Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is one of the best white paint colors out there! I share why I love it and how it compares to other popular whites!
Choosing the right white paint color for our new master bathroom was a bit trickier than I expected but I couldn’t be happier with the color I ended up with – Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. I get lots of questions about it so today I’m going to share why you might want to put it on your short list of white paint colors for your home (especially bathrooms!) and how it compares to other popular white paint colors.
I’ve also answered some of your most common questions including what sheen of Chantilly Lace I used and what color to use with on trim when you paint your walls white. Let’s get to it… (post includes commissionable links; for more information, see my full disclosure statement {here})
Chantilly Lace (OC-65): Why I Love It
The hardest thing about working with white paint colors is that they aren’t 100% pure white. Every white has subtle undertones. So what might look like a pure white in the can could have a yellow, blue, green, etc. cast once its up on the wall.
What I love about Chantilly Lace is that it’s close to looking like a pure white but with just a touch of blue that’s enough to give it a crisp, fresh feel (but not so much that it’s harsh or stark). Chantilly Lace feels soft and fresh & works beautifully with the whites of the shower tile, tub, toilet and Carrara marble vanity top I chose for our bathroom remodel:
Vanity Area Sources: Wood & rattan double vanity | Vanity knobs | Bathroom faucets (similar) | Vanity lights | Vanity mirrors (gold) | Woven seagrass tray on vanity (similar) | Marble stacking dishes | Soap & lotion sink set with tray | Gray & white striped towels | Robe hooks – golden champagne
Benjamin Moore describes Chantilly Lace as “as delicate and refined as the lace it was named after, this crisp, clean white evokes images of pure silk, soft linen and simpler times.” While totally corny, it’s actually a pretty spot-on description! Here’s another view of it on the other side of our bathroom – as is typical with any paint color it looks a little different depending on how much light it gets:
Shelf sources (from top to bottom): Bathroom floating shelves | White woven basket (medium) | Colorful moth art print | Glass canister (1 gallon size) | Bath bombs | Belly basket with tassel (similar) | Favorite bath towels | Kumquat tree, striped planter, & stacked boxes are no longer available
If you haven’t seen our master bathroom reveal already, you can see a bunch more pics of Chantilly Lace in our bathroom and get all sources for this space in my bathroom remodel before and after.
A Great Trim Color With Chantilly Lace Walls
Whenever I paint the walls of a room white, my choice for trim color couldn’t be easier – I use the same exact color as the walls but in a glossier sheen. People often look to use a different white color for trim because they want some contrast from the walls but you actually get that same contrast when you simply change the sheen.
Like all whites, Chantilly Lace in semigloss or satin appears whiter (since it’s more reflective) than Chantilly Lace in flat or matte. It’s enough of a difference to get the contract that you want while still having the two different finishes go beautifully together.
What Sheens of Chantilly Lace Paint I Used
For the walls and ceiling of our bathroom I used Aura Bath & Spa (which is made for spaces that get more moisture) in matte. Their matte paint has just a touch more sheen than flat but its more scrubbable. A lot of people use eggshell on bathroom walls which is a great choice too. I personally prefer matte because I’m just not a fan of much shine plus if you ever need to touch your paint up down the road, it’s more likely to blend in if you’re using a matte or flat paint.
The last reason I chose matte is that I wanted to use the same sheen on both the walls and ceiling so it’s one enveloping space and I wouldn’t recommend using paint with sheen on drywall ceiling because it shows too many imperfections.
For the trim in our bathroom, I used Benjamin Moore Advance in Satin (semi-gloss is also a great choice for trim – it’s just personal preference depending on how much sheen you like).
Chantilly Lace vs. Other Similar White Paint Colors
If you’re thinking about using Chantilly Lace in your home, you’re probably deciding between it and some similar whites so I thought it would be helpful to show you how Chantilly Lace compares to other popular whites to help you choose the white that’s the best fit. I bought samples of four of the closest whites from Samplize so I could show you. If you’re not familiar with Samplize, they sell 12″ x 12″ squares of paint finishes with adhesive backing so you can peel the backing off and stick them up on your wall:
Grab the Samplize sample of Chantilly Lace {HERE}
The adhesive is sticky enough to keep them up on the wall but not so sticky that they pull off paint or can’t easily be removed and repositioned in another part of the room (which I 100% recommend doing – paint colors can look quite different depending on the spot in your room and the light they receive). I’ll break down the comparison for all four of these paint colors but here’s a look at samples of all of them on my Chantilly Lace bathroom walls:
Some of them are so close that they almost blend right in…
Here’s how Chantilly Lace compares to each of these four:
Chantilly Lace vs. Simply White
Simply White (OC-117) is one of my favorite white paint colors and the one I’m using as a whole house paint color for our home in NC – so far we’ve painted our guest room:
Sources: Beadboard bed (weathered white) | Round mirror | Pinch pleat curtains in snow white | Curtain rods | Embroidered stripe duvet cover | Blue and white block print pillows (similar) | White tassel pillow | Cane bench | Nightstands | White Lamps (similar)
and our breakfast nook in Simply White:
Sources: Woven pendant | Round dining table (similar) | Bistro chairs | 7′ Round jute rug
While Chantilly Lace has a touch of blue, Simply White has a touch of yellow. It’s just enough yellow to give it a warm feel but not so much that it looks too creamy. With that touch of warmth, even large rooms painted in Simply White don’t have a sterile feel like many fear their room will have with a brighter white.
