livable. It is the white paint equivalent of a crisp white shirt that somehow works with jeans, trousers, sneakers, and a blazer.

Interior designers often use Simply White for whole-house color schemes because it transitions well from room to room. It can make hallways feel brighter, kitchens feel cleaner, bedrooms feel calmer, and living rooms feel more open. It also plays nicely with many design styles, from modern farmhouse and coastal interiors to transitional, traditional, cottage, and minimal spaces.

Another reason for its popularity is flexibility. You can use Simply White on walls and trim together by changing the sheen. For example, walls in eggshell and trim in semi-gloss create subtle contrast without introducing a second white that might clash. This is a smart trick because mixing whites can be surprisingly risky. One white may suddenly look dingy, gray, or yellow when placed beside another.

Best Places to Use Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117

Living Rooms

In living rooms, Simply White works beautifully as a soft backdrop for furniture, artwork, rugs, and natural textures. If your room includes warm wood floors, woven baskets, linen curtains, brass accents, or colorful art, Simply White lets those elements shine without competing for attention.

For a living room that feels relaxed but polished, pair Simply White walls with warm oak floors, a neutral sofa, black picture frames, and greenery. The color keeps everything bright, while the warm undertone prevents the room from feeling bare.

Kitchens and Cabinets

Benjamin Moore Simply White cabinets are a popular choice for good reason. The color looks clean on cabinetry but has enough warmth to soften hard surfaces like tile, stone, and metal. It can be especially attractive in kitchens with natural wood accents, warm marble, butcher block, brass hardware, or creamy quartz countertops.

That said, be careful if your kitchen has very cool finishes. Blue-gray marble, icy quartz, cool gray floors, or bright white subway tile may make Simply White’s yellow undertone more obvious. In those cases, a cooler white such as Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace may be a better match.

Trim, Doors, and Ceilings

Simply White is a strong trim color when you want a fresh but not blinding finish. It can work on baseboards, crown molding, doors, window casings, and ceiling beams. If your walls are a slightly deeper warm neutral, Simply White trim can provide a clean edge without harsh contrast.

You can also use Simply White on both the walls and trim. The secret is sheen. Try matte or eggshell on walls, satin on doors, and semi-gloss on trim. The finish difference creates dimension while keeping the palette cohesive.

Bedrooms

In bedrooms, Simply White feels calm and easy to decorate around. It works with soft blue bedding, sage green accents, warm beige textiles, walnut furniture, and vintage pieces. It is a good option for anyone who wants a bright room but still wants it to feel restful at night.

Bathrooms

Simply White can make bathrooms feel fresh, clean, and spa-like. It pairs especially well with creamy tile, warm marble, weathered wood, brushed brass, and soft neutral towels. In small bathrooms, its high LRV helps reflect light, which can make the room feel more open.

Just watch the undertone if your bathroom has cool blue-gray tile or stark white fixtures. The contrast can sometimes make Simply White appear creamier than expected.

When Simply White May Not Be the Best Choice

As lovely as Simply White is, no paint color is perfect everywhere. The most common complaint is that it can look yellow or too creamy in certain conditions. This usually happens in rooms with warm southern exposure, low natural light, or cool surrounding finishes.

If your home has a lot of cool gray flooring, icy countertops, chrome fixtures, or blue-toned stone, Simply White may not harmonize as well as a cleaner white. It can also look warmer next to ultra-bright whites. For example, if your trim is a very cool factory white and your walls are Simply White, the walls may look more yellow by comparison.

The solution is simple: sample before painting. Paint large sample boards or use peel-and-stick samples, then move them around the room. Look at them in morning light, afternoon light, evening light, and artificial light. White paint changes more dramatically than most people expect. It is basically a tiny drama queen in a very elegant outfit.

Simply White vs. Other Popular Benjamin Moore Whites

Simply White vs. White Dove OC-17

White Dove is softer, more muted, and slightly darker than Simply White. It has a gentle warmth but is less bright. Choose White Dove if you want a more subdued, creamy white. Choose Simply White if you want a fresher and brighter look.

Simply White vs. Chantilly Lace OC-65

Chantilly Lace is cleaner, cooler, and crisper. It has very little visible warmth and is often chosen for modern spaces, cool palettes, or high-contrast trim. Simply White is warmer and more inviting. If Chantilly Lace feels too sharp, Simply White may be the friendlier option.

Simply White vs. Cloud White OC-130

Cloud White is creamier and a bit more traditional. It can be beautiful in older homes, classic interiors, and spaces with warm finishes. Simply White feels brighter and cleaner, while Cloud White leans more softly into cream.

Simply White vs. Swiss Coffee OC-45

Swiss Coffee is deeper, warmer, and more noticeably off-white. It creates a cozy, layered look but will not feel as crisp as Simply White. Choose Swiss Coffee for a soft creamy palette; choose Simply White for a brighter warm white.

