Updated on Oct 17, 2025
16 Minute Read

Cotton Balls OC-122 Paint Color by Benjamin Moore

Light and Bright: How the Perfect White Can Refresh Your Room

Choosing the right paint color can often feel daunting with so many possibilities, but occasionally, you come across one that simply feels perfect. OC-122 Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore brought a fresh breath of air into my home. This shade of white is remarkably adaptable, managing to be both soothing and bright while blending effortlessly into any room. It’s a hue that doesn’t just coat the walls—it enhances the entire atmosphere of an area.

What truly stood out to me about Cotton Balls is its gentle warmth. Unlike some whites that can appear cold or stark, this one carries a soft touch that makes a room feel more welcoming. Whether I used it in the lively center of my home—the kitchen—or in a peaceful retreat like the bedroom, it maintained its elegance and purity, reflecting light beautifully and giving rooms a more spacious appearance.

Another wonderful feature of OC-122 Cotton Balls is its compatibility with many design styles. Whether your taste leans toward modern simplicity or an eclectic mix of textures and colors, this shade provides a clean, crisp foundation that complements everything. If you’re planning a home refresh, OC-122 Cotton Balls might be just the perfect choice.

It made a noticeable difference in my interiors, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to add brightness and balance to their home.

Cotton Balls OC-122 Paint Color by Benjamin Moore
via benjaminmoore.com

What Color Is Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore?

Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore is a warm, creamy white that gently brightens any room. As a highly adaptable shade, it establishes a welcoming atmosphere and helps smaller rooms feel more open and spacious. With its soft undertone, Cotton Balls is perfect for those who want to introduce warmth without dominating the area with bold color.

This hue works beautifully with interior styles that celebrate comfort and simplicity, such as modern farmhouse, Scandinavian, and minimalist designs. In minimalist settings, it enhances the sense of openness and calm, while in modern farmhouse interiors, it pairs gracefully with natural materials like wood and linen, creating a cozy, inviting charm.

Cotton Balls also complements a wide range of materials and textures. Against hardwood floors, it emphasizes the natural richness of the wood grain, while pairing it with soft fabrics like wool, cotton, or linen brings a comforting layer of texture and warmth.

When matched with metallic accents such as brass or copper, it creates a refined contrast—balancing brightness with a hint of sophistication. Whether used in a sunlit kitchen, a tranquil bedroom, or a welcoming living room, Cotton Balls provides a clean, balanced backdrop that harmonizes effortlessly with a variety of decorative styles.

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Is Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore Warm or Cool color?

Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore is a crisp, bright white paint color that instantly adds a fresh and airy feeling to any room. Its reflective quality makes it ideal for opening up smaller areas, allowing them to appear larger and more illuminated. This adaptable shade works beautifully in every part of the home—from kitchens and living rooms to bedrooms—bringing a sense of lightness and clarity wherever it’s used.

The simple elegance of Cotton Balls makes it a wonderful choice for those who appreciate a minimalist aesthetic. It serves as a perfect neutral foundation, pairing effortlessly with bold or colorful accents to let them shine. In rooms filled with natural light, Cotton Balls enhances the brightness, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

For anyone seeking to refresh their interiors with ease, Cotton Balls OC-122 offers a simple yet impactful solution. Its clean and balanced tone provides a cohesive flow throughout the home, ensuring every room feels bright, open, and effortlessly polished.

Undertones of Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore

Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore is an adaptable paint color often chosen for its clean and bright appearance. However, the way we see this color can change significantly depending on the light and surrounding colors due to its complex undertones. Undertones are subtle colors that lie beneath the surface of the dominant color. For Cotton Balls, the undertones include pale yellow, light blue, light purple, mint, pale pink, lilac, and grey.

These undertones influence how the color is perceived in different settings. For example, in a room with a lot of natural light, the pale yellow undertone might make the walls appear warmly lit, even on a cloudy day. In contrast, in an area with cooler light, the light blue or lilac undertones can give the walls a slightly cooler, more refreshing look.

When using Cotton Balls on interior walls, it’s important to consider these undertones because they can subtly influence the mood and visual temperature of the room. For instance, the grey undertone can help the color blend well with modern and minimalist decors by adding a neutral backdrop that complements various decor styles and colors. Meanwhile, the mint and pale pink undertones can soften the environment, making the area feel more welcoming and comfortable.

Understanding these undertones helps in choosing furniture and decor that coordinate well with the paint, ensuring everything in the room comes together harmoniously. This is crucial in achieving a desired aesthetic and making the area feel cohesive.

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What is the Masstone of the Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore?

Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore, with its masstone of light gray (#D5D5D5), offers a fresh and clean look that can greatly enhance home interiors. This subtle and neutral shade has a soft, almost white appearance that brings a bright and airy feel to any room.

Because it’s so close to white, it easily matches with various decor styles and colors, making it a flexible choice for walls, trims, and ceilings. The light gray masstone helps in creating a more open and roomy atmosphere, which is especially beneficial in smaller areas or rooms with limited natural light.

This color can make dark areas appear brighter without feeling too stark or cold, unlike a true white might. Additionally, its neutral quality means it can support bolder colors or act as a calming backdrop to more vibrant furnishings and art. Overall, Cotton Balls OC-122 is an excellent option for anyone looking to refresh their home with a gentle, light-enhancing color.

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How Does Lighting Affect Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore?

Lighting plays a crucial role in how we perceive colors, as it can greatly alter their appearance. The color in question, Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore, is a vibrant white with subtle undertones that can change depending on the type of light it is exposed to.

