Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace Living Room Makeover
Article may have affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. Big thanks for supporting my small business.
The cabin style vibe at our lake house got a full overhaul and Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace was the star of the show!
Our goal was to brighten things up and give the space a more modern coastal look without losing that cozy feel. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace made that happen!
Once the first coat went on, I knew we made the right choice.
It looked clean without feeling cold, soft without looking yellow, and bright enough to make the whole space feel refreshed.
In this post, I’m sharing how we used it throughout the living room and why it ended up being the best white paint choice for this space.
Why We Chose Chantilly Lace
Choosing a white paint seems simple until you realize how many of them come with undertones.
Some lean yellow, others blue or gray, and you don’t usually notice until it’s already on the wall. Chantilly Lace, which is Benjamin Moore’s OC-65, stayed true in every room we tested.
What Made It the Right Choice
- No undertones. It doesn’t shift yellow, beige, or gray.
- It reflects a lot of light. Its LRV is 92.2, which means it’s one of their brightest whites.
- It worked well in every corner of the room, even with all the natural light we get.
- It gave us that crisp look we were going for without feeling cold.
We sampled it on a few walls first, and I’m glad we did. No surprises once we painted the full space.
Painting the Living Room
If you missed the post where we tore down the wall, be sure to click through this post why we knocked down an interior wall, to see that entire process. The original plan was to never even paint this space or tear down the partition wall but we ultimately decided, the space needed an overhaul.
Here is the living room kitchen area below when we bought the lake house(see lake house purchase post here) last Fall.
The living room originally had dark stained wood planks on the walls and ceiling.
It was warm and woodsy, but a little too dark for our taste.
We started with two coats of primer to help block out the stain. Then we used about 15 gallons of Chantilly Lace paint across the entire space.
This is a picture below that I took the day we bought the house. Our dog was making himself right at home!
Surfaces We Painted
- All the walls and the vaulted ceiling
- Every inch of trim
- New Logan-style solid core doors and the pocket door into the bunk room
Paint Finishes We Used
For the finishes, we went with a washable matte on the walls and satin on the trim and doors. That small difference gave a nice bit of contrast without needing to introduce a second color.
Layout Changes That Made a Big Difference
We made a few structural updates to go along with the paint:
- Took out a partition wall behind the sofa to open up the space. This gave us about four extra feet of floor space.
- Added a new side entry door and some windows to let in more natural light.
- Built a small wall to create a new bunk room.
- Jimbo built a floating fireplace wall from stone to house the TV and electric fireplace insert.
- We left the original stained beams because they added a nice bit of warmth and contrast.
The fireplace decision was tricky.
We didn’t want to block the lake view, so that took some back and forth. In the end, we’re happy with the placement and love how it turned out.
Before:
After:
If you missed the post about the kitchen remodel in this home, be sure to click through this post lake house kitchen remodel on a budget and read about how Jim surprised me one Friday afternoon and how this space became what it is now! It was the best surprise ever! :).
How Chantilly Lace Works With Natural Light
This space gets a lot of sunlight, especially with the wall of windows facing the lake.
We needed a paint color that could keep up. Chantilly Lace worked really well with all the natural light.
What We Noticed in Different Lighting
- In the morning and early afternoon, it looks bright and neutral.
- At sunset, it picks up a soft warm glow without turning yellow.
- On overcast days, it still feels white, not gray or dull.
Some people say Chantilly Lace can take on a bluish tint in cool light, but we didn’t see that here. Instead, it just played nicely with the wood accents, furniture, and the trees outside the windows.
Bringing in the Modern Coastal Style
With a fresh white base, we started layering in pieces that fit our modern coastal look.
- Two blue coastal accent chairs with a coastal feel
- A soft leather sofa that’s easy to wipe down after lake days
- A natural jute and sisal rug in an 8×10 size
- Rope-style pendant lights and a black ceiling fan
- Simple lake-themed pillow covers and a HomeGoods coffee table sealed with clear poly
For those of you wondering, the very cool 24″ blue leather top counter stools can be found here, the woven rope light pendants ( I LOVE them!) can be found here and the ceiling fan here.
The overall look feels casual, welcoming, and pulled together. The bedrooms lean a bit more farmhouse, but the main living space feels coastal and clean without going overboard.
The blue plaid bunk bed bedding can be found here and the iron bunk bed frame here.
Tips if You’re Thinking About Using Chantilly Lace
After using this color on just about every surface, here’s what I learned:
- Test it first. Light changes throughout the day and so does the paint. Peel-and-stick samples are easy to move around and give you a better idea of how it will look.
- Stick with the same color but vary the sheen. We used matte on walls and satin on trim and it worked really well.
- Don’t skip primer, especially if you’re painting over wood or stains.
- If you’re comparing whites, this one reads cleaner and brighter than Simply White or Decorator’s White.
If you’re looking for a true white with no surprises, this one is a safe bet.
Related: White Paints I love and Why
Chantilly Lace Before and After
This room went from dark and heavy to light and relaxed. Chantilly Lace helped make that happen.
Now, this space feels calm, open, and completely ready for guests. We’ve even had people ask about the paint color, which is always a good sign.
If you’re planning a living room update or searching for the right white paint, I hope this helps. And yes, our lake house is available to rent if you want to come see it for yourself!
Common Questions
Not in this one. It’s bright, but not harsh. If you have good natural light, it works really well.
Simply White has a slight yellow undertone that shows up in low light. Chantilly Lace stays more neutral and has a cleaner look.
Yes. We kept our stained beams, and the white paint works really well with them.
More Paint Color Review Posts
- Sherwin Williams Greek Villa (this was the perfect color for the entire inside of the ranch house)
- Best Grey kitchen cabinet paint colors (sharing the 7 paint grey cabinet colors with pictures)
- Sherwin Williams Westhighland White (a neutral white with a little warmth)
- Sherwin Williams Sea Salt (a beautiful blue green)
- Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray (the color we used in our kitchen renovation)
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace (a cool white we used at our lake house)
- Benjamin Moore White Dove (see how we used this color in our waterfront home and a small cape style house remodel from 1950.
- Behr Polar Bear (in our pool house with a coastal vibe)
- Behr Whipped Cream (perfect neutral for large open spaces or dark rooms with no windows)
- Benjamin Moore Advance Paint (best kitchen cabinet paint)
Meet Jessica
What started as a hobby, Jessica’s blog now has millions of people visit yearly and while many of the projects and posts look and sound perfect, life hasn’t always been easy. Read Jessica’s story and how overcoming death, divorce and dementia was one of her biggest life lessons to date.
Perfection!
Thank you!
Beautiful remodel! I’m trying to figure out what that is against the stair wall. Is it something that can close off the stairs? Just wondering because we need to figure out a way to close off our basement stairs so that our grandson won’t fall down the stairs.
Thanks! We are loving how it came out đŸ™‚ Are you talking about the metal black baluster rails and handrail?
I love everything! Where did you purchase the wall clock?
Thankyou! It’s a few years old and I think from Home Goods.
That house remodel is amazing!
Thank you Susan! We are loving it đŸ™‚