In the world of white paint colors, Benjamin Moore Cloud White has been very popular for a very long time. It’s no wonder, it’s a gorgeous creamy white paint color that is a real stunner! I always recommend this color to my clients when they are looking for something light, bright, and yet cozy.
There is no doubt that white has become the go-to color of late. Gray is still very popular but whites are all the rage. Light and bright is pretty standard with the occasional dark and moody bedroom or dining room for contrast and interest.
Whites have become so popular but did you know there are a zillion different shades? Just like gray, you can get caught up in all the different nuances of undertones and brightness. So today we will discuss everything you need to know about Benjamin Moore Cloud White.
*This post contains affiliate links. For more details see my full disclosure.
Is Benjamin Moore Cloud White a warm or cool white?
There are two types of white paint colors, cool and warm. Cloud White sits on the warm side of things without being too yellow.
It’s very creamy and gives a room a very cozy feel without being stark.
What are the undertones of Cloud White?
Cloud White has yellow undertones with a neutral base. That neutral base is rooted in taupe. Now the yellow undertones are very subtle.
If for some reason your walls look yellow when you paint them this color then it’s the wrong color for you.
It’s these yellow undertones that make it a warm white paint color. Warm whites are very popular and of them, all Cloud White definitely is a stand-out!
Will Cloud White look too yellow in my room?
Now if you paint your walls in Cloud White and your trim in a cool-toned white color then you will definitely see the yellow undertones more. Also if your room is south-facing the warm southern sunshine will make the yellow stand out more.
However, the warmth in the paint color works really well in a north-facing room that has that bright white sunshine coming in. It really warms up a room and keeps it from feeling too stark.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White LRV
LRV stands for Light Reflective Value. It’s a scale from 0-100 measuring the amount of light a paint color reflects. Zero being the darkest black and 100 being the brightest white.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White is a very light and bright paint color. It’s LRV is 85.5, which is really high on the scale.
How Light Affects Cloud White
The direction of natural light a room receives can make a big difference in how a paint color can look. Undertones can look different in different lights.
- North-facing rooms have a light that tends to be a little cooler in nature and will come off slightly blue. Light colors will be a bit more muted or washed out while darker colors will be stunning.
- East-facing rooms will have brighter light in the morning and less in the evenings. The evening light will be a bit cooler. In the morning with sunrise, the bright sun will be warm. Warm color palettes are great for these spaces because they will help balance the cool feel of the evenings.
- South-facing rooms have consistent warm light throughout the day. The light really shows off the colors, dark will be very bright, and light colors will shine. Both warm and cool color palettes look good in a south-facing room.
- West-facing rooms have warm light in the evening and cooler light in the morning. Basically, it’s the opposite of east-facing.
The warm bright light from the south will bring out the taupe undertones. Conversely the cool bright northern light will wash out the paint color and make it seem lighter and brighter. This can also happen in both east and western lights depending on the time of day.
How to know if a paint color is right for you?
The best way to judge if a color is good for you then you will want to put a swatch on the wall and look at it over a few days. Look at it in different lights and decide if you really like it.
You can do this by getting a sample from the paint store and using a brush put it up on the walls, but then you are left with a can that you can’t do anything with. Those samples are used with poor quality paint and aren’t meant for use on your walls permanently.
I recommend going with Samplize. They are a company that will send you a 12X12 peel and stick swatch of a paint color that you can stick to the wall. When you are done just peel it off and throw it away.
It’s easy and much less messy!
Benjamin Moore Cloud White Whole Home Color Palette
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Where to use Cloud White
Cloud White is a wonderful color that can be used as a whole home paint color. Specifically I love to use it in these rooms:
- Kitchen Cabinets
- Basements
- Bedrooms
- Bathrooms
- Trim and Architecture
- Family Rooms
I would stay away from using it on the exterior, it’s far too bright. And I would stay away from pairing it with cool blues as well as cool white paint colors.
Cloud White in a Kitchen
What I love about this kitchen is how Kylie M. Interiors painted everything with Cloud White but used different sheens to create a different look for the walls and trim/cabinetry.
This is perfect when you are trying to use the same color throughout but would like a slight contrast. Using a satin or flat paint on the walls then a semi-gloss on trim/cabinetry is the perfect way to have everything go together but still show off as slightly different.
Another thing I love about this photo is how the warm whites pair with the cool tones in the island. They aren’t competing at all, just pair together nicely.
Cloud White in a Family Room
Kris over at Driven By Decor is one of my favorite bloggers. I have followed her for years! She remade her family room for the One Room Challenge and took the walls from red to this gorgeous Cloud White. I love how everything from the walls to the ceiling to the bookshelves just flow so seamlessly together.
