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My Review of Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace

My Review of Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace

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Recently joining the Modern Farmhouse bandwagon, I have had white paint colors on the brain as of late. You see…with this more fresh and minimal approach to farmhouse design, white walls are an essential component of the Modern Farmhouse aesthetic.

And while I am relatively new to the whole white paint trend, I do have considerable experience with Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace OC-65 as I have slowly been painting rooms throughout my home in this “highly-regarded white”. Today,  I wanted to share my personal experience with this particular paint color in a brief review. For your reference, all of the following images are examples of Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace.

one of the best white paint colors for Modern Farmhouse dining rooms is Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore

I refer to Chantilly Lace as a “highly-regarded white” because all of my favorite designers have referenced it as being one of their favorite bright, white paint colors. In fact, when selecting samples for my recently transformed Modern Farmhouse dining room, I basically just looked at what my favorite designers were hailing as the best crisp whites, and purchased samples based from their recommendations.

So why did I specifically want a crisp white? Given my dining room receives ample afternoon sunlight , the walls have a tendency to read relatively warm (even the pre-existing, cool grey, Passive, looked a little on the warmer side of it’s true state). As a result,  I was on a mission to find the best,  bright/crisp white -free of any yellow undertones which may translate into a mucky effect.

best white paint colors for modern farmhouse. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

From Studio McGee’s guidance (here is their helpful, white paint guide), I narrowed down my samples to Super White and Chantilly Lace. When I compared the freshly painted samples side-by-side on my dining room wall,  Super White somehow looked dingy to me. So, Chantilly Lace it was.

And while Chantilly Lace is definitely more of a crisp white with grey and blue undertones, thankfully it never feels stark or sterile to me. In fact, at certain times of day it somehow can feel warmer to me than the previous grey paint that used to grace the walls of my home (which you can read about here).

living room painted in Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore

Given my limited experience with all- white interiors, I am theorizing that this subtle warmth (present at certain times of the day), might be due to all of the warm elements reflecting onto the walls (think: wood tones in my furniture and flooring, outside fencing/ deck and even outdoor tree reflections).

This actually brings up a great point: If you fear a bright white might read too cold for your preference, I recommend offsetting the sterile factor with plenty of earthy textures and warm accents. Natural wood furniture and beams, sisal/jute rugs, chunky woven baskets, cozy fur throws/rugs and gold metal finishes,  all provide a warm counterbalance to the white minimalism.

best white paint colors for kitchen. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

I also wanted to add that while Chantilly Lace does have a bit of a grey pigment to it, once it dries it reads very white. In fact, I really cannot see much of an undertone at all.

Ultimately, I am super happy with this shade of white I stumbled upon.  I am so satisfied with this hue,   that I plan to continue to gradually paint the remainder of my main living areas with it.

And while I am loving the fresh, natural vibes of my white walls, let me just warn you that “going white” is a bit of a pain in the a$$. While I was only covering a light grey paint, it took about four stinking coats of paint to achieve an even finish.

Looking back, it probably would have been wise of me to use a primer for the base coat…..just a little something to consider.
Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore white paint review

So yes….I absolutely adore Chantilly Lace, but I am not looking forward to all of the monotonous labor that goes into covering the preexisting paint in the remainder of my house.

Updated 2-14-23: I finally painted my entire house, and have much more information to share with you on this color. While I now live in a new house, I was sure to take plenty of photos before moving and have included them so that you can see what Chantilly Lace looks like in different lighting and decor situations.

I actually ended up paying professional painters to paint the remainder of my house.  Funny thing is that they were able to cover the old wall color with only 2 coats of paint. The only difference in their application and mine was that they used a higher quality product line.

I guess it just goes to show, that you don’t really save money when going with a cheaper paint after all.

Now I want to address some frequently asked questions regarding this clean white …

What is the Light Reflectance Value of Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace?

On the LRV (Light Reflectance Value) spectrum with zero being the lowest value and 100 being the highest, Chantilly Lace is a 90.04.  Just for reference, this is much brighter than the warm white that my new house is painted in. My new house is painted in Shoji White by Sherwin Williams which has an LRV of only 74.

