Steam (BM AF-15) vs White Dove (BM OC-17)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Steam, LRV 84.2 vs 83.2.
- Warmer
- About the same, both warm white (Lab b* 4.5 vs 4.5).
- North rooms
- About the same: both keep their brightness and color about equally (L* 90.4 vs 90.0 in north light).
- Trim that works
- White Dove BM PM-19, #EFEEE5, LRV 85.4: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 0.2, indistinguishable. At 0.2, pick on price, finish or availability.
See each color
Steam (BM AF-15) is about as light as White Dove (BM OC-17) and about as warm: LRV 84.2 vs 83.2, deltaE 0.2 (indistinguishable).
Side by side
| Measure | Steam | White Dove | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | AF-15 | OC-17 | |
| Hex | #F0EFE6 | #EFEEE5 | |
| RGB | 240, 239, 230 | 239, 238, 229 | |
| HSL | 54°, 25%, 92% | 54°, 24%, 92% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 84.2 | 83.2 | +1 |
| Lab L* | 94.3 | 94.0 | +0.3 |
| Lab a* | -1.2 | -1.2 | 0.0 |
| Lab b* | 4.5 | 4.5 | −0.0 |
| Undertone | Neutral | Warm Yellow | |
| Temperature | neutral | warm | |
| Color family | White | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Steam (BM AF-15), published as #F0EFE6
#DEE5E4
#FFF9E6
White Dove (BM OC-17), published as #EFEEE5
#DDE4E3
#FFF8E5
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Steam (BM AF-15) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1 LRV points lighter (84.2 vs 83.2), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Steam in other brands
Closest matches to White Dove in other brands
Common questions
- Is Steam the same color as White Dove?
- They are indistinguishable: a CIEDE2000 difference of 0.2. Most people cannot tell Steam and White Dove apart.
- Which is lighter, Steam or White Dove?
- Steam, with an LRV of 84.2 against 83.2.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex from Benjamin Moore technical data (verified 2026-10-02). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.