studio mcgee bm white dove

If I was stranded on a deserted island, and could only choose one white paint color to take with me, it would be Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17). Seriously! It’s one of my all-time favorite whites because it can be used practically anywhere, from walls, to trim, to cabinets, and even exteriors. Yep, it’s that good! But it’s not just MY favorite. Interior designers everywhere swear by Benjamin Moore’s White Dove

If you have anything in your home you’re planning to paint white, you just have to try a sample of White Dove. Keep reading to find out what makes BM White Dove one of the most versatile interior white paint colors, and which colors to pair with this popular white. Click this link to order a peel-and-stick sample sheet of BM White Dove.

benjamin moore white dove
Benjamin Moore White Dove

Is Benjamin Moore White Dove Warm or Cool?

As with any paint color, whites have their own subtle undertones (sneaky colors hiding under the surface that show themselves in certain lighting conditions). The undertones are what make it so darned tricky for homeowners to find the perfect white paint color for their room.

White Dove is a warm white, which means that it has a hint of yellow undertones to give it a subtle creamy quality. The great thing about White Dove, however, is that it also has a touch of gray in it. The gray keeps its warm undertones from looking overly yellow or beige. In general, we say that White Dove has a subtle greige (mix of gray and beige) undertone.

The great thing about warm whites is that theyย typically wonโ€™t end up looking too cold or gray in a room, even when the room is north or east facing. As a designer, I choose warm whites over cool whites most of the time, because warmer whites have a more timeless, inviting nature.

Where to Use White Dove

Benjamin Moore White Dove is the one white you can feel comfortable using everywhere in your home….no joke. With a light reflectance value of 83 (on a brightness scale of 0-100), White Dove sits right in the sweet spot between being a bright white and being a softer, warm white. It’s bright enough to work great as a trim color, ceiling, or cabinet color. If you want a nice, soft white on the walls that you can use throughout your home, White Dove is perfect for that, too. And, if you’re on the hunt for an exterior white that will read a little brighter and crisper, be sure to give White Dove a try.

Let’s take a look at some eye candy pictures, so you can see why White Dove is such a beloved white, and how versatile it can be. It truly can be used in any room of your home, and with any design style!

In this gorgeous ranch house by Studio McGee, you can see a great example of White Dove used on the walls, ceilings, trim, and cabinets in a main hallway of the house. I’ll show you several examples of this house down below, because a) they used White Dove a lot, and b) the photos are super yummy.

studio mcgee bm white dove
Source: Studio McGee (White Dove walls, ceiling, and trim)

Next up is a bedroom (in the same house) painted with White Dove. I love how the warmth of White Dove accentuates wood accents, and how it works as a bridge between the other brighter whites and off-whites used in the bedroom. Here’s a link to a similar bed frame, and the rug is on the McGee & Co site.

benjamin moore white dove bedroom with beams
Source: Studio McGee

Here’s a kids play space from the same ranch house, showing BM White Dove on the walls and trim, paired with BM Dark Olive on the cabinetry. Here’s where you can snag that cute large basket and medium striped basket.

BM White Dove and BM Dark Olive
Source: Studio McGee

Not just for adults, you can also use White Dove as a soft, blank canvas in a nursery or kids bedroom. When White Dove gets a lot of natural light, it will look like a bright white, but never too harsh, which is just one of the many reasons I love it so much.

nursery painted with Benjamin Moore White Dove
Source: Willow Design Studios via Home Bunch

Here’s another great example of BM White Dove used as a whole-house color on the shiplap walls, ceilings, and trim. White Dove always tends to look bright and fresh…rarely cold or stark. Oh, and check out that brick inlay floor under the dining room table. Very cool idea. Especially if you don’t like to use rugs under your table.

bm white dove shiplap
Source: Lenox House Design

BM White Dove is a go-to color for built-ins and cabinetry, like in this next living room space. If you have some well-constructed, but dated built-ins, try a fresh coat of White Dove on them. A little paint and some new cabinet hardware could be all you need to breathe new life into them.

bm white dove built ins
Source: Willow Design Studios via Home Bunch

For kitchen cabinets, White Dove is a beautiful choice. The great thing about using White Dove is that you can also use it on the trim and ceilings, for an elegant and seamless look. Love those pendant lights!

white dove kitchen cabinets
Source: Lenox House Design

Here’s another kitchen where all of the ceilings, walls, trim, and cabinetry are painted with Benjamin Moore White Dove. With the lighting in this photo, you can really see how soft and warm White Dove can look, while still not being overly yellow or beige. Gorgeous!

benjamin moore white dove kitchen
Source: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design

White Dove is lovely in bathrooms, too. Here you can see it on the walls, trim, cabinetry and ceilings for a clean, traditional, fresh look. Even though White Dove is a warm white, it is bright enough to work with the cooler whites and grays you’ll find in marble (or marble-like) countertops.

