Pale Oak (BM OC-20) 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 68.6.
- Warmer
- About the same (Lab b* 5.9 vs 5.6). Pale Oak reads greige; Swiss Coffee reads warm white.
- North rooms
- Swiss Coffee: keeps more brightness (L* 89.4 vs 82.8 in north light) and drifts less gray (chroma drop 3.0 vs 4.0).
- Trim that works
- Seapearl BM 961, #E7E4D9, LRV 76.4: the Benjamin Moore white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 4.2, noticeably different. At 4.2, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Pale Oak (BM OC-20) is darker than Swiss Coffee (BM OC-45) and about as warm: LRV 68.6 vs 81.9, deltaE 4.2 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Pale Oak | Swiss Coffee | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Benjamin Moore | Benjamin Moore | |
| Color code | OC-20 | OC-45 | |
| Hex | #DDD9CE | #EEECE1 | |
| RGB | 221, 217, 206 | 238, 236, 225 | |
| HSL | 44°, 18%, 84% | 51°, 28%, 91% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 68.6 | 81.9 | −13.3 |
| Lab L* | 86.7 | 93.3 | −6.5 |
| Lab a* | -0.5 | -1.2 | +0.7 |
| Lab b* | 5.9 | 5.6 | +0.3 |
| Undertone | Warm Greige | Neutral | |
| Temperature | warm | warm | |
| Color family | Greige | White |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Pale Oak (BM OC-20), published as #DDD9CE
#CCCFCC
#EFE3CE
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 13.3 LRV points lighter (81.9 vs 68.6), so it bounces back more of the limited light
Closest matches to Pale Oak in other brands
Closest matches to Swiss Coffee in other brands
Common questions
- Is Pale Oak the same color as Swiss Coffee?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 4.2. Most people can see the difference between Pale Oak and Swiss Coffee side by side.
- Which is lighter, Pale Oak or Swiss Coffee?
- Swiss Coffee, with an LRV of 81.9 against 68.6.
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.