Butterfield
What Butterfield Actually Looks Like
Butterfield is a pale, buttery cream that sits closer to white than yellow but reads unmistakably warm. On a wall it gives rooms a soft glow rather than a stark or cool cast. In strong natural light it can look almost like a true white with just a hint of warmth. In dimmer rooms or under incandescent bulbs it settles into a noticeably creamy, honeyed tone.
Butterfield Undertones
The dominant pull is yellow, softened by a touch of beige. There is no green or pink to worry about. That yellow-beige base is what keeps it from feeling cold or sterile, and it is also what can make it read richer than you expect in low-light spaces or on north-facing walls.
Where Butterfield Works Best
Butterfield works well in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and entry halls where you want warmth without committing to a bold color. Its high light reflectance makes it a practical choice for smaller rooms that need to feel open. It also works in kitchens as long as you pair it with warm-toned or wood elements rather than cool gray or chrome.
Where to put Butterfield
On all four walls of a living room, Butterfield creates a cohesive, inviting backdrop that flatters wood furniture and warm textiles. Use a bright white on trim to sharpen the contrast and keep the space from feeling too soft.
In a bedroom the creamy warmth reads as calm rather than energizing, which works well for a restful space. Pair it with linen, warm wood, or rattan for a cohesive tone-on-tone effect.
Butterfield can feel fresh in a kitchen if your counters, cabinets, or hardware lean warm. If you have cool white subway tile or stainless appliances as the dominant element, the color may look a bit yellowed rather than intentional.
Its high light reflectance helps a hallway feel open rather than enclosed. The warmth greets people at the door without the starkness of a cool white.
What to Pair With Butterfield
No specific coordinating colors are listed in our database for Butterfield 897. As a warm cream, it pairs naturally with soft whites, warm taupes, natural wood tones, and muted sage or olive greens. Avoid cool grays and blue-whites, which will make Butterfield look dingy by comparison.
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Colors that clash with Butterfield
Pairing Butterfield with cool or blue-gray furniture, trim, or tile creates a visual conflict. The yellow undertone in the wall color and the blue-gray in the accent will fight each other, and neither will look intentional.
A very stark, blue-white trim can make Butterfield look dingy or yellowed on the walls rather than warmly creamy.
Gray tile or pale blue-gray hardwood can clash with Butterfield's yellow-beige warmth, making the wall color look dated rather than classic.
Common questions
Benjamin Moore Butterfield carries the color code 897, hex #F8F0DC, and a precise LRV of 84.95, which places it firmly in the high-reflectance range. It will read light and airy in most rooms.
It depends on your light. In bright south or west-facing rooms it reads as a warm white with soft depth rather than an overtly yellow room. In north-facing or low-light spaces the yellow undertone becomes more noticeable. If you want a true neutral cream that goes almost undetected, Butterfield may be one step too warm for you.
You can, in a matte or satin finish on a properly prepped surface. The creamy tone works well on inset or shaker-style cabinets paired with warm brass or bronze hardware. Just know that on cabinets the color will look slightly deeper and more saturated than it does on walls.
An eggshell finish is the most practical choice for walls. It has just enough sheen to wipe clean without showing every roller mark or surface flaw. Flat works if your walls are in good shape and you want the softest look. Save satin for trim.