benjamin moore white dove bathroom cabinets
Source: Semerjian Interiors

Here’s a lovely laundry room that features BM White Dove on the cabinets

benjamin moore white dove laundry room cabinets
Source: 4 Chairs Furniture via DecorPad

You know how I said that White Dove looks amazing with wood? This office pic is yet another toe-curling example, and wow…that view! I could definitely feel inspired working in this office with that view taking center stage.

benjamin moore white dove office with floating wood shelves
Source: Becki Owens

White Dove also happens to be a white I recommended frequently to my exterior paint consultation clients. It’s a great option when you want a brighter looking white that will appear crisp and clean on your exterior. Pair it with the same white on the trim, or choose a black trim, for that perfect modern farmhouse exterior.

benjamin moore white dove exterior
Source: J-Taylor Designs

Here’s another stunningly gorgeous exterior painted in White Dove. We already know it looks great with wood tones, but see how pretty it is with other warmer tones, like stone and copper accents?

studio mcgee exterior painted with benjamin moore white dove
Source: Studio McGee

So many beautiful homes, I can’t stand it! Now that you’ve seen White Dove in action in a variety of rooms, including on the exterior, hopefully I’ve convinced you just how versatile this white paint color can be. It might be the only white paint color you’ll ever need.

Colors to Pair with White Dove

White Dove is a brighter, warm white with subtle greige undertones, so it will coordinate beautifully with a wide range of different colors.ย  Here are a few of my favorite colors to pair with White Dove. You can mix and match these popular colors to create your own beautiful color palettes featuring White Dove.

benjamin moore white dove coordinating colors

Is White Dove Right for You?

White Dove an amazing white white, but that doesn’t guarantee that it’s going to be the right white for your room.ย  That’s why sampling is sooooo important! Lighting conditions vary from house to house, and from room to room within a house. The best way to know if White Dove is right for you is to get samples of it, and test the samples in the space you plan to paint it.

My absolute favorite source for paint samples is Samplize!ย  The sample sheets are inexpensive, and super easy to move around, so you can see the color in different parts of your room, or in different rooms of the house.. paint sample sheets from samplize

After sampling, you may find that White Dove looks fabulous in one room, but looks a little too gray or dark in another.ย Here’s some guidance for shifting your white paint color, in the event White Dove just doesn’t work for you.

What is the best paint sheen to use?

A flat or matte sheen is the best paint finish to use for walls. Flat paint helps to hide imperfections of less-than-perfect surfaces (pretty much all walls) while providing a luxurious matte finish. Flat paint is a great option for low-traffic areas, but if you have kids and/or are planning to paint a high-traffic area, I recommend going with a satin or eggshell finish. When it comes to trim details and cabinetry, a satin sheen is the most popular finish.

Whatโ€™s the best Benjamin Moore product to use?

For walls, I prefer to use Benjamin Mooreโ€™s Regal Select or Aura paint.ย  The Benjamin Moore Aura line is more expensive, but offers exceptional coverage and color vitality. Benjamin Moore Regal Select paint is also a great product, at a slightly lower price point (good for painting a room with a lot of square feet). Both of these products will give you excellent coverage and great depth of color with fewer coats of paint than a lower-quality paint product.

When it comes to cabinetry, trim and doors, I recommend Benjamin Mooreโ€™s ADVANCE paint in a satin finish. Itโ€™s a premium quality, waterborne formula alkyd paint that offers great durability, and an easy-to-clean surface.

Need some more paint color recommendations?

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45 Comments

    1. This is exactly what I was thinking. White for the walls and Urbane Bronze in the ceiling for a high ceiling home. ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. With young kids, an eggshell or low lustre sheen will work well. It will give you a little better durability and be easier to clean.

  1. I wish I would have seen your website prior to selecting a white for the exterior of our new build in Florida. I just had the exterior painted BM White Dove. Iโ€™ve had great success with this color in the past and itโ€™s one of my favorites! However, the house is southern facing with a lot of sun and it looks vanilla! Any suggestions on a corrective color?

    1. I’m assuming by “vanilla” you mean a little too creamy or yellow. If that’s the case, you might try BM Classic Gray (it will be slightly darker than White Dove, but less creamy looking), or SW Pure White (similar brightness to White Dove, but more gray to it). Hope that helps!

  2. Hi Iโ€™m going to use white dove throughout my whole house and am wondering what color to paint my brick fireplace that will go with this paint color?? Any suggestions? Itโ€™s currently like a beige yellow was going to do white on white but thing I need a slightly darker contrast? Thanks

  3. White Dove looks beautifulv with granite to update our wood cabinets. Looking for a warm light wall color to coordinate. Would White Dove work with SW Shoji White?

    1. I don’t love the combination of White Dove and Shoji White. You might try BM Pale Oak or BM Edgecomb Gray for your wall color instead.

