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Benjamin Moore White Dove: Everything You Need To Know!

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White Dove OC-17 By Benjamin Moore

If you’ve been doing some (or a LOT of) research on white paint, then you may have noticed that Benjamin Moore’s White Dove pops up quite a lot. I’ve seen several claims about White Dove being the perfect shade of white… it’s definitely one of the most popular white paints out there! So let’s talk about it today, and answer all your burning questions!

White Dove is one of BM’s best selling colors and is part of their popular OC collection. According to the Benjamin Moore website, “Unerring style defines this clean and classic white.” Admittedly, not a whoooole lot of info there, but we can deduce that it’s a dependable white that will work in a variety of situations. White Dove is a mostly neutral color with warm and creamy undertones of yellow and grey.

TIP → You may see White Dove OC-17 also referred to as White Dove PM-19. Confused? Don’t blame ya! The different letters just indicate the color collection. “OC” is the Off-White Collection and “PM” is The Premium Mix Collection. Same color, different collection.

What’s The Light Reflectance Value (LRV) Of White Dove?

First things first, Benjamin Moore White Dove has a LRV of 85.38. If you’re not familiar with light reflectance value, just remember that the higher the value, the more light it reflects. 0 is black, 100 is white. So 85 LRV is high, yes, but not blindingly so.

benjamin moore white dove paint LRV

Is White Dove By Benjamin Moore Cool or Warm?

White Dove is classified as a warm white. This is because of its subtle yellow undertones, which are mixed with a hint of grey.

What Are The Undertones Of White Dove?

Now that we know what the LRV is, let’s chat about Benjamin Moore White Dove undertones.

But wait, what are undertones, I hear literally no-one say?

Undertones are the subtle color that comes through a paint color. We should always be aware of them when we’re picking out a white paint so that we’re not ending up with unexpected results. I will need to write a more in depth post about this at some point. Maybe.

BM White Dove has a very subtle gray undertone which is why designers turn to it when they want a warm, creamy off-white, that doesn’t go yellow. Apparently the grey in White Dove helps counter the yellow, but, this depends so much on everything else that’s going on in a room.

Does Benjamin Moore White Dove Look Yellow?

white dove on bright kitchen cabinets
Kitchen cabinets: Benjamin Moore White Dove. Ivory Lane

This question comes up quite a lot. I’ve actually read several stories about people who chose White Dove, (after sampling it!!) and then were horrified to find that it looked full-on yellow after having the entire house painted. Yep, it can be frustrating!

But don’t let that scare you – how ANY paint looks will ultimately depend on several factors such as:

  • natural and artificial light in your room
  • any OTHER existing paint or large colored surfaces in the room (ie ceiling color, floor color)
  • other furnishings in the space
  • things outside
  • your room’s exposure
  • time of day
  • season
  • paint sheen

Etc, etc, etc!

So… it’s hard to say exactly how White Dove will look in YOUR home (or any paint color for that matter).

The best 3 things you can do are:

1 → buy a sample pot and test it in your space in various locations before committing to painting an entire room!
2 → paint LARGE swatches! And if that’s not possible, paint a large piece of poster board with your sample, and move the painted board around your space to observe how the color reacts to your space. You can also buy large stick on samples of the colors you like instead of messing around with paint pots through places like Samplize, or Hello Paint, if you’re in Canada.
3 → it’s always useful to read other people’s reviews and look at their photos to see what they are saying about their experience with it. Below I’ve included several links to lots of different people who have written extensively about using WD in their homes, so that should get you started!

Why is White Dove So Popular?

Aside from the fact that it’s a beautiful, clean yet cozy white paint, I think there are a few reasons why White Dove is so popular.

It’s easy to get fatigued pretty quick when you start to look at white paint options. There are TOO many, lol! Rather than pulling your hair out looking at 2 million different white paint swatches and getting nowhere, it’s much easier to consider one that already has a good reputation!

It’s been tried and tested and recommended by many designers, and when this happens, people feel more confident about using it in their own homes.

Another reason WD can be a good option is because it works in so many different rooms and settings – this could be great for example for someone who just wants to keep things simple and pick a single color to use throughout a large space.

