Are you on the hunt for the perfect neutral paint color that is light and airy yet warmer than white, with just a slight hint of color and depth to make it interesting? This may just be the color you are looking for! I’ll explain in this review why I love it so much, and have a feeling you will love it too.
When we moved into our house last year the walls were begging for a fresh coat of paint. All the colors in the home were dated and the walls were worn, so needless to say it was time for a refresh and clean slate! I wanted a color that would feel clean and brighten up the space, yet still warm and inviting without feeling too white and sterile. I also wanted a color that played well with others, because ultimately I was going to paint the same color in several rooms of the home.
I made a trip to Benjamin Moore and brought home a bunch of sample swatches. I moved them around the house exploring different lighting and direction, and placed them against flooring, furniture and colors of my decor to make sure they could all go together in harmony. This helped me narrow it down to a few options. Of course there was a lot of overthinking involved in the process, but it was a big decision and I wanted to get it done right the first time around. Realistically the decision wasn’t that hard, as I kept going back to the Pale Oak OC-20 swatch and loved how it looked against the color tones in my home. I went back to Benjamin Moore and bought a small paint sample so I could physically see it painted and dried on the walls in a few different spaces. This gave me the confidence to pull the trigger and get a 5 gallon bucket of it and just go for it. I started in the living room, loved the result and kept going. It is now throughout the majority of the home!
Pale Oak OC-20 is a very neutral, light taupe color, in between a grey and beige. It is light enough to give an airy and bright feel to a space, but also has a hint of color to give some warmth and depth. Typically, taupe is a color I try to avoid as it reminds me of colors from the previous decade, but fear not this one feels very clean and modern, with subtle taupe undertones that are not overpowering! It is also neither too cool or warm toned, just an overall great neutral.
It has an LRV (light reflective value) of 68.64, which is on the lighter range of the scale that goes from 1 to 100, 1 being black and 100 being pure white. It can look like a creamy white in a room with a lot of natural light, or like a light warm grey in a room with less light. The direction of the light can also make a difference in how the color is perceived. In my experience with painting this color in several rooms that have varied lighting and rooms that face different directions, I haven’t found this to be an issue and have been very happy with how it looks in all areas of the home.
Colors in the home can also change how paint is perceived. For example, Pale Oak can show some subtle peach undertones when next to oranges or reds in certain lighting, so keep that in mind when choosing. I have earthy, warm tones in my home like greens, blues, browns, whites and blacks, which tend to pull more of the grey out of the paint color which I like. For my ceilings and trim I used the paint color Chantilly Lace also by Benjamin Moore, which is a bright white with the slightest warm undertones, making it the perfect crisp yet cozy white and compliments the Pale Oak so well!
While I would recommend this color to anyone, I encourage you to sample it in your space first as paint colors can show differently in various settings and surrounding colors, etc. I’m glad I did the research first and thoroughly explored the paint samples before diving into my project. Colors can look good on the screen or on a swatch and then appear very different painted on the wall. Don’t rush through the process and make sure you are confident in your color choice before spending the money and putting in the time!
Thanks for following along, I hope you found value in this review and best of luck on your painting journey!
Xoxo,
