Benjamin Moore Decorator's WhitevsBenjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
Why this comparison: Decorator’s White carries a cool gray cast; Chantilly Lace is the purer bright white. Decorator's White and Chantilly Lace are very close (ΔE 2.09). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light.
Built from our full reviews of both colors — same measured data, same real-room photos. About the testing process →
The Numbers
Chantilly Lace is slightly lighter (LRV 91 vs 83, 8-point delta).
What Each Color Really Is
A soft white built on gray rather than on cream, with a faint blue-violet lean under the gray. The name is not marketing invention: this is the white that shows up on professional trim schedules, in gallery-style rooms hung with bold art, and in the modern apartments where the whole point is that nothing on the wall looks creamy. Benjamin Moore files it in the Off-White Collection as OC-149, and you will also see the same color carried in a second fan deck under the code CC-20 — same paint, different book, which is why store staff sometimes quote you two numbers.
At LRV 85 it reflects plenty of light but it is not a bright white. That number is worth sitting with: Swiss Coffee also sits at 84 and Sherwin-Williams Pure White at 84, so brightness is not what separates these whites — temperature is. Stand Decorator's White next to Chantilly Lace (LRV 92) and it suddenly shows its body and its gray. On trim that body is the asset; it holds a clean painted edge without the plastic glare a true bright white gives under a spotlight. On four walls in weak light, that same body is the risk.
This is as close as Benjamin Moore gets to a white with nothing in it. Most whites are built on a drop of something — yellow oxide for the creams, black or blue for the cool ones — and that drop is what you eventually see on the wall. Chantilly Lace has almost nothing to see. There is a whisper of gray in the mix, just enough to keep it from glaring, and that is the entire recipe. Put it next to Decorator's White OC-149 and you notice Decorator's White is faintly gray-violet; next to Super White OC-152 you notice Super White is faintly blue. Chantilly Lace is the one that just reads white.
At LRV 90 it sits at the top of the Benjamin Moore deck. Simply White OC-117 is a point behind at 91, and in most rooms you would need the two chips touching to tell them apart — the real difference there is direction, not brightness. White Dove OC-17 is the useful comparison: at 85 it is seven points softer, and seven points is the gap between "a painted wall" and "a white wall." That is why White Dove flatters a room and Chantilly Lace reports on it. High LRV also means high honesty — every seam, every roller lap, every patch of bad drywall shows up, so sand and skim more than you think you need to.
Specs Side by Side
| Spec | Decorator's White | Chantilly Lace |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore |
| SKU | CC-20 | 2121-70 |
| Hex | #EBEDEA | #F4F6F1 |
| RGB | 235, 237, 234 | 244, 246, 241 |
| LRV | 83 | 91 |
| Undertone | near-white | near-white |
| Family | White | White |
How Light Changes Them
South windows or a glass-walled sunroom wash out the gray and leave it clean, crisp white. This is the light it needs.
Cool, weak daylight drags the gray-violet base forward; corners shadow out and the wall reads chalky. Its one real failure light.
Neutral and cool most of the day, briefly softened by golden-hour sun. It moves less than most whites — the gray anchors it.
Cool 3500–4000K LEDs keep it crisp and true. Warm 2700K bulbs mute the violet but can leave it looking slightly muddy rather than cozy.
Cool gray daylight has nothing to fight, so it wins. Reads gray-blue and flat, worst in winter.
Bright and clean all day. The faint warmth in the mix keeps it from glaring back at you.
2700K bulbs soften it toward ivory at night. 3500–4000K keeps the crisp white you bought.
Its best job. Bounces almost all the light a hallway, powder room, or basement can give it.
Both Colors in Real Rooms
Photos from our full reviews — the same rooms and captions, so you can judge each color where it actually lives, not on a chip.
When to Pick Which
Trim, doors and ceilings in cool or modern rooms · kitchens and baths with Carrara-type marble and cool tile · bright sunrooms and art walls · exterior trim, garage doors and fences on cool-toned houses
The room is dim or north-facing with no lamps · your other whites are warm (White Dove, Swiss Coffee, Simply White) · your floors are honey oak or golden pine · your house is red brick or warm earthy stone
Trim, doors, and ceilings in almost any house · modern and high-contrast rooms · white kitchen cabinets next to white quartz · small or windowless rooms that need maximum bounce
Your room is north-facing and dim · you are keeping the old builder-white ceiling · you want cozy, not clean · you are painting over beige and only have time for two coats
No comparison page can see your light. Upload one photo of your room and try both colors on the same walls, seconds apart.
Decorator's White vs Chantilly Lace FAQ
Which is lighter, Decorator's White or Chantilly Lace?
Chantilly Lace is lighter: LRV 91 vs 83. Chantilly Lace is slightly lighter (LRV 91 vs 83, 8-point delta).
Which is warmer, Decorator's White or Chantilly Lace?
They share the same undertone family — both read near-white. The difference between them is lightness and depth, not temperature.
How similar are Decorator's White and Chantilly Lace?
Decorator's White and Chantilly Lace are very close (ΔE 2.09). The difference shows up most in side-by-side comparison and under specific light. The only reliable test is seeing both in your own room and light — a side-by-side on a screen or chip flattens the difference.
Can I use Decorator's White and Chantilly Lace together in one house?
Not in the same room, and be careful in the same house. At ΔE 2.09 they are so close that two walls in each will read as a tinting mistake, not a design choice. Pick one, or keep them on different floors where they are never seen together.
Ask a Question