Hello friends! Today let’s talk about color in decor! Have you heard what the Color of the Year 2016 is? It’s Simply White Benjamin Moore OC-117!
Benjamim Moore has officially announced it’s 2016 color of the year and it’s a bit surprising! The color experts at BM have research this for a year studying trends in fashion, architecture, textiles and art and decided that the color of the year is…drumroll…..white! Simply White OC-117 to be exact.
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Color of the Year Simply White OC-117
It’s ironic that their Color of the Year is… well, no color… but I must say from personal experience (see my office makeover) that Simply White is really, truly gorgeous.
Office Decor and Furniture Sources:
office chair (similar)
parsons chair (similar)
white slipcover (similar)
my white desk
office bookcase
office console unit
This is not a cold white. It has warm undertones and is a little bit creamy, but definitely ‘white’ . It goes well with both cool and warm colors too…. and also with wood finishes and metallics. I recommend it!
Simply White Fireplace
Living Room
It’s “transcendent, powerful, and polarizing” says Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore Creative Director in a press release. “White is not just a design trend, it is a design essential,” she continued. “The popularity of white, the necessity of white, the mystique of white is quantifiable in our industry.” The company offers more than 250 selections of white, and of the top ten best-selling Benjamin Moore colors, white tones occupy five spots. “It was inevitable that we would ultimately recognize white as our Color of the Year,” says O’Neill.
Kitchen cabinetry painted Simply White
Kitchen Cabinets painted Simply White
The Color of the Year announcement was accompanied by a corresponding palette of 23 additional paint colors dubbed the Color Trends of 2016. These selections include a variety of vibrant shades like Lemonade (a pale yellow), Patriot Blue (a deep cerulean), Ravishing Red (a vibrant rouge), and Gentle Violet (a rich plum).
So what do you think? Love Simply White or hate it?
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Need more color tips? These color guides will help you when choosing paint colors:
(affiliate links provided for your convenience see my disclosure policy)
Farrow and Ball Decorating with Color
House Beautiful – The Perfect Shade for Every Room
House Beautiful Colors for Your Home Expanded Edition: 493 Designer Favorites
You may also like:
Design Tip: 60-30-10 color rule
The Best Painting Tips from HGTV Expert Andrew Downward
My favorite painting tips and tools
Heather Luckhurst is the publisher and owner of the Design and Lifestyle website 
Chloe Crabtree says
November 4, 2015 at 8:19 amI love white, it makes such a lovely backdrop for everything else. With a giant white fireplace in our family room, we went with Benjamin Moore Lily White which has the slightest touch of blue in it. The images you shared are beautiful.
heather says
November 5, 2015 at 5:10 pmThat’s a gorgeous color Choe!! I’m sure you love your white fireplace – sounds lovely! Thanks for your lovely comments fellow white lover! 🙂
Janet says
November 10, 2015 at 1:17 amActually, since white is all the colors, it makes perfect since to be color of the year!
heather says
November 11, 2015 at 6:44 pmLOL – exactly Janet!! You are so right! 🙂
linda says
November 10, 2015 at 10:52 amSurprising! Guess if you live in quarters that is good news. White is actually a good color if it is a warm, not ice cold. Like the Patriot Blue and Ravishing Red too. Have a good day! Linda
Arlys says
November 16, 2015 at 6:21 pmI love the simply white, but don’t know if it is too white for my alder stained wood and have some monterey white bead board. The paint color that seems to go nicely with my backsplash, wood, etc., is manchester tan, but thinking I like lighter????. help:)
heather says
November 20, 2015 at 3:40 pmArlys – it might help if you bought a sample of simply white to try at home – then you can really tell if it goes with your wood tones and bead board. It does seem to be a white that goes with any color!
Am says
January 24, 2016 at 2:31 amWhite looks lovely when you have some nice woodwork, interesting molding etc. In my stock track home I dont even have trim around my windows and went with edgecomb grey for my base color downstairs. Very light greige with enough contrast to the swiss coffee (warm white) baseboards. However I think white is lovely with houses that have lots of trim and woodwork throughout and good natural light. Love white cabinets too and always have.
heather says
February 28, 2016 at 1:37 pmEdgecomb gray is a beautiful color Amy!
April says
February 28, 2016 at 1:01 pmWhat color are the walls in the laundry room? Is that simply white as well? Looks great I’m trying to pick out a white to paint over wood paneling in entryway!
heather says
February 28, 2016 at 1:15 pmHi April! Our laundry room is SW Mindful Gray – one wall – and the rest is SW Toque White. Have fun with your laundry room makeover! 🙂
Cathy Ashley says
August 25, 2016 at 12:31 amWhere did you get the white desk?
heather says
August 25, 2016 at 7:44 pmHi Cathy – I updated the post with the link to it! Here it is (affiliate link) http://amzn.to/2bm9t3e
Laurie says
April 23, 2018 at 11:06 amHow does Simply White compare to Cloud White?
heather says
May 6, 2018 at 7:41 pmHi Laurie! Simply White has a warm undertone and Cloud White has a cool undertone. Hope that helps!