Best Colors to Pair with Simply White

Because Simply White has a warm undertone, it pairs especially well with colors that share a little warmth or natural softness. Think earthy neutrals, muted greens, classic blues, warm grays, and wood tones.

Great Pairing Ideas

• Warm grays: Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray, and soft greige tones.
• Blues: Hale Navy, muted denim blue, dusty blue, and coastal blue-gray.
• Greens: Sage, olive, eucalyptus, and soft moss green.
• Earth tones: Terracotta, camel, taupe, clay, and warm beige.
• Natural materials: Oak, walnut, rattan, linen, jute, leather, and unlacquered brass.

For a timeless exterior or interior palette, try Simply White with black accents, natural wood, and a soft green front door. For a coastal look, pair it with navy, woven textures, and sandy beige. For a modern farmhouse style, use Simply White with warm wood beams, black hardware, and stone accents.

Best Sheens for Simply White

Choosing the right sheen matters almost as much as choosing the color. A flat finish absorbs more light and hides imperfections, while glossier finishes reflect more light and are easier to clean.

• Walls: Matte, eggshell, or low-sheen finish for a soft look.
• Trim and doors: Satin or semi-gloss for durability and subtle contrast.
• Cabinets: Satin or semi-gloss for wipeability.
• Ceilings: Flat finish to minimize glare and surface flaws.

If you are using Simply White throughout a home, consider keeping the color consistent and changing only the sheen. This creates a designer-approved flow and helps avoid the common problem of mismatched whites.

Real-Life Experience: Living with Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117

After spending time around rooms painted in Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117, the first thing you notice is how quietly helpful it is. It does not shout, “Look at me, I am a paint color!” Instead, it makes the room feel cleaner, brighter, and more finished. That is the magic of a good white. When it works, you stop thinking about the paint and start noticing the sofa, the sunlight, the artwork, the floors, and whether someone remembered to fluff the pillows.

In a living room with medium-toned wood floors, Simply White can feel especially balanced. The wood warms it up, while the paint keeps the walls from feeling heavy. Add a few black accents, such as curtain rods or picture frames, and the whole room gets that crisp magazine look without becoming too formal. It is a great choice for people who want a polished home but still have real-life things happening, like dogs, kids, coffee cups, and throw blankets that migrate mysteriously from room to room.

In kitchens, Simply White has a cheerful quality. On cabinets, it looks bright and classic, especially with brass or black hardware. It does not feel as cool as some modern whites, which is helpful if the kitchen is the heart of the home and not a laboratory for slicing cucumbers under surgical lighting. With warm wood stools, creamy countertops, and a soft backsplash, Simply White cabinets can look timeless rather than trendy.

The main lesson from experience is that lighting changes everything. In a bright room, Simply White can look nearly pure white, with just enough softness to keep it friendly. In a dim hallway, it may show more cream. Under warm bulbs at night, it can become cozier and more yellow. This is not necessarily bad; it just means you need to know what mood you want. If your goal is crisp, cool, and modern, test carefully. If your goal is warm, bright, and welcoming, Simply White often delivers beautifully.

Another useful experience is using Simply White on both walls and trim. Many homeowners assume trim must be a different white, but that can create undertone battles. With Simply White, using the same color in different sheens often looks cleaner. The walls feel soft, the trim catches the light, and nothing looks accidentally mismatched. It is a simple approach, and in this case, “simple” is not boring. It is smart.

One small warning: Simply White can expose older yellowed paint nearby. If you repaint one room and leave old trim or doors untouched, the old paint may suddenly look tired. This is not Simply White’s fault. It is just telling the truth, like a brutally honest friend with excellent taste. For the best result, freshen the trim, doors, or ceiling at the same time, or at least compare them before deciding where to stop.

Overall, living with Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117 feels easy. It gives a home brightness without coldness and warmth without heaviness. It is not the right white for every single space, but when it fits, it fits beautifully. It is the kind of color that makes rooms feel cared for, even before the furniture arrives.

Final Verdict: Is Simply White OC-117 Worth It?

Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117 remains one of the best warm white paint colors for homeowners who want a bright, clean, and welcoming look. Its high LRV helps reflect light, while its subtle yellow undertone keeps it from feeling stark. It works especially well on walls, trim, cabinets, ceilings, and whole-house interiors where warmth and freshness are both priorities.

The only real caution is undertone. If your space has cool finishes or unusual lighting, Simply White may look warmer than expected. But with proper sampling, it can be a reliable, beautiful, and timeless choice. In the crowded world of white paint, Simply White earns its name not because it is plain, but because it makes a difficult design decision feel a little easier.

Note: Always test Benjamin Moore’s Simply White OC-117 in your actual space before committing, because lighting, flooring, furniture, and surrounding finishes can dramatically change how any white paint appears.