So, you’ve picked Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee but are unsure if you should go ahead with it. If you’ve never seen it used, Swiss Coffee may look a little less white than you envisage. But it is one of the best and most popular white paint colors for a reason.
There’s so much I want to show you about Swiss Coffee that I’m bursting at the seams with excitement. It’s such a sweet and versatile color for interiors and exteriors, so sit back and enjoy this ride as you learn all about BM Swiss Coffee.
Table of Contents
When to Choose Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
You may already know where you want to use this paint color. However, if you are stuck looking for ideas for putting Swiss Coffee to great use, here are some to consider.
Looking for a white color that doesn’t sacrifice color?
Swiss Coffee performs well as a white paint color that doesn’t sacrifice color. Its undertone keeps it from being stark or cold, so you are getting many advantages in one color.
Aiming for a cozy vibe?
As a warm white, Swiss Coffee turns a simple room into a cozy haven, and you don’t even need to do much else.
Not enough natural light?
With a high LRV, Swiss Coffee doesn’t need a lot of light to shine. If you don’t have enough natural light in a room, this paint color is one of the best options to keep it from looking drab.
Unsure of your decor style?
Swiss Coffee works well in any decor style, whether it’s a farmhouse or a chic modern one. You can even use it in a transitional space because of its versatility.
Keep your eyes glued to this page because Swiss Coffee has much more to offer, even if you’ve found answers already. I also have real pictures to show you to see how the color performs in a room.
What Color Is Swiss Coffee?
There is something called Swiss coffee, which is a type of coffee that combines taste and quality. While other coffee types may also brag about these two attributes, Swiss coffee excels above them because it’s a culture that manufacturers are careful to maintain.
There’s nothing ordinary about it, especially when it comes to excellence, craftsmanship, and precision.
Like Swiss coffee with milk, this paint color is smooth, creamy, and excellent. You just want to run your hands over the color because of how it draws you in with its creaminess and soft glow. Little wonder it’s so popular with designers and homeowners.
Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee OC-45 is an off-white paint color with a soft glow and warmth that speak volumes. It pairs well with golden tones, green, yellow, gray, beige, cream, and other colors.
A Snapshot of the Specifications of Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
What makes Swiss Coffee special? Its uniqueness is in the specific characteristics, such as its LRV and undertone. This chart details them, and I’ll explain them as we go on.
| Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee | |
| RGB | 238, 236, 225 |
| LRV | 81.91 |
| Undertone | Yellow, green |
| HEX Code | #EEECE1 |
The LRV of Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
LRV means the light reflectance value of color and refers to the amount of light the color reflects on a scale of 0 to 100. The higher the value goes, the whiter the color becomes, and the lower it goes, the darker the color becomes.
For paint colors, the scale is a little different. These colors are checked on a scale of 2.5 to 94 because they don’t have true whites or blacks. In other words, you won’t find a paint color with an LRV lower than 2.5 or higher than 94 as of today.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee has an LRV of 81.91, almost 82. While it’s not high enough to make it a pure white paint color, it sure is enough to make it one of the brighter whites in the market.
The Undertones of Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee
This is, perhaps, the most important characteristic of Swiss Coffee and every other paint color. Undertones can completely change the shade of any color, depending on the surrounding environments and lighting conditions.
Swiss Coffee doesn’t stick to one undertone. It looks creamy, which means it has a yellow base. Therefore, it shows a slightly yellow undertone. However, this undertone can switch to green in certain lighting. At other times, you may notice a smidge of gray.
Here is Swiss in its true state, showing little or no undertone.
Now, here is Swiss Coffee showing a bit of yellow, especially when contrasted against the brighter white of the ceiling.
The paint color shows a little gray on this beautiful seven-drawer dresser. Swiss Coffee doesn’t usually show this side, so it may not be common.
If you love green or have a green thumb, Swiss Coffee blends well with the color because of its undertone. No, it doesn’t pick up vibrant hues.
Does Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Look Yellow?
The question should be whether or not it looks too yellow. Because of the yellow base, Swiss Coffee tends to take on a slightly yellow tint, especially in warm lighting. However, it’s not overwhelmingly yellow.
The paint color is more likely to look cream or white in most cases. Keep cool colors away from it, especially cool whites, because they make Swiss Coffee look too yellow.
Does Lighting Affect Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee?
Lighting is the biggest factor affecting paint colors, whether dark or light. This is obtainable with natural and artificial light. Swiss Coffee can look different in natural lighting than it does in artificial ones.
