Our Review of Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore

By:

White paint is both timeless and classic when it comes to exterior design. From off-white and cream to bright whites and cooler shades with a tinge of gray, there is an entire spectrum of white paint to explore. One of our go-to colors for clients seeking a bright white paint for their exterior is Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. We have recommended it for use across building materials and have found that it looks particularly striking on traditional home styles.

Keep reading to learn more about this paint color’s technical specs, our recommended applications and paint color pairings, and more. 

Picking a paint color for your exterior can be daunting, especially because there are so many colors to choose from. That’s where our exterior design services come in. Our team of expert virtual exterior designers can help you visualize everything from front porch ideas to garage door options. Learn more about what we do.

Two-story transitional-style home rendered in Chantilly Lace with black accents

The Specs

Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace is one of the whitest white paint colors around, reminiscent of fresh cotton. With an LRV of 92.2, it’s a nearly pure white with illuminating brightness. (Not sure what LRV means? We explain what it is and why it’s important to understand when selecting a paint color for your home here.)

Because of how simple and clean Chantilly Lace is, it can read warm or cool depending on the direction your home faces and the subsequent natural light. However, the shade has virtually no undertones, so no matter what colors you pair it with or what direction your home faces, it’s still going to look white.

small white house with a dusty blue front door and a white pergola

Recommended Applications for Chantilly Lace

If you want an exterior color palette that’s both refreshing and inviting, white trim is an excellent way to achieve that. Because it’s such a pure, clean white, Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore is a great choice for trim. In the rendering above, our designers went with Benjamin Moore’s Seapearl on the brick and stucco and used Chantilly Lace for the garage, trim, pergola, and other accents. 

large white brick house with tall columns and wood accents

If a soft-yet-crisp paint color that translates beautifully across your entire exterior is what you’re looking for, Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore should be on your radar. The bright hue of this color looks breathtaking on the brick home above. When combined with subtle wood accents, Chantilly Lace has a muted warmth to it that makes the aesthetic all the more welcoming.

large white brick home with black shutters and accents

Chantilly Lace Paint Color Pairings

White-and-black exterior color palettes bode well for classic contrast, and Benjamin Moore’s Soot is an excellent companion for Chantilly Lace if you’re looking to embrace that perennial color combination. A true, bright white, Chantilly Lace looks particularly striking when coupled with the inky, saturated Soot.

large white brick home with gray trim

If black-and-white isn’t your vibe but you still lean toward a high-contrast look, gray paint colors also pair beautifully with Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore. In the rendering above, our designers used both a medium gray and a charcoal shade for the exterior accents, opting for Benjamin Moore’s Cinder and Iron Mountain.

ranch home with white siding and wood accents

Pros & Cons of Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace

PROS:

  • With a bright tone, it’s great for a sleek and clean look
  • It has practically no undertones, so it reads white no matter what you pair it with
  • It looks incredible on any texture

CONS

  • Its high LRV means it can come across almost blinding if your home gets a lot of direct sunlight
  • Not necessarily a con, but beware that natural light will greatly impact if Chantilly Lace reads more warm or cool — be sure to test!
We always recommend sampling and testing paint colors before committing. Factors such as natural lighting, undertones, and your property’s fixed elements will have a significant impact on how a color will appear on your exterior. Our friends at Samplize offer extra-large 9 x 14.75 inch peel-and-stick paint samples of the colors we love for exteriors. Order your ‘Real Paint, No Mess’ samples from Samplize here.

Chantilly Lace Alternatives

If you aren’t quite sure you want one of the whitest whites, and you’d like to consider shades of white that might be a little warmer or have more dimension with undertones, there are plenty of other white paint colors to consider.

traditional home with white siding and stucco

Benjamin Moore’s Simply White

Like Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore’s Simply White is a pure, bright white shade that can be used on any texture and hold its integrity. With an LRV of 91.7, Simply White is ever so slightly less white than Chantilly Lace.

white brick home with black accents and copper gutters

Benjamin Moore’s White Dove

With an LRV of 85.38, White Dove by Benjamin Moore is more of an off-white. A peaceful hue, White Dove has a little bit of warmth to it, but is still pretty straightforward without complicated undertones.

ranch home with white siding and wood accents

Sherwin Williams’ Pure White

With a subtle warmth, Pure White by Sherwin Williams is a popular white paint color that is one of the more well-balanced whites. Its LRV of 84 lands it in the sweet spot of not too creamy, but not too stark.

modern home with white siding and wood accents with black garage doors

Sherwin Williams’ Alabaster

Our designers have used Alabaster by Sherwin Williams with Chantilly Lace and have found that the two whites play well together, but you also might find yourself choosing one over the other instead of combining them in your exterior color scheme. Where Chantilly Lace is a true, illuminated white, Alabaster is much warmer and has an LRV of 82, making it more of an off-white.

traditional home with white brick and siding

The Bottom Line on Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace

If you want a light and fresh white paint color, Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore might just be the straightforward, bright white shade of your exterior design dreams.

Whether you’re trying to decide between white shades or an entirely different color, our team is ready to work with you. Our designers can help you visualize your exterior in any paint color, so it’s easier to find your perfect match. Get started on your exterior design project today. 

Author

brick&batten Contributor

Mackenzie has been writing for brick&batten for three years, and most of her exterior design knowledge comes from renovating her own home. She purchased a log home that was stuck in the '90s and the previous owners were unable to keep up with exterior maintenance. From reimagining the landscaping and hardscaping to revamping the porch and logs, Mackenzie and her family approached the entire project DIY-style. In her free time, Mackenzie enjoys cooking and spending time with her family of six on their farm, which includes cows, chickens, rabbits, dogs, and cats. She has been writing for 12 years and has explored a variety of materials from food writing to lifestyle pieces and, of course, virtual exterior design.