Antique White
Pratt & Lambert's traditional gold cream, reviewed honestly: the older rooms it belongs in, the light that turns it butter, and why the name is a trap.
Jessica has spec'd whites and neutrals for more than 300 rooms and keeps a sample wall of painted drawdowns in her studio. Every color review is checked against real reader rooms in the comments and re-tested when a formula changes. About the testing process →
- 1Agreeable Gray60
- 2Pale Oak69
- 3Antique White78
- 4Dover White83
- 5Moonlit Beach88
The Fast Verdict
Antique White 1-1 is a gold cream, not a white. At LRV 78 it sits between White Dove softness and the deeper Antique Whites other brands sell: warm enough to make an older house look finished, light enough to run walls and millwork in one color. On oak, brass and plaster it reads like painted woodwork has always looked. Put it next to a crisp white, or buy it because the label said white, and the gold is the whole story. Confirm the can says Pratt & Lambert 1-1 — the name is reused across the aisle, and none of those chips match.
Traditional living rooms and dining rooms · older-house walls and millwork in one cream · kitchens with oak, brass and butcher block · anyone who means cream when they say antique white
You want a white that stays white · trim is staying a brighter builder white · cool gray floors or Carrara · a west or south wall that bakes all afternoon
- A gold cream that actually reads as cream, not a vague off-white
- One-color rooms (walls + trim + ceiling) look original in older houses
- Flatters stained oak, brass, plaster and every warm wood tone
- Hides scuffs on cabinets and trim better than brighter whites
- Lighter and more wall-friendly than the deeper Antique Whites other brands sell
- Looks gold on four walls the moment the sun is strong or the light goes dim
- Reads dirty and dated next to any new bright white
- Too creamy for crisp, modern, high-contrast rooms
- The name is a trap — half a dozen brands sell a different color with this label
What Color Is Antique White, Really?
A gold cream with the yellow left switched on — not the grayed kind, not a modern off-white pretending to be neutral. Most of the whites people actually buy (White Dove, Swiss Coffee) put a drop of grey in the mix so the cream stays quiet. Antique White 1-1 does not. Pratt & Lambert files it at the top of the deck as 1-1, and independent dealers have mixed it for traditional interiors for decades: walls, casing, cream kitchens, the kind of house where a gallery white would look like a remodel. It is also the most-searched warm white in the Pratt & Lambert lineup, which is a search fact, not a designer-blog fame story — you will not find it on a Color of the Year list. What you will find is a fan deck where several other brands print the same name on a different cream.
At LRV 78 it reflects plenty of light, but it is clearly not a bright white. White Dove sits seven points higher at LRV 85 and reads noticeably cleaner next to it; Creamy (SW 7012) at LRV 81 is a close cousin that still looks a step paler; Sherwin-Williams Antique White at LRV 72 is a full step deeper and more orange. That gap is the useful part. On a wall 1-1 holds enough color to soften shadows and flatter wood; on millwork it reads as painted woodwork rather than plastic-bright. On four walls in strong sun the same number is the risk, because once the field is large the gold has nowhere to hide. On a chip it looks like a soft white. On a sunny wall it looks like cream.
Undertone in one line: yellow-gold first, a red-orange lean second — never gray, never pink. If your sample flashes butter, that is south or west sun doing exactly what a gold cream does. If it looks almost neutral, the light is north or shaded and the gold is being held in check. Both versions are the same paint being honest about the room.
Where It Shines
Its home turf is the traditional house. Eggshell Antique White on walls with the same color in semi-gloss on doors, casing and crown is the one-color cream room that older plaster, stained oak and brass were built around, and it still earns that job: the gold makes painted woodwork look intentional instead of factory-white. Give it north or filtered east light and the yellow stays a cream rather than a butter wall. Traditional kitchens with butcher block and unlacquered brass are the second-best use — satin on cabinets hides knuckle marks a brighter white would broadcast.
Where It Fails
Almost every regret story about Antique White is the same story told three ways: someone wanted a white, they put a real white next to it, or they bought a different brand's chip with this name on it. The paint is consistent. What changes is the room — and the can.
On the chip it passes as a soft white. On four walls, especially a south or west room in afternoon sun, the gold sits there in the open — buttery, a little orange at the edges, not the fresh white a Pinterest board promised. If white is what you actually want, this is the wrong can. White Dove keeps the warmth and drops the gold.
Antique White walls under leftover builder-white casing, a stark ceiling, or Chantilly Lace (OC-65, LRV 90) trim is the classic pairing mistake. The brighter white wins and the walls look yellowed and slightly dirty. Keep every white in the cream family — same color on walls and trim, sheen change only — or skip 1-1 and use White Dove, which can sit next to a slightly cleaner white without looking unwashed.
The name is the most reused label in the paint aisle. Sherwin-Williams Antique White (SW 6119, LRV 72) is a deeper yellow-orange cream. PPG / Glidden's (PPG1024-2, LRV 70) is a tan-cream darker than 1-1. Behr's (23, LRV 73) is the deepest white in that deck. Valspar's (7002-20, LRV 80.4) is paler. Pratt & Lambert also prints Antique White as 14-31 on some dealer decks — that is a different, deeper beige, not this review. Match 1-1 by SKU and chip, never by the words on the sticker.