This room combines artificial lighting with natural, and Swiss Coffee looks creamy with a hint of green.
The color looks a little less bright in this next picture because there’s not as much natural light as there is in the previous photo.
But in bright natural light, Swiss Coffee looks almost pure white, with barely a hint of warmth or color.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee: Warm or Cool?
You may already know this, but Swiss Coffee is a warm color because of its yellow base and undertone. It brings a soft warmth and coziness to a room, and you can relax and unwind with it.
If you want a white paint color that gives the impression of space and slight color, Swiss Coffee is your best bet.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Color Strip: Lighter to Darker Exploration
If you find that Swiss Coffee is not the exact shade you want – I don’t know how that’s possible – I’ve carefully picked options. They are arranged from light to dark shades to make selection easier and quicker.
- Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee OC-45
- Benjamin Moore Halo OC-46
- Benjamin Moore Natural Elements 1515
- Benjamin Moore Ashwood OC-47
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Complementary Color
Every color has a complementary color, and Swiss Coffee is no different. As a white color, it technically may not be readily visible on the color wheel. And since complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel, it may be challenging to find that of Swiss Coffee.
However, the various hues in the main color make it possible to pinpoint its complementary color. They take Swiss Coffee from an ordinary white to something better.
The complementary color for Swiss Coffee is a pale shade of blue. Benjamin Moore’s White Heaven 2068-70 is close to this shade of blue. Also, Sherwin Williams Lady’s Slipper SW 7139 is similar to the complementary color.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Coordinating Colors
When colors flow well in a color scheme, they are typically coordinating colors. They don’t have to be in the same color family, but there are similarities that make them work well together. Newburg Green, Lush, and White Drifts are some of Swiss Coffee’s coordinating colors.
- Benjamin Moore Newburg Green HC-158: A beautiful teal paint color whose gray and green undertones perfectly blend with Swiss Coffee.
- Benjamin Moore Lush AF-475: A rich green shade deepened by its blue undertone but pairs well with the green-tinted Swiss Coffee.
- Benjamin Moore White Drifts OC-138: The gray-green in this off-white paint color makes it the perfect match for Swiss Coffee.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Color Palettes
The following are some color palettes that may work for your decor if you plan to use Swiss Coffee. You can use them as a guide to create a unique one.
Contrasting Color Palette
- Oak Ridge 235: A mid-tone neutral paint color that goes well with cool and warm colors.
- Summer Shower 2135-60: A beautiful blue pastel that brings a refreshing feel to an otherwise warm decor.
- Luxe AF-580: A dusty violet paint color whose gray undertone blends well with Swiss Coffee.
Monochromatic Color Palette
- Baby Turtle 515: The golden undertone in this olive paint color strikes a stunning combination with the creamy Swiss Coffee.
- Halo OC-46: A silver paint color with a slightly green undertone that brings something sparkling and different to the decor.
- Flowering Herbs 514: A beige paint color with a delicious shade of green that makes the green in Swiss Coffee pop.
Coordinating Color Palette
- White Drifts OC-138: The gray-green in this off-white paint color makes it the perfect match for Swiss Coffee.
- Lush AF-475: A rich green shade deepened by its blue undertone but pairs well with the green-tinted Swiss Coffee.
- Newburg Green HC-158: A beautiful teal paint color whose gray and green undertones perfectly blend with Swiss Coffee.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee vs Similar Colors
Have you compared Swiss Coffee to similar colors? Let’s take a look at some of them to see if there are suitable alternatives.
BM White Dove vs BM Swiss Coffee
White Dove is brighter than Swiss Coffee, with an LRV of 83, and has obvious yellow undertones. Swiss Coffee leans more toward green.
SW Alabaster vs BM Swiss Coffee
Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster has an LRV of 82, so it’s identical to Swiss Coffee in that area. However, it’s a pretty neutral color, so it looks cooler than the warm Swiss Coffee.
BM Ballet White vs BM Swiss Coffee
Ballet White is considerably darker than Swiss Coffee, with an LRV of 71.97. But with pale yellow undertones, it’s easy to pair it with Swiss Coffee.
BM Pale Oak vs BM Swiss Coffee
Pale Oak has a lower LRV of 68.64 and can show a bit of gray and pink-purple. These make it noticeably different from Swiss Coffee.
