Elmira White (BM HC-84) vs Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45)
Illustrative room. Screen colors vary; test a sample before you paint.
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Swiss Coffee, LRV 81.9 vs 64.7.
- Warmer
- Elmira White (Lab b* 8.9 vs 5.6). Elmira White reads greige; Swiss Coffee reads warm white.
- North rooms
- Swiss Coffee: keeps more brightness (L* 89.4 vs 80.8 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 3.0 vs 4.6).
- Trim that works
- Arbor White BM ES-01, #F2EDDF, LRV 85: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 6.2, clearly different. At 6.2, treat them as different colors.
See each color
Elmira White (BM HC-84) is much darker than Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) and warmer: LRV 64.7 vs 81.9, deltaE 6.2 (clearly different).
Side by side
| Measure | Elmira White | Swiss Coffee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | HC-84 | OC-45 | |
| Hex | #DBD3C3 | #EEECE1 | |
| RGB | 219, 211, 195 | 238, 236, 225 | |
| HSL | 40°, 25%, 81% | 51°, 28%, 91% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 64.7 | 81.9 | −17.2 |
| Lab L* | 84.8 | 93.3 | −8.5 |
| Lab a* | 0.0 | -1.2 | +1.3 |
| Lab b* | 8.9 | 5.6 | +3.3 |
| Undertone | Warm | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Beige | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Elmira White (BM HC-84), published as #DBD3C3
#CAC9C1
#EDDDC3
Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45), published as #EEECE1
#DCE2DF
#FFF6E1
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 Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 17.2 LRV points lighter (81.9 vs 64.7), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 5.6 against 8.9, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Elmira White (BM HC-84) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 8.9), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Elmira White in other brands
Closest matches to Swiss Coffee in other brands
Common questions
- Is Elmira White the same color as Swiss Coffee?
- They are clearly different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 6.2. Elmira White and Swiss Coffee are different colors.
- Which is lighter, Elmira White or Swiss Coffee?
- Swiss Coffee, with an LRV of 81.9 against 64.7.
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.