Swiss Coffee vs White Dove – how to choose between Benjamin Moore's most popular white paints

The Benjamin Moore color chart is huge. Gigantic. Overwhelmingly massive. And when it comes to their huge range of neutrals, it can be tricky to know which one is going to look best in your home.

But there are two particular Benjamin Moore best sellers I see come up time and time again, Swiss Coffee and White Dove. On the surface, they're two off white paints, with not much difference between them. On paper, they should be interchangeable. But on the wall, or indeed the woodwork, it's a very different story. There's a right time, and also very much a wrong time, for them both.

'Whites aren’t whites,' says the interior designer Tamsin Johnson. 'Whites are beiges, grays, taupes, blues, even. I don’t seek the austere whites, I always look for the friendlier whites.' Which, handily, includes both of these two shades.

This comparison of Swiss Coffee and White Dove goes beyond being just a direct contrast, though. It's full of advice you can take whenever you're picking from one of the many, many white paints. When to go warm and when to go brilliant are two very different times. And here's how you'll know which paint is called for, when.

Benjamin Moore's Swiss Coffee vs Benjamin Moores' White Dove

Take a look at the living room, above, painted in Swiss Coffee, designed by Caitlin Flemming. Now compare that to the shelves painted in White Dove at the top of the page. Totally different, right? And compare the swatches directly side by side. The differences might seem subtle, but they are definitely there, and you can really see how much warmer Swiss Coffee leans than White Dove.

Swiss Coffee is slightly more creamy, while White Dove is just slightly more white, more brilliant.

'White Dove OC-17 is a classic off-white that has both gray and yellow undertones, introducing the slightest wink of warmth to a clean aesthetic,' says Helen Moore, director at Benjamin Moore. 'This hue creates a more contemporary feel compared to Swiss Coffee OC-45, which has slightly warmer undertones than White Dove, so is a popular choice for people looking to create a cozy environment.'

Yes, it's a subtle difference, which is why so many homeowners find themselves choosing between Swiss Coffee and White Dove, but as with all decor choices, it's the detail that matters. So let's look at when to use one over the other.

When to choose White Dove

1. For a clean Scandi aesthetic

Because White Dove is crisper than Swiss Coffee, Helen Shaw thinks it's ideal for contemporary spaces that lend themselves to that clean, Scandi style.

'White Dove is especially suited to modern spaces with a lot of natural light and open concept floor plans,' she says. Because it is slightly on the cooler side, definitely more so than Swiss Coffee, White Dove does look wonderful in a sundrenched room. Think minimalist furniture, with lots of layers of textures, and that clean white paint as the perfect backdrop.

2. Layered with other whites on woodwork and cabinetry

A favorite trick of designers is to use one white on the walls and another on the woodwork or cabinetry, as seen in this white kitchen, designed by Lauren Robbins. From doing this myself, I can tell you, the eye doesn't always notice it at first, but it leads to an interesting and layered scheme.

White Dove is ideal for these details. 'It is a popular pick for the trim, ceiling, and interior doors of a whole home as it sits well against such a wide range of colors and brings a freshness without feeling stark,' Helen says.

'I love to use White Dove on trims,' agrees the designer Enass Mahmoud of Studio Enass. 'It gives a fresher, cleaner look and look and helps the details to really stand out. I also prefer it generally in smaller doses – so, on the trim is perfect – because I worry it can be clinical if used on a large scale.'

'I always like to use a fresh white on the trim and doors and architraves,' agrees Portia Fox, of which White Dove is one. 'As an accent, it lifts the room, but on a whole wall it might feel a little too cool.'

3. In a south facing room

If you do intend to go big on White Dove, keep it to south-facing rooms where it can be enhanced by the sense of natural light, which will seem to dance off it.

'White Dove sparkles when it has plenty of natural light,' says Enass. 'It needs that to come alive, so use it in a south-facing space, for sure.'

'I like brilliant whites in south-facing rooms, because they tend to have a slight gray undertone,' agrees the interior designer Margot Tsim, describing White Dove to a tee. 'The gray tones are highlighted by the warmth of the sunshine, whereas if you're low on light, they'd tend to read cold, and on gray days in a north-facing room, they'd be terrible.'

When to choose Swiss Coffee

1. In north-facing rooms

'As a slightly darker white, Swiss Coffee works well in north-facing rooms, introducing warmth even in low light, without veering too yellow,' Helen says.

'Because Swiss Coffee isn't a brilliant white, it works well to warm up slightly darker, north-facing rooms and give them a quick refresh,' adds Enass.

Margot agrees. 'You definitely want a white with a yellow undertone for a north-facing space, she says. 'I would stay away from gray and blue fabrics, and go for wamer, rusty and earthy palettes like ochre.'

'And pair it with a walnut timber with a warmer tone, as that mid-century vibe, that will work quite well here. Lighting is important, bring in warmth, maybe something with a fabric lampshade that could give you softness through linen, rather than a hard gleam of glass, the more texture the better.'

2. To soften a room

Designers often say that pink is the most flattering color, as it makes everyone look good, no matter their skin tone. It's warm and soft and cocooning. But if pink is too, well, pink for you, then Swiss Coffee may well be the right white instead.

'Swiss Coffee is a bit softer on the skin than other whites, its pigments bring the best out of you,' says Enass. 'It's a great one to color wash with for that reason I'd take it up and over the ceiling as a living room color, for a space you feel really flattered to be in.'

'Swiss Coffee is a particularly flattering bathroom color, as it brings a sense of softness to the space,' Helen says. 'It contrasts with the hard elements such as tiles, mirrors, and fixtures.'

3. For a vintage feel

Whereas White Dove evokes a cooler, Scandi vibe, the softness of Swiss Coffee is more familiar, a little easier on the eye, helping to create a sense of the room almost being in soft focus.

'Because Swiss Coffee is slightly darker, it works particularly well for those people with more traditional home designs,' Helen says, a case in point being the kitchen, above, with Swiss Coffee on the walls and ceiling.

Designer Tamsin Johnson loves to use white paint, but always seeks the warmth of shades like Swiss Coffee to make her decorating approach work. She explains, 'The main risk in using white paint is that sometimes it makes it harder to host the moodier antique pieces I love. Some darker pieces can seem too weighty and bear too much gravity in a white space and lose their voice in the interior dialogue, so I have to be careful with those.' She leans warmer instead, using colors like Swiss Coffee as backdrops.

So in short, White Dove is great for bright rooms and fresh aesthetics, while Swiss Coffee is the preferred paint for darker rooms and a more cozy feel. Swiss Coffee has that slightly more yellow undertone, which you can bring out more depending on what you pair it with; it's a bit more nuanced than White Dove. White Dove is closer to a pure, brilliant white, far less creamy than Swiss Coffee, so better suited to light-filled spaces that can handle its coolness.

As always, I recommend ordering swatches, even if you are set on one over the other. All neutral paints are such chameleon shades and can shift dramatically depending on the light and orientation of the room, plus the other tones in the space.