Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee

Are you looking for a neutral creamy white paint color that will stand the test of time? You will want to consider this ever-popular paint color, Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee. Swiss Coffee works well in a variety of spaces from living rooms to kitchen cabinets. It’s used frequently as a base color for rental homes and apartments because of its beautiful warmth and crispness.

About Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee

Swiss Coffee is described by the brand as “inherently sophisticated and endlessly versatile, the Off-White collection offers subtle nuances of whites that suit tranquil, serene environments as well as creates color-enhancing accents for dynamic spaces.” I couldn’t agree more with the statement that this color is endlessly versatile. It is. It’s a beautiful creamy white that can work well in a lot of different lighting situations. It’s no wonder it is used often in rental homes like mine.

What is the LRV?

The Light Reflective Value or LRV of Swiss Coffee is 83.93. LRV is a good tool to use to determine how light (100 being white) or dark (0 being black) a paint color is. The operative word here is light. Light Reflective Value means how much light is reflected. The lighter the color the more light can be reflected. At nearly 84, Swiss Coffee isn’t white but would be considered an off-white or a cream color. It reflects a good amount of light making it a beautiful color for bright spaces but will also retain its warmth in lower light situations.

Is Swiss Coffee a Warm or Cool Color?

The warmth of a color is determined by its undertones. Swiss Coffee has yellow undertones which makes it a warm color. It’s a very inviting color because of those rich, warm undertones. Those warm undertones allow this color to works well with other warm tones like: gold tones and beige colors.

This color works really well in north-facing rooms that get cooler light. Adding too much warm light on top of this color can bring out too much yellow in this paint color.

Because of it’s rich warmth, Swiss Coffee works for many different decorating styles including Farmhouse, Boho, Contemporary, and Traditional.

Does Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee Look Yellow?

As popular as this color is, there are some lighting situations that will cause Swiss Coffee to look too yellow. In south-facing rooms that get warmer light, the paint color can appear too yellow. To tone down the yellow undertones you can try Swiss Coffee at 75% pigment which decreases the yellow undertones significantly. It’s always recommended to try paint colors in different areas of your home and observe them throughout the day to see how light affects the color.

What Colors Go Well With Swiss Coffee?

Swiss Coffee goes really well with other warm neutrals like gold, beige, and even warm grays. I also think Swiss Coffee looks great with rich browns, terra cotta, and earthy green. Some say it doesn’t work well with blues and greens because of the yellow undertones but my entire house is painted Swiss Coffee and while a creamy white wouldn’t be my first pick for wall colors, I think it plays nicely with my coastal decor, which is a lot of beige and blue. If you’re concerned about the color looking too yellow with your blue decor, I’d consider a cooler white like Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

What Trim Color Goes Well With Swiss Coffee?

If you’re painting your walls Swiss Coffee, I would also paint your trim the same color. A good rule of thumb is to paint your walls in a flat or eggshell finish and give your trim a satin or semi-gloss finish. The different sheens are just enough for a very slight noticeable difference between the wall color and trim.

Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee in Real Spaces

I mentioned that Swiss Coffee works well in rental homes because it’s in our rental home and all the others in our military housing community. I am pleased with this paint color because it’s a rich and creamy off white that doesn’t run yellow like so many off white paint colors.

Living Room

Here’s Swiss Coffee in my living room. As I mentioned before, I think it works well with my blue and white decor. I think part of that is because of the rich brown flooring we have as well as the other accents like the side tables and the gold sconces.

Swiss Coffee on Cabinetry

I think Swiss Coffee is a gorgeous choice as a cabinet paint color. It provides a rich warmth that you want in a kitchen. It doesn’t look too yellow, it’s the perfect off-white. It’s a versatile paint color that pairs well with light countertops like marble or white quartz as well as darker countertops like soapstone. I love how the brass hardware looks with Swiss Coffee – it really plays into the rich tones of the color.

Swiss Coffee in Our Entryway

I wanted to show you another look at Swiss Coffee in my home. Our entryway is full of light. In my opinion, that’s when Swiss Coffee is at its best, bathing in natural light. It is just the creamiest white when it has a lot of light to absorb.

Would I recommend this paint color to a friend?

I love this question. I 100% would recommend this paint color to a friend. I would tell my friend to grab a sample and try it out in different lighting situations within their home and observe the color at different times throughout the day. Doing this gives you a great idea of how this paint color will look in your home. If you notice it’s a bit too yellow then maybe try it at 75% before giving up. There’s a reason Swiss Coffee has been so popular over the years. It’s a reliable and timeless off white paint color.

Wrapping Up

TLDR; Swiss Coffee is a popular and reliable off white paint color that does well in a variety of spaces. It is a warm color with some yellow and perhaps slightly green undertones. It does best in north facing rooms. It’s a great option for wall color as well as cabinetry. I highly recommend grabbing a sample of this paint color and trying it out in your home.