Reviewing paint color is really fun for me. I love transforming a space and the easiest way to do that is with paint. Today we will be reviewing Benjamin Moore Pale Oak, one of BM’s prettiest neutral paint colors.
This photo above is the gorgeous entryway of A Thoughtful Place. I featured this photo in my post called The Best Warm-Toned or Greige Paint Colors for your Home. It is by far the most asked about. And for good reason, it’s a beautiful color!
*This post contains affiliate links. For more details see my full disclosure.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
I am super excited to dig into the nuts and bolts of Pale Oak and give you all the juicy details on this beautiful paint color.
What is the LRV of Pale Oak?
In case you haven’t checked out my other paint color posts, let me tell you what LRV means.
LRV stands for light reflective value which is a scale that measures the amount of light a paint color reflects. The scale is from 0-100 and 0 is the blackest black, with 100 being the whitest white.
Pale Oak has an LRV of 70, which is a very light paint color.
Is Benjamin Moore Pale Oak warm or cool-toned?
Pale Oak is a warm-toned gray paint color. It falls on the greige spectrum. In rooms with little natural light Pale Oak looks more gray but in rooms with tons of natural light it pulls more off white, or creamy.
Some people would even go so far as to say this is a very light taupe color because it leans very much to the beige side of greige.
What are the undertones of Pale Oak?
Most greige paint colors have green undertones, and Pale Oak does as well. What you might notice in some rooms a slight hint of purple or pink.
Don’t worry, not time to freak out at all! Your room will not be purple, but in rooms with little natural light, you might catch a hint of it.
The best way to sample Pale Oak.
You can get a paint sample from the paint store but when you are done you will be left with a small can of paint you can’t use anywhere else. I don’t recommend going this route.
I highly recommend going with Samplize. It’s a company that will mail you a 12×12-inch peel and stick sample of just about any paint color.
You can put it on a wall, look at it over the course of a couple of days then when you decide which one you want you can throw it away. No mess, no fuss and that’s how I like to roll!
Check out Samilize and see if it’s the right fit for you!
What colors go well with Pale Oak?
White Dove is a great warm white paint color to pair with Pale Oak. They have similar undertones which makes them look so well together.
Newburg Green is a stunning dark green with gray hints. I love how well it pairs with the lighter Pale Oak. This would be a fabulous color for cabinetry with the lighter greige on the walls.
Chelsea Gray is a warm gray that falls in the medium to dark range of paint colors. I think they have very similar undertones and that is why they go so well together.
What colors are similar to Pale Oak?
Pale Oak vs. Classic Gray
Classic gray is a bit lighter than Pale Oak and when you put them side by side here you can see the slight purple undertones that are in Pale Oak.
Pale Oak vs. Revere Pewter
These paint colors are so similar, just different lightness. They have very similar undertones but Revere Pewter is definitely a darker color.
Pale Oak vs. Balboa Mist
These two are the most alike in my opinion. I mean look at it! Balboa Mist has just a touch more purple in it than Pale Oak.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Whole Home Color Palette
Get this free whole home color palette for Benjamin Moore Pale Oak and you will also be part of the At Lane and High Community! You will receive weekly newsletters on new posts and you can unsubscribe anytime.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak in real life rooms:
You saw earlier how pretty Pale Oak can look in an entryway. Here are some other rooms painted in Pale Oak and here you will see the way the undertones come out with different light and decor.
In this photo I feel like Pale Oak is a total neutral. I don’t see it pulling one way or the other. This pretty neutral bedroom being all neutral creates such a relaxed feeling.
This transitional family room definitely pulls more gray. One reason is the dark gray furnishings but there also isn’t a flood of natural light. This makes the paint color look more gray than beige.
This mudroom is a great example of how sometimes you will see the slight purple undertones come through. I just love how soft it looks. Makes me wish I had a mudroom!
More Paint Color Posts:
- Sherwin Williams Passive
- Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray
- Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice
- Sherwin Williams Alpaca
- Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
- Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
- Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
- Sherwin Williams Wordly Gray
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist
Conclusion: Benjamin Moore Pale Oak
I hope you learned a bit about Pale Oak today. It really is a gorgeous greige that when used in the right place can make a stunning backdrop for your home decor.
Kat
Monday 23rd of October 2023
Hi. I have high ceiling, skylight and a ton of light. Concerned about the color reading too yellow. I don’t like yellow tones. In the room I have some red brick walls and wood floors that read a bit orange. What are your thoughts?
atlaneandhigh
Tuesday 24th of October 2023
Hi Kat. If there is a lot of red and orange than the yellows will likely show more since they are right next to them on the color wheel. You might want to choose something on the opposite side with more blue undertones. I would go with a cooler color or one that can read both ways depending on the time of day. I really like Benjamin Moore Classic Gray. I would give that one a look and see what you think. Good luck!
Josephine
Wednesday 25th of January 2023
Hi I’m painting my kitchen and would love the paint to update the look of my 2008 Tuscan style looking kitchen! My cabinets are a creamy white. Definitely more creamy. I am leaning toward a light color . Hoping the color and changing the hardware and lightening might help update my kitchen. I was looking at the color Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore . I’ve used it before. Not sure about how it would work with my cabinets. Thanks for your input
atlaneandhigh
Monday 30th of January 2023
Hi Josephine! I think Pale Oak would look amazing with creamy cabinets! You should totally go for it.
Noreen
Sunday 25th of September 2022
Hi The walls in my guest room are pale oak and the trim is white dove both by Benjamin Moore. I am looking for a paint color for the walls in the connecting bathroom. The cabinet is white and so is the tile in the shower. The floors are terazzo tile that have mostly whites, tan and a very little touch of grey and gold. The tiles are probably 40 years old, 8 X 8"
atlaneandhigh
Monday 26th of September 2022
Hi Noreen. It would be easy to take Pale Oak and continue it into the bathroom. If you want to brighten it up then use White Dove. However, if you are looking for some contrast then maybe go with a navy blue or a green. Since the floors have tan and touches of gray and gold I think a greenish gray would look really good. I hope that helps.
linda holtzman
Thursday 23rd of June 2022
I was wondering how pale oak would be on the walls in the bathroom.The tile on the floor is called east beige . Its a taupe. My countertop countertop is quartz called porticio cream. Thinking about using pale oak on walls and revere pewter on cabinets. another choice would be balbora mist on walls with extra white on ceiling and collingwood on cabinets.
atlaneandhigh
Friday 24th of June 2022
Hi Linda. Sounds like you have a good plan for your bathroom. Either option would be amazing. I suggest you get a swatch of pale oak and balboa mist and compare them next to your fixed features, the countertops and tile. I think if you look at them over the course of a couple of days you will have a winner.