Plaster of Paris®
What Plaster of Paris® Actually Looks Like
Plaster of Paris is a muted, chalky off-white that sits comfortably between white and warm beige. It reads like the surface of a freshly skimmed wall, dry and quiet, with a gentle warmth that keeps it from feeling stark. It is not a crisp white and it is not a tan. It occupies that calm middle ground where walls seem to recede softly rather than make a statement.
Plaster of Paris® Undertones
The color carries sandy, dusty undertones with just enough warmth to avoid feeling cold or gray. In strong natural light it can look almost like a pale linen. In lower or north-facing light it settles into something closer to a muted wheat tone. The warmth is subtle and even-handed rather than yellow or peachy.
Where Plaster of Paris® Works Best
Plaster of Paris works well as an all-over wall color in spaces where you want a relaxed, lived-in neutral rather than a bright white. It suits living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, and low-traffic areas where a soft backdrop is the goal. Because its LRV is high, it keeps rooms feeling light and airy without the sharpness of a pure white. It is an interior-only color.
Where to put Plaster of Paris®
On all four walls it creates a calm, envelope-style backdrop that lets furniture and textiles do the work. The chalky warmth keeps the space from feeling clinical.
It reads restful in bedrooms, especially with warm wood floors and natural fiber bedding. In lower evening light it deepens slightly into a cozier tone.
Hallways often lack strong natural light, and Plaster of Paris holds up well there, staying warm rather than turning gray or dingy in artificial light.
For a workspace, it is neutral enough to avoid distraction while being warmer and less harsh than a white, which makes long hours in the room feel more comfortable.
What to Pair With Plaster of Paris®
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for this color at this time. As a warm off-white, it pairs naturally with other quiet neutrals, raw wood tones, aged brass or bronze hardware, linen and cotton textiles, and muted greens or soft terracottas for accents.
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Colors that clash with Plaster of Paris®
Cool tones in furniture or textiles can make the warm sandy undertones in Plaster of Paris read muddier or slightly off rather than intentionally warm.
Pairing Plaster of Paris with a sharp, bright white on trim creates a contrast that can make the wall color look dingy by comparison rather than softly warm.
Common questions
The Benjamin Moore code is CSP-185, the hex is #E5E0D0, and the LRV is 72.52, which puts it firmly in the light range. Walls painted in this color will reflect a good amount of light without feeling like a stark white.
It can. The warm undertones help resist the grayish or cold shift that cooler whites suffer in north light. That said, in a room with very limited natural light it will read deeper and more wheat-toned, so test a large sample before committing.
Eggshell is the most practical choice for walls in living areas and bedrooms. It is easy to wipe clean and adds just enough sheen to catch light gently. Matte or flat finishes will emphasize the chalky, plaster-like quality of the color if that is the look you are after.
No. Benjamin Moore lists this color as interior only, so it is not formulated for outdoor surfaces.