Comparing Chantilly Lace to Simply White, they are similar in that they are both in the lighter range of white paint colors and they both have a crisp, clean look. The main difference is that Simply White is a warmer color than Chantilly Lace due to the touch of yellow.
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So why didn’t I use Simply White in our bathroom? Actually that was my plan! But when I painted a large test sample in my bathroom, the yellow undertone of it was much more obvious than in any other room I’ve painted with Simply White. Why? Because it was up against the more cool toned blues of our marble tile, tub, and toilet.
I was convinced Simply White would work so my test resulted in a last minute run to the paint store for more samples which is when I decided Chantilly Lace would be best. The lesson learned is that while Simply White is a great versatile paint color for most spaces in your home, it’s probably not the best choice when being used right next to cooler toned tile or marble like Carrara because that’s when you’ll see the yellow in the paint color come out.
Grab the Samplize sample of Simply White {HERE}
Super White vs. Chantilly Lace
Benjamin Moore Super White (OC-152 or PM-1) is another great white paint color to consider and if you’re having a hard time seeing much of a difference between the two whites in the pics of the paint samples in my bathroom, you’re right! They’re very similar whites and honestly if you had two rooms painted these two colors side by side, you’d have a very hard time seeing a difference.
You’d think that based on the name, Super White would be the brightest white of the two but actually Chantilly Lace is just a tad bit brighter while Super White is slightly softer. Chantilly Lace also has just the slightest bit more color to it than Super White. But again, these two are very similar to each other.
Grab the Samplize sample of Super White {HERE}
Chantilly Lace vs. Decorators White
Decorator’s White is a long-time favorite of many for cabinets and trim but is a great option for walls too. When looking at Chantilly Lace vs. Decorator’s White (OC-149) you can probably see what the biggest difference is – Decorator’s White isn’t as bright of a white. Also, when they’re side by side you can see that Decorator’s White has a touch more of a gray appearance.
Grab the Samplize sample of Decorator’s White {HERE}
Oxford White vs. Chantilly Lace
Oxford White (CC-30) is a white paint color you don’t hear as much about as the other whites in this post but it’s another beautiful white that’s similar to Chantilly Lace. Comparing Oxford White vs. Chantilly Lace, these two colors are super close in hue (i.e. how yellow or blue they are) but Chantilly Lace is the brighter white of the two.
Grab the Samplize sample of Oxford White {HERE}
That wraps things up! I hope this post wasn’t TMI but I wanted to give you guys all the information I could so you could make the best white paint color choices and save yourself some time, agony, & money!
If you want details on other popular white paint colors, be sure you hop over to read my post on the best white paint for interior walls that has pics of each paint color in real spaces. The end of that post also has tips on how to figure out which white paint color is the best one for your space. Also, if you haven’t seen it already you might want to take a peek at our master bathoom reveal {here} with tons of pics of Chantilly Lace in this space.
Thanks as always for stopping by! Be sure to take a look at my Shop page {here} if you haven’t already since I just added a bunch of great new finds!
Austin says
I’m considering using Chantilly Lace for the trim, ceiling, and walls in our main bathroom. What white paint color and sheen do you recommend for the doors?
Kris Jarrett says
I recommend doing your doors in Chantilly Lace as well in either a satin or semigloss sheen.
Kelly Nielsen says
This is EXACTLY the info I was looking for and needed! Thank you sooo much for saving me time and money (like when I was trying to choose a gray paint some years ago!)
CHANTILLY LACE it is!!
THANK YOUUU!!!
Kelly
Elizabeth Velasquez says
How many coats of a chant illy a lace were required? I want to use this color for our contemporary house but everyone says the coverage is lousy!
Kris Jarrett says
Both Chantilly Lace and Simply White (another favorite of mine) have very little pigment so you’re correct that coverage isn’t as good as for most other colors. We had to do a coat of primer followed by two coats of paint for good coverage (whereas normally if I was painting new drywall or painting over a light color I could get away with just two coats total).
Sarah says
Hi! What color trim and doors did you use with chantilly lace? My husband wants a little contrast but I read that the sheen makes the difference.
Thanks!
