In this article, you will learn about Swiss Coffee and Alabaster colors including a side-by-side comparison. If you are considering either of these colors, the following information will help you make the right decision.
It can seem odd that finding the right shade of white can be a real struggle. However, depending on your decor choices, the wrong shade of white can leave your furnishings and wall decor looking rather dowdy.
If your decor is warm or yellow based, a silver-white wall will leave your house looking rather cold and dusty. Pay careful attention to the base tone before you invest in paint.
Comparing Colors: Swiss Coffee vs Alabaster
Swiss Coffee (OC-45) – Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee is a warm, creamy shade that will tend yellow. If you hate yellow, look for something a bit cooler.
If your walls get a lot of sunlight, the yellow in this shade may become obvious.
For those in an older home or those who have older pieces of furniture of many different wood tones, this is a great color.
You can pair this with any wood tone that features red.
Peel-and-Stick Paint Sample – Swiss Coffee (OC-45) – Benjamin Moore
Cherry flooring, oak bookcases, your warm maple piano, and your refinished beech or fir cabinets will work well with this color.
You can also use this color as a trim paint. Swiss Coffee would be a wonderful shade for your baseboards, bathroom cabinets, or your kitchen update.
Because this color is so warm, you can also use this shade in a higher sheen in a moisture-resistant kitchen or bath paint to great effect.
Your decor choices can make this color a bit cantankerous. By the numbers, this color is quite balanced; there are fewer than 13 points between the highest and lowest ratings for this color, red and blue.
If you pair this color with an unbalanced color, such as jade green, royal blue, or cardinal red, the yellow will come to the fore.
It’s also a good idea to review this color on the color wheel. The opposite of yellow is royal blue. If you want to maintain the lovely ivory of Swiss Coffee but love boldly colored furniture, look for smoky options.
Use an accent wall of Newburg Green while featuring a dark brown leather sofa in your family room. If you need to cool off the yellow a bit because the room gets a lot of sun, try a smoky purple such as Amorous.
You can easily put Swiss Coffee to work in every room of your house. Keep your window coverings simple to celebrate the clean, natural light that matches this light.
This color will not gray down as the light fades; it will chalk and continue to reflect ambient light.
If you want a similar shade in your bedroom to provide you with a place to snuggle in and sleep more deeply, consider putting Baby Turtle to work on a wall or two to create a quieter, calmer bedroom.
RGB: 237, 234, 224
Hex Code: #EDEAE0
LRV: 81.91
Paint Color Samples
Would you like to sample these paint colors? I recommend using a peel and stick paint sample from SAMPLIZE. Peel and stick paint samples are very affordable and easy to use. They are also clean and environmentally friendly!
Alabaster (7008) – Sherwin-Williams
The Alabaster from Benjamin Moore offers a bit more flexibility; while other off-white colors really want to go yellow, this color leans toward (but never seems to get to) pink.
If you pair this paint color with warm shades or any mix with lots of yellow in it, it will simply step back to a pleasant, slightly chalky white.
There’s not enough red in this mix to really lean pink unless you work at it; for example, against a bold jade bedspread, you may get a hint of pink.
Since there’s only an 11-point spread in this color and because the green number is so close to the red, this color will nearly always step back when paired with a strong shade.
Interestingly, it also works well with yellow tones such as cream and tan. It stays bright and clean.
For those who love to DIY and are working their way through a house, fixing and refinishing one room at a time, this is a great basic paint color that you can use to clean up everything while you dig down under old carpet or tired floor finishes.
Do put this color to work as a trim paint. While the cottage look often calls for a clean, bright white for trim, the slight blue tint to this color may not work against your oak or warm maple floor.
Skip the fight and use Alabaster for a pale, creamy white that will work with almost any shade of wall paint.
Even better, if you’re planning a big kitchen rehab but are going to paint the cabinets for a temporary fix, this shade is neutral enough that you can wash up and reuse all that hardware with little fuss.
Bright brass will still stand out, but the whole room won’t promote the yellow metallic finish because your Alabaster paint job will not add too much warmth to the space.
You can even pair this with non-smoky colors. Clear aqua walls in an office, bright blue paint in a child’s room, or your pretty pink powder room will all work well with this trim paint.
If you choose to put up a bold yellow, you may notice a hint of pink in this trim paint.
It is a very good idea to carefully consider the color you put on the walls in your bedroom. Like Swiss Coffee, Alabaster will chalk or stay reflective when the room is as dark as you can make it.
Functionally, darkness makes quality rest easier. If you can still tell approximately what colors the walls in your bedroom are with the blinds closed and the lights off, the paint is chalking rather than graying.
Peel-and-Stick Paint Sample – Alabaster (7008) – Sherwin-Williams
Children may need a bit of brightness at night, but grown-ups need to rest.
Very subtle changes can allow you to have a cool, dark sleeping space. For example, you can use Alabaster for most walls and all your trim.
Use your favorite aqua or sage in your office for energy and focus. In your bedroom, try a smoky purple-gray such as After the Rain for a lovely daytime shade and a wonderful nighttime color that will just disappear into the shadows.
RGB: 242, 238, 231
Hex Code: #EEEAE0
LRV: 82
Summary: Swiss Coffee vs Alabaster
Either of these colors can work as a wall or trim paint. Think carefully about the colors in your home that you absolutely love.
If your biggest, most enjoyed piece of furniture is blue suede, go with Alabaster. If you absolutely love featuring the oak piano you got from your great-grandma, Swiss Coffee is an ideal choice.
Invest in an artist’s canvas and paint it with a sample of this color, hang it on the wall and watch how the color changes in the light.
- Very good condition
- Benjamin Moore Classic Colors Fan Deck
- Classic Colors
- Includes the American Classic Colors (AC)