Room by Room
With north or filtered daylight, stained trim and plaster, this is the cream those rooms were built around. Eggshell on the walls; same color in semi-gloss on the millwork if the woodwork is already painted. In a new build with gray floors and a wall of glass, sample the sunny wall at 4pm before you buy gallons.
Satin Antique White on cabinets flatters butcher block, honey oak and brass, and it hides scuffs better than a gallery white. The catch is commitment: cream cabinets lock in every later choice. Cool white quartz or gray tile argues with it. If the counters are staying cool, use White Dove or Alabaster instead.
Semi-gloss on doors, casing and crown is the job that makes 1-1 look expensive. Against mid-tone greige, sage or tan walls it reads as classic painted woodwork, not a bright cut line. Do not use it as trim under a cool gray or a crisp white wall — that is where the gold looks like discoloration.
Dining rooms run on lamplight, and 2700K bulbs make Antique White look intentional rather than yellow. Pair it with Saybrook Sage or Pratt & Lambert Sage on the walls and it reads country-house correct. Eggshell, or matte if the plaster is old.
Under 2700K bulbs it turns properly creamy at night, which most people want in a bedroom. Keep the bedding on the warm side; crisp white linens will make the walls look more gold than they are. If the bedroom faces west and bakes in the afternoon, White Dove is the safer cream.
A windowed hall carries it well and ties a traditional main floor together without the glare of leftover ceiling white. Same color on the ceiling in flat sheen keeps the plane soft. A windowless interior hall is where the gold goes heavy — skip it there, or commit to lamps.
Your Light Is the Risk
Cool daylight holds the gold to a calm cream. This is the light where Antique White still reads as a white, and the traditional-interior job it was mixed for.
Direct warm sun blooms the yellow-gold until the wall goes butter, then a little orange at the edges. Sample the sunny wall at 4pm. If that read is too yellow, this is not your cream.
East light makes it warm and buttery in the morning, then quieter by noon. West light turns it amber for the last hour. The shift is the gold moving, not a new color.
2700K lamps: creamier, cozier, more ivory. Cool 4000K LEDs: sour yellow-gold, slightly green at the edge. Swap bulbs, not paint.
Most complaints about Antique White are a light mismatch. Upload a photo of your actual room and see it on your walls — then ask for the same wall in north light or evening lamps before you buy a single sample.
Need It From Another Brand?
Any paint counter can custom-tint Pratt & Lambert 1-1 directly. If you would rather stay in one brand's own deck, these are the closest stock matches, measured as ΔE2000. Under 2 is a difference you will not see on the wall.
| Brand | Closest color | ΔE | LRV | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams | Polar BearSW 7564 · Sherwin-Williams | 0.5 | 74 | Color page → |
| Behr | Silky BambooPPU8-14 · Behr | 1.4 | 75 | Color page → |
| Benjamin Moore | Prentis CreamCW-100 · Benjamin Moore | 0.5 | 74 | Color page → |
| Valspar | Courtyard Tan7002-13 · Valspar | 1.9 | 74.5 | Color page → |
| PPG / Glidden | Wright Oyster ShellFLLW999 · PPG / Glidden | 0.9 | 74 | Color page → |
| Glidden | Vanilla LovePPG1099-2 · Glidden | 0.9 | 74 | Color page → |
Contrast and Legibility
WCAG 2.1: AA is 4.5 : 1 for normal text, 3 : 1 for large text, AAA is 7 : 1.
Antique White vs the Colors You're Also Considering
Every Antique White sample board has the same rivals on it. The numbers show the real lightness gap — then it comes down to which risk you would rather live with.
Pick this when you need a lighter cream that can still run walls and millwork without going tan.
Sherwin-Williams SW 6119 · LRV 72Antique WhitePick this if you want the deeper, more committed yellow-orange cream — it is the traditional-kitchen version of this name.
Pick this when you actually want cream on the walls, and a quiet white would look too new.
Benjamin Moore PM-19 · LRV 85White DovePick this if you want the warmth without the gold — it is the safer whole-house white by a wide margin.
Antique White (1-1, LRV 78) is easiest to place next to its close Pratt & Lambert neighbors. Off-White (11-1) sits slightly higher at LRV 80 and reads a touch brighter and less gold, so it is the better pick if you want the warmth dialed back a step while keeping the same family.
Ancestral (32-29) is a shade deeper at LRV 73 and shows a bit more tan. If Antique White feels too pale on large sunny walls, Ancestral gives you a hair more color and grounding without becoming a true beige.
Silver Lining (32-1) at LRV 80 is another light neutral, but it leans cooler and grayer than Antique White. Choose Silver Lining when you want a light wall that stays quiet and neutral, and choose Antique White when you specifically want the room to feel warm and creamy.