While Benjamin Moore classifies Chantilly Lace as being an off-white, it is pretty darn close to being a true white…especially in bright lighting conditions.

bm chantilly lace interior walls with white trim

What trim color goes best with Chantilly Lace?

Because Chantilly Lace does have some blue and grey undertones, I would recommend against trim colors that have warm, yellow undertones as this could make your trim look dingy.

Personally, I decided that white-white was a safe bet as a pure white has has no tint in it and provides a little bit of contrast between the trim and the walls.

If you prefer a more seamless look,  you could also go with Chantilly Lace on the trim as well but contrast the sheen as the walls, but choose a contrasting paint finish.

I prefer a satin sheen on the walls (as it is easier to clean with kids) and a semi-gloss on the trim. However, please keep in mind that if your wall has lots of imperfections, eggshell may be a little more forgiving.

living room walls painted in benjamin moore chantilly lace

Is Chantilly Lace too white?

Whether you feel Chantilly Lace reads too white or sterile will totally depend on your personal preference.

Given I have now worked with warm whites and more clean whites, I would say both hues have their pros and cons.

While I do believe Chantilly Lace looks incredibly beautiful in homes with lots of natural light, due to the cooler undertones, on overcast days, cozy was definitely not the feeling.   However,  if you want a highly reflective white (like art gallery vibes), this paint color is a great choice.

If you  are longing for something a little more saturated, creamier and warmer, Swiss Coffee by Benjamin Moore may be more of your jam. Just keep in mind that while the warmer whites are more inviting and cozy, they do not reflect natural light as well.

chantilly lace in kitchen with grey cabinets

What color kitchen cabinets go well with Chantilly Lace?

I have used dark grey, light grey and white-white kitchen cabinet colors with Chantilly Lace walls and they all worked beautifully together.

As with my recommendations on trim selection, given the grey undertones in this paint color, I would avoid using warm white hues on the cabinets as the cooler undertones in Chantilly Lace could cause your cabinets to look yellow.

At the end of the day, you should always test paint out for yourself using samples. Pair the test sample of Chantilly Lace with trim, baseboard, cabinet, countertop and backsplash colors to ensure they will not clash.

Hopefully , this review gave you a good idea of what to expect from this shade of white.

To get a closer look at this paint color, be sure to also watch the video review that I embedded in this post. Shot with my phone, you will get to see this bright white paint in various lighting situations.

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace in bathroom with subway tile

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Now get out there and design some good vibes, and please share the love by Pinning…

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chantilly lace by benjamin moore paint color review

my honest review of Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. White paint colors for Modern Farmhouse.

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Sally

Friday 7th of September 2018

Hi, lovely rooms. I am just wondering if that particular milk paint needs more coats to cover properly? I am not keen on painting walls, let alone doing multiple coats. Bravo to you!

Designing Vibes

Saturday 8th of September 2018

Hi Sally. The paint I used in my dining room, Chantilly Lace, is actually not milk paint. It is latex. And this latex did take about four coats...I think that is just the nature of going white over a pre-existing wall color. Hope this helps!

Leah @lemodfarmhouse

Tuesday 28th of August 2018

Great review of Chantilly Lace!! That is the color we finally chose to go with! So happy to hear you’ve loved it!

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 29th of August 2018

Thanks, girl! I hope the trim color ended up working out for you. Like I said...paint colors stress me out. xoxo

Lien

Sunday 26th of August 2018

Hi! I’m loving the Chantilly Lace in your home! I am looking for a gray for my bathroom cabinets and kitchen island. The gray on your kitchen island looks perfect...may I ask what color it is that you used? Thanks!

Designing Vibes

Tuesday 28th of August 2018

Hi Lien. Thank you so much, friend! For the kitchen island, I used General Finishes Milk Paint in the color "Driftwood". I will also list the affiliate link below for you. You can copy and paste it into your browser. Hope this helps!

https://rstyle.me/n/c8h4vzb96af

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