The Best Shades of Cream for ANY Room!
Cream paint colors can be tricky – too much yellow and they’re obnoxious, not enough yellow and they’re flatter than a pancake! This is why I’ve pulled together some of the most GORGEOUS shades of cream that are sure to satisfy the most creamy connoisseur.
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The reception at my client’s office – Eddins Counselling
But FIRST, we need to have ourselves a little chat (btw, ‘chats’ in my world include wine, Doritos and no bra, so get comfy). I have a lot of clients who say they LOVE cream, but DON’T love yellow. Well, here’s the deal Ally McBeal (ahem, dating myself) – without yellow, you can’t have cream!
That’s right, cream IS yellow, it’s just yellow with a neutral base calming it down (and often picking up other undertones along the way, such as orange and green). The key is in finding a cream that has the right AMOUNT of yellow in it, whether you like a little or a LOT!
Remember…
You can’t get cream without yellow #mindblown!
This is why I’m sharing a WIDE RANGE of warm cream-inspired colors with you. Some are SUPER muted while others tiptoe the yellow brick road, but don’t worry, ALL of them have warmth in mind! I’m also sharing some alternative options, as sometimes you need that wee tweak to get things just right (not to be mistaken with a wee TWERK, which fixes my husband-related problems – wink wink).
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CREAMY 7012
Creamy – just like my coffee with its morning shot of Baileys in it. Oh, not THAT type of creamy…right.
Sherwin Williams Creamy is a FANTASTIC cream paint color because while it COMMITS to its yellow base, it’s not overpowering by any stretch of the imagination.
Creamy darkened by 25% PHOTO BY JR PHOTOGRAPHY
Creamy has an LRV of 81, so it’s on the HIGH end of the off-white range – winking at the WHITE end of things. This means that in bright rooms, it can TOTALLY wash out, while in others, you’ll notice more of its creamy warmth.
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Creamy
YOUTUBE COLOR REVIEW of Sherwin Williams Creamy
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO CREAMY, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED? (aren’t we all…)
- Benjamin Moore White Down is along similar lines to Creamy but is more muted
- Sherwin Williams Dover White is lovely and warm and a BIT brighter, but do me a favor and DON’T use it on trim or cabinets
2. BENJAMIN MOORE TIMID WHITE OC 39
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a timid WHITEas Timid White is more like a timid yellow! That’s right, Timid White is a great way to get cream without going overboard on the banana boat.
And while you wouldn’t notice it until this color got a bit deeper, there is a tiny bit of green tucked deep inside, but at this depth, it doesn’t tend to show up to the party.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO TIMID WHITE, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Sherwin Williams Dover White is similar to Timid White but is a bit cleaner/more yellow
- also, check out Sherwin Williams Roman Column for a similar approach
Benjamin Moore’s 8 Best White Paint Colors
3. BENJAMIN MOORE FEATHERBED 928
On the FAR side of cream sits Benjamin Moore Featherbed, a cream-inspired color that definitely PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES between cream and yellow. Personally, when I’m looking for cream, this goes a bit too far, but it depends on how much yellow you can handle.
In the BEFORE photo below, the yellow wasn’t bad, but Mom and Dad were looking for a more muted approach in this soon-to-be nursery…
And after – SO STINKIN’ CUTE…
Featherbed has an LRV of 85.51, which is surprising as I would’ve parked it more in the mid to high 70s. I think its due to the DEGREE of yellow in this paint color as it does pop a bit more.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO FEATHERBED, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Sherwin Williams Honied White is a cream paint colors that’s along similar lines to Featherbed but a wink more neutral, calmer and creamier
4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS CASA BLANCA 7571
Casa Blanca sits RIGHT on the money spot – not too yellow, not too muted and as the late great Goldilocks once said, ‘it’s juuuuuust right’.
To be honest, the sectional in this next photo would’ve loved a color with a slight red-pink undertone and less yellow-cream. However, this room belonged to the LARGE kitchen shown above with some pretty bossy countertops, so we had to do what was best for the hard surfaces first (but it still looks gorgeous).
Casa Blanca has an LRV of 76, putting it nicely in the off-white range with enough depth to warm up a room and provide contrast with white trim.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Casa Blanca
WHAT PAINT COLOR IS SIMILAR TO CASA BLANCA BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Benjamin Moore Navajo White is similar to Casa Blanca for sure
- Benjamin Moore Indian White is another interesting adjustment on the creamy base of Casa Blanca
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Visit the SAMPLIZE websiteHERE
5. BENJAMIN MOORE WINTER WHEAT 232
Winter Wheat seems like a funny name for a cream paint color that feels more like Autumn! I love Winter Wheat for its soft, passive approach. Winter Wheat is a soft cream paint color with a reasonably strong beige base to calm it down. If you DARKEN this color, you’ll see some green enter the scene, but as it is, it’s pretty darned cream.
DAMN, do some of my clients have styling skills!
Winter Wheat has an LRV of 76, so it’s in the off-white range just like MOST of the cream colors on this page. You’ll find that cream paint colors generally fall in the soft white to light-medium range (learn more about paint depths and LRV). If they get any darker (lower LRV), they turn into gold, beige, tan, etc…
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO WINTER WHEAT, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Sherwin Williams Steamed Milk is similar to Winter Wheat, Casa Blanca (shown earlier) is cleaner and creamier/yellow
6. BENJAMIN MOORE GENTLE CREAM OC-96
Long before gray was as on the scene and barfy builder beige began boring the living daylights out of us, Gentle Cream was holding strong in the cream world, warming up walls worldwide!
