You’ve finally narrowed it down. You’ve stared at a thousand tiny swatches until your eyes crossed, and you’ve landed on the heavyweight champion of "white" paint. Benjamin Moore Simply White (OC-117). It’s the darling of Pinterest. It was the 2016 Color of the Year. Designers talk about it like it’s liquid gold.
But here is the thing: Simply White isn’t actually "simply" white.
If you slap this on your walls thinking it’s a blank, neutral slate, you might be in for a rude awakening at 4:00 PM when your living room suddenly looks like a tub of melted vanilla ice cream.
The Yellow Elephant in the Room
Let’s be real. Benjamin Moore Simply White undertones are yellow.
There is no way around it. It is a warm white, which means it has a sunny, cheerful base. Honestly, that’s why people love it. It feels cozy. It feels like a hug. But because it has such a high Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of 89.52, it mimics a "true" white in bright, midday sun.
That’s the trap.
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In a room flooded with natural light, it looks crisp. You’ll think you’ve achieved that gallery-white aesthetic. But the moment the sun dips or you turn on a warm 2700K LED bulb, that yellow undertone wakes up. It’s not "banana" yellow, but it’s definitely there, adding a soft, creamy glow that can lean slightly buttery in dark corners.
The Surprising "Green" Shift
Hardly anyone talks about this, but Simply White is actually closer to the green-yellow family on the color wheel than many other popular whites.
Why does that matter?
If you have a big, lush backyard with massive trees right outside your window, Simply White can act like a mirror. It picks up the green from the foliage and reflects it back onto your walls. I’ve seen homeowners go crazy trying to figure out why their "white" walls look slightly swampy in the afternoon. It’s not the paint’s fault; it’s the undertone playing off the environment.
If you’re worried about this, compare it to White Dove (OC-17). White Dove has a bit of gray in it, which "muddies" the color just enough to stop it from reacting so wildly to outside greenery. Simply White is much more "pure" in its pigment, making it a bit of a diva when it comes to its surroundings.
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Lighting: The Make or Break Factor
Lighting doesn't just "affect" this paint; it dictates what color it actually is.
- North-Facing Rooms: This is the danger zone. North light is cool and bluish. When that blue light hits the yellow undertones of Simply White, they can sometimes cancel each other out, making the paint look like a clean, balanced white. Or, in some cases, it can look a bit dingy if there isn't enough light to support that high LRV.
- South-Facing Rooms: Here, the paint is in its glory. The warm, golden sun emphasizes the yellow base, making the room feel incredibly inviting.
- Artificial Light: If you use "soft white" bulbs, you are doubling down on the yellow. If you want it to look like the photos you see on Instagram, you probably want "Daylight" or 3000K-3500K bulbs.
Why Your Painter Might Hate It
Here is a bit of "insider" info you won't find on the official Benjamin Moore brochures.
Simply White is notoriously difficult to work with because it has low hide.
Because it’s so bright and has so little "black" or "gray" pigment to weigh it down, it’s thin. If you’re trying to cover a dark beige or a gray wall with Simply White, you are looking at three coats. Minimum. Sometimes four if you’re using a lower-grade line of paint.
Professional painters on forums like Reddit often complain that Simply White "runs" or shows brush marks more than colors like Cloud White or Swiss Coffee. If you're doing this yourself, don't skip the primer. Seriously. Use a high-quality primer even if your paint says "paint and primer in one." It will save you a mental breakdown on coat number three.
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Comparing the "Big Three" Whites
People usually get stuck between Simply White, White Dove, and Chantilly Lace. Here is the quick and dirty breakdown:
- Chantilly Lace (OC-65): The "truest" white. It has almost no undertones. It’s crisp, it’s clean, but it can feel cold and clinical in a room without a lot of texture.
- Simply White (OC-117): The "warm" white. It’s brighter than White Dove but warmer than Chantilly Lace. It’s the middle ground that glows.
- White Dove (OC-17): The "creamy" white. It has more gray and a lower LRV (around 85), which makes it feel more "lived-in" and traditional. It’s safer for trim if you’re worried about things looking too "stark."
How to Avoid a Color Disaster
If you’re set on Simply White, you need to test it against your "fixed" elements.
Check your countertops. If you have Carrara marble with cool, blue-gray veining, Simply White’s yellow undertone might clash. The marble will look blue, and the cabinets will look yellow. It’s not a good vibe.
However, if you have warm wood floors—think oak or walnut—Simply White is magic. The warmth in the wood pulls the warmth out of the paint, creating a seamless, high-end look.
Actionable Next Steps
- Buy a Samplize sheet: Don't paint a small square on a dark wall. Get a large peel-and-stick sample and move it around the room at different times of the day.
- Check your trim: If you aren't painting your trim, check what color it is now. If your trim is a cool, stark white, Simply White walls will look definitely yellow next to them. Most designers recommend painting the walls and trim the same color (Simply White) but in different sheens (Flat for walls, Satin or Semi-gloss for trim) to avoid this.
- Verify your bulbs: Switch your lightbulbs to 3000K before you decide you hate the color. It’s an $8 fix that can change the entire look of the room.
- Prime first: If you're painting over anything darker than a very light tan, use a dedicated white primer to help the Simply White achieve its true brightness in fewer coats.