  4. We are updating a Tuscan style home. It is lots of windows but is north facing and has high ceilings and an open floor plan. My designer wants to use SW City Loft or White Heron, but these light taupes feel too muddy to me. They donโ€™t recommend white throughout, but I love the clean-yet warm- look of White Dove that you can pair with anything! Is all white a bad idea?

  5. Do you think itโ€™s absolutely necessary to paint ceilings and trim white dove as well when you paint the walls? Or would it still look ok with bright white trim/ ceilings?

    1. No, it’s not necessary to use White Dove on your ceilings and trim. You can do a brighter white if you like. BM Chantilly Lace is a great option for a brighter white that will work with White Dove.

  6. I am painting my walls white dove matte, and the Trim and doors White dove semi gloss. Iโ€™m not sure if I should paint the ceilings more of 01 white? Or will that be too much of a contrast making my walls look yellow?

    1. Bella Blue is a beautiful color, and will look great with White Dove. Just be sure to sample the colors in your basement’s lighting conditions before committing.

    2. Our kitchen cabinets are stock white from the manufacturer and the windows in the room face SW. Lots and lots of natural light. Considering White Dove for the walls/trim but am second-guessing whether that contrast will work or not. Thoughts?!

  7. Hello! Thank you for your wonderful insight ๐Ÿ™‚ We have very limited natural light in our foyer and so White Dove almost ends up looking beige. Do you think trims/door in Simply White would provide adequate contrast or would you recommend Chantilly Lace? Iโ€™m worried that Chantilly may appear too cool? Thank you!

  8. My living room and divining room is passive gray on walls, white dove by BM on Ceilings (flat) Trim (semi-gloss) Fireplace (eggshell). We are wanting to paint White Dove throughout our kitchen. The cabinets will be BM White Dove Satin and Trim will be semi-gloss, what sheen do you recommend for the walls? Ceiling will be flat. Please advise. Thanks. kindly!! Love reading your blogs.

    1. Great color choices! For the walls of a kitchen, I typically recommend a flat sheen. However, you could also go with a satin or eggshell if you think you might need to clean the walls more often, like in the case of having no backsplash or young kids.

  9. We are presently painting our entire first floor Dove White. Our house is open concept and now we are getting second thoughts about painting our living room the same color. We have south facing windows ( alot of them) on a lake with lots of natural light. Do you think that our living room painted swiss coffee would clash with the the other rooms? Thank you!!

  10. I am wanting to go with the Dove White for upper cabinets in my kitchen. I am wanting to use the same paint color for the walls throughout the house.. Would Chantilly Lace be a good option?

    1. White Dove and Chantilly Lace work very well together, and Chantilly Lace is a lovely white for a whole house and trim color. It will give you a crisp, clean look. You can also use White Dove on walls and trim. Great color choices!

  11. Our exterior is currently getting painted white dove and the whole inside will too. I have my mind set on Bm Natural cream for kitchen cabinet. I havenโ€™t found those two together much and now am second guessing. Do you think they work together?

  12. Hi! Enjoyed the post – huge BM white Dove fan here! Have you come across cell and solar screens (Bali, Levelor, Alta, comfortex, Smith and Noble) that blend with WD? I want to use strategic simple coverings in some places.

  13. Iโ€™m wanting to paint island & bottom kitchen cabs -BM rock quarry. Need ideas for top cabs, walls and crown mold. Love white Dover.

  14. Hi, I love the interior photos. I am also going to paint the walls. Ceiling and trim white dove just using the different finish on each. What colour stain is the flooring in the photos? I am planning to refinish my hardwood floors that are currently yellow ish and love the shade in the photos above. Also any recommendations for carpet, rug colours for upstairs bedrooms?
    Thankyou so much

    1. Sorry, I’m not sure of the stain color in the photos. As for carpet, one of your best options is to go with a light, warm neutral tone. Carpet with warm gray, greige, or muted beige tones tend to be the most versatile and timeless options.

  15. Iโ€™m repainting a whole house and kitchen cabinets. Iโ€™m planning on Edgecomb gray for most walls, van deusen blue lower cabinets, and Iโ€™m debating between white dove or sw pure white for trim, doors and upper cabinets. I do like the warmth aspect of white dove especially since the living room also has a naturally white brick fireplace thatโ€™s more off white so I donโ€™t want it to look dingy compared to sw pure white. The ceilings are low and textured which weโ€™re not changing right now. All that to say if I use white dove on the trim and upper cabinets and Edgecomb gray walls should I use white dove on ceiling too or is something lighter better? Thanks!

  16. Weโ€™re getting a new black roof and painting the exterior white dove on our farmstyle lake house. Recommendations for trim color? Also white dove? Other color options that are timeless? Thanks

    1. White Dove would be a great trim option for a seamless look on your farmhouse style exterior. If you want some subtle contrast, a warm gray or greige (like BM Revere Pewter) would also look great.

  17. Do you have any suggestions for a light quartz countertop that would pair well with white dove? The kitchen has lots of natural light with both east and west exposure.

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