Is White Dove Too White for walls?

white dove shiplap on walls and ceiling in living room
Shiplap in White Dove. Christine Markatos Lowe

The answer is generally no, White Dove isn’t “too white” for walls. One of the reasons White Dove is so loved as an off white paint color is because it’s considered to be a soft white. It’s definitely not what you’d call a blindingly bright white paint, or a stark white paint. White Dove performs great in rooms that receive a lot of light, but also in rooms that do not receive a lot of light. Clearly, in a room that receives more natural light, such as a room with a south facing exposure, the paint will appear much brighter, however it takes the light well.

How Does White Dove Compare To Other Popular Whites?

Now let’s take a look at how Benjamin Moore White Dove compares to some other popular white paint colors. I’ll show you swatches side by side, which I think really helps to illustrate the differences between each shade. Of course I always recommend getting a sample pot to test in your own space too! Computer monitors and phone screen colors can be all over the place so it’s always best to check paint out with your own eyeballs.

White Dove versus Cloud White

benjamin moore white dove compared to benjamin moore cloud white

White Dove and Cloud White are both warm white paints. Cloud White is a touch brighter and has a bit more yellow to it. However Cloud White is not quite as bright as Simply White, which is compared below.

White Dove versus Simply White

benjamin moore white dove compared to benjamin moore simply white

White Dove and Simply White are both warm white paints. They’re very similar with their undertones and so they pair very nicely together. Simply White is brighter than White Dove. It’s hard to spot that slight brightness difference, but as you can see above, it becomes obvious when you hold the two swatches one over the other!

Read my in-depth post about Simply White here!

White Dove versus Alabaster

benjamin moore white dove swatch compared to sherwin williams alabaster

Many people have claimed that Sherwin Williams Alabaster is the closest match to White Dove that currently exists. I’m not sure I agree as when you put the two swatches side by side, the difference to me is quite obvious. That being said I haven’t tried the two paints in real life side by side. You might want to. If your painter only uses using Sherwin Williams, rather than having them try to match White Dove with a Sherwin Williams paint, you could try Alabaster instead. Different paint manufacturers use different white bases so color matching isn’t always very accurate.

White Dove versus Dove Wing

Dove Wing is just one shade darker than White Dove – White Dove is 0C-17 and Dove Wing is 0C-18 and as you can see, they’re right next to each other on the the paint color strip:

benjamin moore white dove compared to benjamin moore dove wing

White Dove versus Dover White versus Dove White

Different paint manufacturers will often use very similar, even sometimes identical names, so it can get really C-O-N-F-U-S-I-N-G! I have heard of several people who thought they were buying White Dove by Benjamin Moore but accidentally ended up buying another Dove-named paint by a whole other manufacturer. It happens! So let me quickly just compare some other Dove-named paints for you so you can be 100% sure you’re buying the right one! Check out the graphic below to see swatch comparisons.

  • Dover White by Sherwin Williams is a lot more cream
  • Valspar Dove White is a close match to White Dove, at least when comparing swatches
  • Glidden Dove White is a cool white
benjamin moore white dove compared to other dove named paints from other manufacturers

What Colors Work Well with White Dove?

Here are some tried and true paint combinations you could try if you’re using BM White Dove. I included both suggested white pairings and color pairings.

White Dove + Simply White
White Dove + Chantilly Lace
White Dove + Balboa Mist
White Dove + Revere Pewter
White Dove + Northampton Putty
White Dove + Sea Haze
White Dove + Kendall Charcoal

benjamin moore white dove paint pairings with other popular colors

Is White Dove A Good Paint Color For Trim?

Absolutely! White Dove is one of the best trim colors and definitely one worth considering. Check out the photo below which shows walls painted with Alabaster and trim with White Dove – just one lovely example of many that you can find online:

Even if your walls are already painted in White Dove, you could use WD on the trim as well. Just use a slightly shinier sheen on your trim (and doors if you’re doing them) and it will look amazing!

And in case you’re wondering whether White Dove is a good choice for your exterior, check out these beautiful homes which chose this versatile white paint for their exteriors!

Other people’s opinions on White Dove!

Finally, here are some folks online who have written extensive and very useful posts about their experience with White Dove and how it basically became the paint of their dreams. I love posts like these because not only are they super informative, but you can see the paint color in a variety of different rooms and interiors.

More Paint Guides you may enjoy:

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One Comment

  1. What white color would work with White Dove cabinets and trim if I want a slight contrast to the White Dove?