SW Shoji White vs BM Swiss Coffee
Shoji White from Sherwin Williams looks muted when paired with Swiss Coffee because of its LRV of 74. Also, its undertones of beige and gray make it slightly different from the main color.
BM Soft Chamois vs BM Swiss Coffee
Soft Chamois has an LRV of 77.4 and undertones of beige and green. These don’t stop it from looking similar to Swiss Coffee.
Behr Swiss Coffee vs BM Swiss Coffee
Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee is not as bright as that from Behr because of the lower LRV. Both colors have yellow undertones, although that of Benjamin Moore looks slightly different.
SW Greek Villa vs BM Swiss Coffee
Greek Villa is brighter than Swiss Coffee with an LRV of 84. But it appears more neutral than the latter color because it contains more gray.
BM Navajo White vs BM Swiss Coffee
Navajo White has an LRV of 78.26, which is lower than the 81.91 of Swiss Coffee. But both colors have a yellow undertone, which makes them similar.
BM Simply White vs BM Swiss Coffee
Simply White is a bright white with an LRV of 89.52. When paired with Swiss Coffee, the difference is clear, although there is a hint of yellow in both colors.
BM Creamy White vs BM Swiss Coffee
Creamy White is a true cream shade and has an LRV of 70.95. Its creamy shade makes it perfect to pair with Swiss Coffee, although it’s not as bright as the latter color.
Sherwin Williams Paint Color Equivalent to BM Swiss Coffee
There’s no exact equivalent for Swiss Coffee from Sherwin Williams. This is because all colors are unique. But Cotton SW 9581 is uncannily similar to Swiss Coffee, especially when you compare their red, green, and blue (RGB) codes. Alabaster SW 7008 also comes close.
Where Can You Use Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee?
You can use Swiss Coffee in any room in your house, as long as you’re a fan of warm whites. It gives a room a sophisticated yet soft look, especially with other light neutrals.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Bedroom
I love the combination of gray and off-white in this lovely bedroom with amazing natural light. The shiplap is painted in Benjamin Moore Storm, while the rest of the room is Swiss Coffee.
Best Trim Color for Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Walls
Since it’s a light and neutral color, Swiss Coffee looks great with any color. Try it with light gray like in the next picture, pure white, or a dark color.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Living Room
You can use Swiss Coffee to transform a living room from a drab space to a sophisticated and welcoming room. It also works with any color, including wood tones and dark grays.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee with Various Colors
Light colors easily pick up hues from vibrant colors, but is this true of Swiss Coffee? This next picture can tell its own story.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on Exterior Walls
Because it’s a warm white with a bit of color, Swiss Coffee looks amazing on exterior walls. It doesn’t look washed out while still maintaining its bright color.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on Kitchen Cabinets
This is what a homely kitchen looks like, complete with towels. Although there is not enough natural light in the room, the artificial brings out the best in the color of the cabinets.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee on Kitchen Walls
This kitchen that opens up into a dining room looks amazing. How can you not love this room and everything about it?
Best Ceiling Color for Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Walls
Try white or light gray on the ceiling for a great effect. BM Chantilly Lace works as the white color for the ceiling and BM London Fog can work if you want a light gray ceiling.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Laundry Room
Swiss Coffee is ideal for a room without enough natural lighting, and a laundry room falls in this category.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Bathroom
No matter what light you use with walls painted with Swiss Coffee, the color looks delicious. Check out this bathroom for proof.
Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in a Pantry
If you have the usual pantry, it may not have enough natural light. This is where Swiss Coffee comes into the picture. However, this next photo shows a pantry with some natural light, and it looks good with Swiss Coffee on the walls.
Conclusion
Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee is one of the best off-white paint colors on the market. It looks creamy and soft on the walls, especially because of the slightly yellow undertone that leans toward green.
As a bright white with an LRV of 81.91, Swiss Coffee brightens a room, even if there’s not enough natural light. And as a bright color, it looks great with wood tones, golden colors, yellows, greens, grays, and dark grays.
Follow my guide on creating a color palette or use the colors mentioned here to build a suitable color palette. You will love this color, even if you use it alone in a room. In such a case, throw splashes of color using accessories for some color.
Sherwin Williams White Duck (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin-Williams Pussywillow (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Sherwin Williams Dried Thyme (Palette, Coordinating & Inspirations)
Benjamin Moore White Dove: The Right Choice for You?
Sherwin Williams Light French Gray SW 0055 Review
Sherwin Williams Nebulous White SW 7063: Review & Inspiration