Antique White Coordinating Colors
The rule for coordinating with Antique White 1-1 is simple: stay on the warm side and never put a brighter white next to it. It flatters warm greiges, dusty sages, deep navies and brick reds, and it argues with icy blues, cool greys and blue-gray stone. These are the partners that keep showing up in rooms that work:
Every Brand Sells An Antique White — None Of Them Match
Antique White is one of the most reused names in the paint aisle, and it is the first problem with this color. Shoppers search the words, grab the chip their store actually stocks, and end up with a different cream. Sherwin-Williams Antique White (SW 6119, LRV 72) is the one designers write about — a deeper yellow-orange, popular on traditional cabinets, and easy to date next to white appliances. PPG / Glidden Antique White (PPG1024-2, LRV 70) is a tan-cream, darker than 1-1. Behr Antique White (23, LRV 73) is the deepest, warmest white in Behr's own lineup. Valspar Antique White (7002-20, LRV 80.4) is paler and closer to a true cream. Pratt & Lambert 1-1 at LRV 78 sits in the middle: gold enough to mean cream, light enough to run a whole traditional floor.
Inside the Pratt & Lambert deck there is a second trap. Some dealer fans still print Antique White as 14-31 — a different, deeper beige. This review is 1-1. If a painter, an old invoice or a fan deck shows 14-31, do not assume you already own this color. Order by the number on the can.
Antique White With Wood Tones And Floors
Warm wood loves it, which is the whole point of a gold cream. Red oak, honey oak, walnut, cherry, butcher block and cedar all sit comfortably against 1-1 because the warmth meets theirs halfway. On original stained trim it does something a crisp white cannot: it makes the wood look chosen instead of leftover. If your floors are orange-leaning builder oak, this is one of the few creams that softens the orange rather than amplifying it.
The flooring that needs a sample first is anything cool: gray LVP, gray-washed oak, blue-gray tile, Carrara-type marble. Cool floors pull the gold into relief and the wall can read sour. It is not always a dealbreaker on a thin band of trim — a cream casing line next to gray floors is a different problem than four cream walls — but on a whole room, test a big sample above the actual floor in afternoon light before you paint. Metals are easy: unlacquered brass, antique bronze and aged iron all work; polished chrome is the one that leans cold against it.
Three Ready Palettes Built on Antique White
A color is never alone on the wall. These are complete combinations in the 60-30-10 pattern, with the reason each one holds together. Every one opens in the visualizer.
One cream at two sheens on walls and millwork, a muted sage in the dining room, and Brick Red on the door — the single dark oxide note a 78-LRV house needs so it does not float. Stay in Pratt & Lambert if that is the truck your painter already buys.
Try this palette in your roomEdgecomb Gray is the easy warm greige cream cabinets were built to sit against; the walls stay quiet so Antique White can be the ivory. Hale Navy on the island is the single dark note that keeps a 78-LRV kitchen from looking unfinished, and it loves brass.
Try this palette in your roomSaybrook Sage needs warm company, and Antique White is exactly that — cream millwork against dusty sage is the traditional dining-room pairing. Hunter Green supplies one near-black green so the scheme does not go pastel.
Try this palette in your roomAntique White FAQ
Is Pratt & Lambert Antique White warm or cool?
Warm — and more openly gold than almost any white people confuse it with. White Dove and Swiss Coffee keep the warmth quieter; 1-1 lets the yellow-gold sit on the surface. In north or filtered light it can pass as a soft cream. In south sun and under 2700K lamps it is plainly antique.
Is this the same as Sherwin-Williams Antique White?
No. Same name, different paint. Pratt & Lambert 1-1 is LRV 78, a lighter gold cream. Sherwin-Williams Antique White (SW 6119) is LRV 72, a deeper yellow-orange cream built for traditional cabinets. PPG, Behr and Valspar each sell another Antique White that does not match either. Order by SKU. If a dealer fan deck shows Pratt & Lambert 14-31 Antique White, that is a third color — a deeper beige — not this one.
What trim color goes with Antique White walls?
Antique White itself, in semi-gloss. A brighter trim white — Chantilly Lace, leftover builder white — makes the walls look yellowed and slightly dirty, which is the most common mistake with this color. If you want contrast, go darker (a greige or sage), never brighter.
Is it good for kitchen cabinets?
In a traditional kitchen with wood counters, brass and warm floors, yes — satin hides scuffs and the cream looks like painted furniture rather than plastic. Next to cool white quartz, gray tile or stainless as the main event, it reads gold. Sample it against the actual counters. Use a urethane-fortified cabinet enamel.
Will Antique White look yellow?
Yes, in any room where the light does not cancel it: south and west walls at 4pm, dim interiors, and anywhere a brighter white sits next to it. In north or filtered east light on millwork it stays a calm cream. If yellow is a dealbreaker, this is not your white — pick White Dove.
Should I use it on the ceiling too?
If the walls are Antique White, yes — flat sheen, same color, so the plane stays warm instead of snapping to a clinical bright white. Over a different wall color, use it only when that wall is warm (greige, sage, tan). Over a cool gray it makes the ceiling look faintly gold.
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