Cloud White looks so good with the warm tones in the floors and furniture as well. This room she created is so calming and restful now.
Cloud White in a Bathroom
This stunning bathroom incorporates the cool tones of the marble tile with the warmth of the paint color in Benjamin Moore Cloud White. Doing this creates a bathroom that not only has style and sophistication but the warmth in the paint keeps the room from feeling too cold and institutional.
This is such a pretty bathroom, it’s exactly what I would want in my own home!
Cloud White in a Basement
Here in this basement bathroom, you can see how lovely Cloud White is on the walls. Even in dark spaces you can see how it isn’t yellow but the taupe tones really show.
I love it with the gold accents and warm decor.
Cloud White in a Bedroom
What colors go well with Benjamin Moore Cloud White?
Other white paint colors that are good to go with Cloud White are clean whites and creamy whites. Stay away from cool whites though. They don’t go well with Cloud White.
Darker colors such as black look amazing with Cloud White, as well as dark wood tones.
Bright colors also look great! Especially using Cloud White as a back drop for colorful artwork.
Warm finishes and warmer decor pair nicely with Cloud White.
What is the best white trim color to pair with Cloud White?
Personally, when using Benjamin Moore Cloud White I like to use it on the walls, ceiling, and trim. The way to differentiate the three is through the use of different sheens.
I would use a flat paint on the ceiling, satin or eggshell on the walls, then a semi-gloss on the trim or any type of architectural feature (such as a fireplace mantel or wainscotting).
Now if you really want to use something different then take a look at Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace or Oxford White. They are great colors to pair with Cloud White.
Color Comparisons
Let’s Compare some similar colors to Benjamin Moore Cloud White so you can see the differences between them.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White vs. Simply White
There are two main differences between Cloud White and Simply White. One of them is the LRV. Simply White has an LRV of 91.7 and Cloud White sits at 87.35. This means that Simply White is brighter than Cloud White.
In case you haven’t read my other paint color posts, the LRV stands for Light Reflective Value. It’s a scale of 0-100 with 100 being the brightest white and 0 being the darkest black.
The other difference between them is Simply White has slight green undertones as well as yellow. So if you have a room with tons of trees outside the green undertones will shine through more. Cloud White has no green undertones.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White vs. White Dove
There are also two main differences between Cloud White and White Dove. Starting with LRV, White Dove is slightly lower than Cloud White at 85.38. (Remember Cloud White sits at 87.35.)
The other difference is White Dove has a base of gray in the undertones which keeps it from being as creamy of a white as Cloud White is.
Cloud White vs. Swiss Coffee
Swiss Coffee is a gorgeous off white paint color but it differs from Cloud White in one major way. It has some green undertones and Cloud White does not.
Swiss Coffee is also a tad darker with an LRV of 84 while Cloud White sits at 85.5. It is only slightly darker.
Cloud White vs. Decorator’s White
Decorator’s White is a gorgeous bright white paint color. It doesn’t have yellow undertones, it’s more on the cooler side.
Decorator’s White has an LRV of 84.61 which makes it slightly darker than Cloud White that sits at 85.5, but only slightly.
Cloud White vs. Sherwin Williams Alabaster
Alabaster is darker than Cloud White. It’s LRV is 82 while Cloud White’s is a 85.5. Alabaster also has more yellow undertones. On walls it can look much more yellow than Cloud White.
Cloud White vs. Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
Both Cloud White and Greek Villa have taupe undertones but Cloud White has a bit more yellow. Greek Villa is also a bit darker. It’s LRV is 84 while Cloud White sits at 85.5.
What is the Sherwin Williams Equivalent to Benjamin Moore Cloud White?
There no equivalents between paint manufacturers but if you want something that is extremely similar then I urge you to take a look at Pure White and Alabaster. Those two are the closest.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White Recap:
Let’s go through all the details of Cloud White
- Has an LRV of 85.5 which makes it a pretty bright paint color.
- Has yellow undertones with it’s base as taupe.
- It’s a warm white paint color.
- Very popularly used on walls, cabinets, trim, architecture, and ceilings.
- Similar Sherwin Williams colors are Alabaster and Pure White.
- Other Benjamin Moore colors that are similar are White Dove and Simply White.
I think this is a gorgeous white paint color and if you do your due diligence by testing samples in your home ahead of time I think you will find that this color will work for you!
Other White Paint Posts You Might Like:
- Sherwin Williams Nebulous White
- Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- The 10 Best White Paint Colors for Kitchen Cabinets
- Benjamin Moore Decorators White
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin Williams Alabaster
As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.