You’ve been staring at those tiny 2x2 paper swatches for three days. Your eyes are crossing. Every "white" starts looking like a different shade of oatmeal or, worse, a hospital hallway. If you’re hunting for a crisp, breathable white that doesn't turn your living room into a yellow-tinted butter tub, you’ve probably stumbled across Lily White Benjamin Moore.
It’s not as famous as White Dove. It doesn’t get the "influencer" treatment that Chantilly Lace receives. Honestly, that’s why it works. Lily White (2128-70) is a bit of a secret weapon for people who want a space to feel genuinely airy without the sterile "operating room" vibes.
What Is Lily White Benjamin Moore, Anyway?
Technically, it’s part of Benjamin Moore’s Color Preview collection. It isn't a "true" white like a bucket of base primer. Instead, it’s a crisp, optic white that’s been very lightly kissed by blue and gray undertones.
Think of it like a piece of high-quality stationary. It’s bright, but it has enough "body" to it that it doesn't just disappear into the ceiling.
The Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is 79.66. If you aren't a paint nerd, here is the breakdown: 0 is absolute black and 100 is pure, blinding white. At nearly 80, Lily White is high on the scale. It reflects a ton of light. But since it isn’t a 90+ LRV, it has enough pigment to actually look like a color on your walls rather than just a lack of color.
The Undertone Trap
Most people fail their paint projects because they ignore undertones. You pick a white, put it on the wall, and suddenly it looks pink because of your rug or yellow because of the sunset.
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Lily White Benjamin Moore leans cool. Those blue and gray undertones mean it stays "chilly." In a room with north-facing light—which is already naturally bluish and weak—Lily White is going to look like a very, very pale, icy gray. In a south-facing room with tons of warm sun, those blue undertones act as a stabilizer. They "cancel out" the yellow sun rays, leaving you with a balanced, neutral white.
Why This Color Actually Matters for Your Reno
Choosing a white paint feels low-stakes until you've spent $400 on gallons and realized your house looks like a giant marshmallow.
Lily White is for the person who hates "cream." If you have cool-toned marble countertops, slate floors, or navy blue furniture, a warm white like Simply White is going to look dirty next to them. It'll look like you tried to match the whites and failed. Lily White, however, plays perfectly with those cool elements.
I’ve seen it used in bathrooms where there is a lot of chrome and white porcelain. It makes the space feel sterile in a good way—clean, fresh, and bright.
Stop Comparing It to White Dove
White Dove is the "safe" choice everyone recommends. It has a hint of gold and gray. It’s "creamy."
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Lily White is the opposite. While White Dove wants to give you a hug, Lily White wants to give you a glass of ice water. It’s sharper. If your home has a lot of modern lines, black accents, or "scandi-chic" decor, Lily White is significantly better than the warmer alternatives.
How Lighting Changes Everything
Light is the ultimate liar in interior design.
- North-Facing Rooms: These rooms get cool, consistent light. Lily White will look most "blue" here. If you want a cozy, warm cave, do not use this color in a north-facing room. It will feel cold.
- South-Facing Rooms: This is where the magic happens. The intense, yellow-orange glow of the sun hits the blue-gray base of Lily White and neutralizes it. It ends up looking like a "perfect" white that isn't too warm or too cool.
- East/West Light: Expect a transition. It might look crisp and white in the morning (East) and then take on a slightly more "shadowy" gray look in the evening.
Real-World Pairings
Don't just slap this on the walls and call it a day. You have to pair it right.
Because it’s a cool white, it looks incredible with:
- Navy Blues: Like Benjamin Moore’s Evening Dove.
- Cool Grays: Think Stonington Gray or Wickham Gray.
- Pure Black: High-contrast black hardware (faucets, door handles) makes Lily White pop.
For trim, most designers actually suggest using Lily White on both the walls and the trim, just in different sheens. Put Eggshell on the walls and Semi-Gloss on the trim. This creates a "monochromatic" look that makes the ceilings feel ten feet tall because there isn't a hard visual line where the wall ends and the trim begins.
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What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake? Treating Lily White like a "neutral" white. It isn't. It is a cool white.
If you have a lot of warm wood furniture—think honey oak or cherry—Lily White might look a bit "off." The blue in the paint will clash with the orange in the wood. In that specific scenario, you’d be better off with something like Swiss Coffee or even a more neutral "true" white like Chantilly Lace.
Also, don't trust the digital "dollop" on the Benjamin Moore website. Your computer screen is backlit; your drywall isn't. Digital swatches are notoriously misleading.
Actionable Next Steps
Before you commit to five gallons of Lily White Benjamin Moore, do these three things:
- Order a Samplize sheet: These are peel-and-stick samples made with real paint. They’re way better than the little pots because you don't have to clean a brush, and you can move them from wall to wall.
- Check your lightbulbs: If you have "Warm White" bulbs (2700K), Lily White will look weird. Switch to "Cool White" or "Daylight" bulbs (3500K-4000K) to see the color's true intent.
- Look at your "fixed" elements: Your flooring and countertops aren't changing. Hold the sample against your floor. If the floor looks "orange" next to the paint, keep looking. If the floor looks "crisp" or "neutral," you’ve found a winner.
Paint is a tool, not just a decoration. Lily White is a tool for brightening, cooling, and modernizing. It’s for the person who wants their home to feel like a fresh start every single morning.