That’s because Gentle Cream is one of the PRETTIEST approaches to cream (if you ask me) with enough neutral to calm it and enough color to add warmth and interest! However, if you LOVE yellow, you may find this color a bit too passive (a TOUCH more beige-orange) and will want to bump over to one of the stronger options on this page.
The LRV of Gentle Cream is a bit more skookum, coming in at 72, putting it more in the light range than the off-white range.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO GENTLE CREAM, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Sherwin Williams Lotus Pod is very similar to Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream (it’s a bit more grounded)
- Sherwin Williams Eaglet Beige is similar and has slightly less orange mixed in/more yellow
- I also LOVE the lighter look of Benjamin Moore Navajo White
Full Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream
7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS DOVER WHITE 6385
There are a few cream paint colors that I don’t have images of but are still GREAT colors to consider. Because I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients, I don’t always a) have the photos I need or b) have photos that are clear enough to use – which is the case with Dover White.
Dover White is a tough one, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t pretty! It’s tough because MORE OFTEN than not, people use it on trim or cabinets, when in fact, it’s one of the whites I generally AVOID on these surfaces. Why? Because Dover White is too yellow.
The yellow in Dover White can relate VERY WELL on walls if you’re wanting a soft muted almost white creamy look. However, as a trim or cabinet color, it can be hard to coordinate with and very limiting in the long term.
A Benjamin Moore color that’s somewhat similar to Dover White would be Benjamin Moore Acadia White, and BOTH make me NERVOUS for cabinets and trims for the same reasons!
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Dover White
8. BENJAMIN MOORE INDIAN WHITE OC-88
Indian White is along similar lines to Gentle Cream, without as much WEIGHT with its softer, lighter cream approach.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO INDIAN WHITE, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- I’d check out the slightly brighter/cleaner Benjamin Moore Navajo White as a nice adjustment/alternative
- Sherwin Williams ALSO has a Navajo White which is a nice shade of cream as well with a touch more yellow in it
9. BENJAMIN MOORE WINDHAM CREAM HC-6
I just LOVE this color and can’t wait for some E-Design photos to come in that I can use! Why do I love it? Well, Windham Cream is certainly one of the CREAMIER creams, with a stronger yellow base with a more muted neutral to calm it down. I just LOVE the gorgeous glow of Windham Cream (and I’m not even a bit fan of yellow!).
If you want a little adjustment on that, let’s look at Sherwin Williams Decor White which would be pretty, but more MUTED take on Windham Cream.
10. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANTIQUE WHITE SW 6119
Antique White is definitely one of Sherwin Williams more POPULAR cream paint colors. Again, it’s ALLL in the blend – capturing that perfect balance of yellow with a neutral base to calm it down.
As far as cream paint colors go, Antique White leans a wink into orange, while still FOCUSING on yellow as its main jam. With its LRV of 72, it actually sits more in the light range, just winking at the off-whites.
However, Antique White is often MISTAKENLY used on kitchen cabinets with the wrong backsplashes and countertops. So, while it’s a GORGEOUS paint color for walls, it’s one of the whites I hesitate to use on cabinets or trims. As shown below, Antique White has a reasonable degree of cream/warmth to it than can clash with opposite undertones.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO ANTIQUE WHITE, BUT A LITTLE TWEAKED?
- Actually, Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream (mentioned earlier) is an interesting adjustment if you want to cut back the yellow a bit and get a slightly more golden and grounded approach.
FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Antique White
11. SHERWIN WILLIAMS NAVAJO WHITE SW 6126
We visited Sherwin Williams Navajo White earlier, as a nice adjustment on Benjamin Moore Indian White. This is because Navajo White is a beautiful cream paint color with obvious warmth, but a nice neutral base to calm it down. Navajo White is a bit more of a ‘heavy cream’ with its LRV of 72, so it’s not fresh and soft like the others, but offers a bit more yellow and traditional cream than the very comparable Benjamin Moore Gentle Cream.
12. BENJAMIN MOORE NAVAJO WHITE OC-95
The difference between Benjamin Moore Navajo White and Sherwin Williams Navajo White is that while both are popular cream paint colors, Benjamin Moore’s version is a bit brighter and cleaner looking with a TOUCH less yellow.
FULL Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Navajo White
13. BENJAMIN MOORE BALLET WHITE OC-9
For you CREAM lovers out there, you might SCOFF at this color, saying it’s hardly cream. And I agree, Ballet White is an INTENSELY muted, passive approach to cream – but it still has that soft base in there, it’s just SUPER subdued by gray-beige which tones it down drastically. If you truly DON’T LIKE YELLOW, but like cream, this might be what you’re looking for.
Which paint colors are similar to Ballet White, but a little tweaked?
- Oh, you HAVE to check out Sherwin Williams White Duck as well as Shoji White as both give Ballet White a GOOD run for its money for those wanting a SUPER passive approach
- I also refer to Benjamin Moore White Down as an interesting alternative to Navajo White
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Ballet White
YOUTUBE COLOR REVIEW of Benjamin Moore Ballet White
Now, are you one of those who LOVED that first image?
If so, then you are a yellow lover and will want to take a closer look at Benjamin Moore Buttermilk, which steps outside of cream and into the wild world of YELLOW!
READ MORE…
The 5 Best Cream Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore
The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Paint Colors
The Best Warm Whites
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