We have used Benjamin Moore Dove Wing (OC-18 and 960) in two rooms in our home in the last 18 months. The first application was in our renovated kitchen, where I wanted a warm, greige-y off-white to provide a hint of contrast against our White Dove cabinets and trim. We used Dove Wing again this summer in our primary bedroom budget-friendly glow-up. That was not necessarily an intentional choice – we wanted a neutral to cover the existing green paint and had gallons of paint left over from the kitchen. So Dove Wing it was. Read on for a full review of the color and some photos of our spaces (except for the one just below. That’s via Benjamin Moore).
dove wing lrv
Dove Wing has a light reflective value (LRV) of 77.52. LRV is measured on a scale of 0-100, with 100 reflecting all light and therefore being the lightest (click here for more on LRV). At 77.52, Dove Wing is definitely a light color, but not as light as what we would think of as the “whites.” It’s an off-white for sure, with a whisper of light greige color. If used as trim or cabinetry and paired with a dark color, Dove Wing could pass as a white; however, line it up next to a white and you’ll notice the contrast.
dove wing undertones
According to Benjamin Moore’s website, “silvery undertones bring a luminous quality to this white.” Honestly, that is not my experience. We can discuss what they mean by “luminous” another time; here, I’m breaking down the undertones (more on undertones here). And “silvery” they are not. When I think of silvery, I think cool. Dove Wing by no means has cool undertones – they are decidedly warm. Depending on the light (more on that below), it can show just a hint of peach or even mauve.
one color, two looks
Like many other whites and greiges, Dove Wing expresses itself differently depending on light and exposure. In our west-facing bedroom, the light coming into the room is warmer, and the paint color reads warmer. Not yellow, but almost a touch of peach or mauve, especially late afternoon. Our kitchen itself faces east, but gets almost zero natural light at any time of day, so we rely on 3000K recessed lighting on a dimmer. That light is obviously cooler than sunlight (especially western sunlight), so Dove Wing reads more of a neutral warm greige. The dining nook also faces east, and does get natural light. That morning light gives it a lovely warm creaminess, but nothing close to yellow.
sample!
I may sound like a broken record, but it is so very important to sample potential paint colors in your actual space. As noted above, light and exposure will affect how a color expresses itself. In addition, never rely on images on a screen! One cannot trust that the color that appears on a screen is a true representation of the actual color. Different cameras and settings can result in different color expressions, and you can forget it if the images have been edited. So sample, sample, sample! I personally use Samplize peel-and-stick samples. They use real paint to make them (not color-matched), so you will see what the actual paint will look like on your walls. And make sure you use a white background (not the existing paint)!
Have you used Dove Wing in your home? Let me know in the comments!