Diane says
Hi, doing a bathroom remodel soon. All of the trim on my first floor is Oxford White which I love. The bathroom has no windows. If I painted the bathroom walls Chantilly Lace and the trim Oxford White, would it all blend together?
Thank you!
Lisa says
I wish I read this post earlier
So we chose BM Chantilly lace to paint our entire home but our painter insisted of using Dunn Edwards matched version
The work itself is great but definitely the colour feels too sterile
Unfortunately nothing we can do as it was already very costly
Any suggestions on how to balance make the home look more elegant and less sterile look? Maybe we do few accent walls and any suggestions on neutral colors. We are so disappointed and i totalled understand now your comment about not matching whites
Ana says
This is such a great article and it just gives me the reassurance I needed that Chantilly Lace is the right color for my bathrooms and laundry room. With that said, one question remains: what would be the most appropriate bulb temperature for a bathroom painted with Chantilly Lace?
Shamaila says
Hi the links to the floating shelf isnt working .
Brian says
Hello. What is the stock white that is being mentioned. Is it the same as the OC-151? I put Oxford White on my ceiling with Edgecomb Gray walls and it looks dingy and gray green.
Nikki Capellen says
The majority of my windows are north facing. My walls are Navajo White and I’m doing Chantily Lace on the trim and ceiling. Do you think it will be too cool?
Amanda says
Hello, I want to paint my house in oxford white. But i feel like oxford white is too dark for my ceilings… especially on the kitchen ceiling. Would you recommend Chantilly lace for a kitchen/house ceiling?
Tricia says
Yes Chantilly lace is a nice off white white however as someone who mixes these colors and uses them all the time per my job. Chantilly lace DOES NOT cover well. There is nearly 0 tint in the can which makes you use 3 sometimes 4 coats. And you are better off using straight white from the factory- cause let’s be honest here- you paint a 3×3 on the wall of both Chantilly lace and stock factory white YOU CAN NOT SEE A DIFFERENCE! I do this for a living I’m not just a “designer” playing with computer generated color selecting! Save your time and energy please. I get more complaints about Chantilly lace, simply white, super white, and decorators white then you could imagine! (Not trying to come across as rude, I just wish the whole truth about these colors were told and not the “it looks pretty”)
Mary says
Love this article! We are painting the main areas of our home more uniform and have the all doors and trim the same throughout. We have selected BM White Dove for the wall(eggshell) and ceiling(flat). I am still torn between Chantilly Lace and Super White for the trim. White Dove is a warm white without being too beige. Not sure if the brightness of Chantilly Lace would be too much of a contrast. Would you please share your thoughts? Thank you.
Tricia says
I’d personally stick with stock white or oc-151 for your trim. Not only will it cover better then Chantilly lace (and looks 99.9% similar) it will also be easier to remember your trim color throughout the house for future touch ups.
Maya says
Hi! Great article! I’m curious what you mean by stock white though. Is that the color name (I can’t find it on the Benjamin Moore site), or it is their “stock” white and listed as oc-151??
In general, I’m going through the same above dilemma. Debating White Dove on walls, trim and ceiling (different sheens) or White Dove walls and ceiling with a different trim. OR white dove on walls, with a different matching ceiling and trim. UGH lol. Part of our home gets good light with high ceilings and part of it is low light with low ceilings so a bit of a mishmash. I’m wondering if a brighter/lighter ceiling might be worth investigating. Also, I suppose having a “stock” white trim might be more flexible down the road if I wanted to change things up and experiment with color in individual rooms (rather than White Dove trim). Would love any thoughts. Thanks!
Anonymous says
Is the stock white and
oc -151 Benjamin Moore?
Thank you
Pam says
I am so confused. I have several white Samplize samples but still can’t make a decision on a white. I am doing a basement with no natural light. The walls are going to be Balboa Mist (a light greige), but I can’t decide between Chantilly Lace and Super White for the baseboards, trim, and painting a brick wall. I thought I has settled on CL, but am a little concerned it may look too stark.
Julie says
We are planning Chantilly Lace for all cabinetry and trim. Countertops in kitchen will be a black/gray leathered granite. Ceiling is high vault and will be wood painted Chantilly lace semi gloss. Flooring is warm medium tone wood. We are considering BM Fossil for walls. What do you think? Thanks!
Kris Jarrett says
I wish I had an easy answer for you but honestly without seeing paint colors in a space along with the tones of the floors, countertops, etc. it’s not possible to give accurate advice.
Julie says
Makes sense. Thanks for answering.
Alli English says
Thank you for this information. How many coats of chantilly lace did you need or do you recommend? Thanks!
Anonymous says
You will need minimum 3 coats of this color. This color doesn’t cover well at all in any version of paint you choose. Ie. BM, SW, Behr, PPG ect.