In artificial lighting, Cotton Balls tends to look warmer. This effect comes from most indoor lighting options that emit a yellowish hue, enhancing the warm undertones of this shade. Therefore, in rooms illuminated by standard indoor lights, this color will appear softer and slightly creamy.

In natural light, this color reflects more of the light’s true spectrum, showing its pure and clean qualities. Natural sunlight provides the most accurate representation of color, making Cotton Balls look bright and crisp, especially when the sunlight is abundant.

The orientation of a room also impacts how Cotton Balls will appear throughout the day:

  1. North-faced areas – These rooms get less direct sunlight, which tend to make colors appear slightly cooler and more consistent throughout the day. Here, Cotton Balls might look a bit more muted, displaying a subdued and calm white.
  2. South-faced areas – These rooms enjoy ample sunlight for most of the day, which can make this color look very bright and vibrant. In south-facing areas, the paint can reflect the sunlight beautifully, giving a lively and energetic feel.
  3. East-faced areas – Morning light in east-faced areas is warm and yellowish, making Cotton Balls appear slightly warmer in the mornings while returning to a neutral white later in the day as natural light diminishes.
  4. West-faced areas – The evening light in these rooms can add a golden glow to the walls, especially during sunset, making the color appear warmer and cozier as the day progresses.
    Overall, the appearance of Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore is greatly influenced by both the type of lighting and the room’s orientation, affecting its warmth, brightness, and the mood it sets in the area.
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What is the LRV of Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore?

LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value, which is a measure of the percentage of light a paint color reflects back into a room. The scale on which LRV is measured ranges from the lowest end, where a paint color may absorb more light, to the highest end, where it reflects most of the light. A color with a high LRV makes an area feel brighter because it reflects more light around.

This feature is particularly useful in rooms that don’t receive a lot of natural sunlight or are smaller in size, as it can make the area appear larger and more open. In the case of the mentioned color with an LRV of 88.95, it is very close to the top of the LRV scale, which means it is excellent at reflecting light.

This makes it an ideal choice for making rooms feel airy and more expansive. Light colors like this can help compensate for dim lighting conditions, providing a luminous effect even in areas with limited natural light. When applied on walls, this paint can minimize the need for excessive artificial lighting and help in conserving energy while creating a pleasant indoor environment.

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Coordinating Colors of Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore

Coordinating colors are shades that complement or enhance each other when used together in a design area. These colors create a balanced and harmonious look, making the environment more appealing. Benjamin Moore’s color palette often includes options that can easily coordinate with fundamental shades like Cotton Balls OC-122, a crisp and clean white.

Aegean Teal (2136-40) is a rich, Mediterranean-inspired color that brings a refreshing vibrancy when paired with the neutrality of Cotton Balls. It’s a bold choice that retains an airy feel suitable for enhancing rooms like living areas or kitchens. Inner Balance (1522) serves a subdued, soft grey-green, offering a sense of calm and lightness that works well in areas aimed for relaxation like bedrooms and bathrooms.

Its subtlety beautifully complements the starkness of a white such as Cotton Balls. Silver Satin (OC-26), another coordinating color, presents a muted, elegant grey that adds a touch of casual refinement without overpowering. This shade pairs nicely in rooms that aim for a modern yet understated aesthetic.

Lastly, Snow on the Mountain (1513) offers a hint of muted green mixed with grey, providing a flexible backdrop that supports a range of decorative elements, making it ideal for busy areas such as entryways and hallways. Together, these colors provide a cohesive palette that enhances the crispness of Cotton Balls while maintaining their distinct personalities.

You can see recommended paint colors below:

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What are the Trim colors of Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore?

Trim colors play a significant role in interior design by creating a visual framework that enhances the walls’ primary color. For a flexible color like Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore, choosing the right trim color can really define and highlight the area. White Wisp OC-54 and Atrium White OC-145 are excellent choices for trim as they offer a subtle contrast that can make the wall color stand out while keeping the overall aesthetic light and harmonious.

These trim colors help in defining architectural details like door frames and moldings, making them more noticeable and adding depth to the design. White Wisp OC-54 is a gentle off-white with a subtle hint of gray that gives it a clean, fresh look. It pairs well with brighter whites like Cotton Balls OC-122, offering a subtle distinction that can make the area seem larger and more open.

Atrium White OC-145, on the other hand, has a touch of warmth making it a perfect complement to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. It contrasts softly with more neutral bases and brings a sense of calm to any room it is used in, without overshadowing the main wall color.

You can see recommended paint colors below:

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Colors Similar to Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore

Selecting similar colors when decorating a home provides an aesthetic continuity that can make rooms appear larger and more cohesive. For instance, using shades like OC-117 Simply White, which is closely related to Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore, ensures that the transitions between areas are smooth and there is an overall harmony in the visual experience.

Similar shades lend a subtle variation that can differentiate rooms while still maintaining a unified look. This approach can be incredibly effective in creating a calming effect throughout the home without any abrupt transitions that could disrupt the flow from one area to another.

OC-117 Simply White is a clean and fresh color, presenting a soft backdrop that can brighten any environment while offering a sense of comfort. It works perfectly in areas that need a light touch but still require some warmth to make them inviting. The charm of Simply White lies in its adaptability, as it can complement different decor styles and settings without clashing with other elements.

It’s a reliable color choice that enhances natural light and works beautifully to highlight other features in a room such as art pieces, furniture, or decorative accents. Through the selective use of such colors, interiors can achieve a seamless aesthetic conducive to a relaxed and welcoming environment.

You can see recommended paint color below:

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How to Use Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore In Your Home?

Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore is a flexible paint shade that can brighten up any area in your home. Its clean and crisp white tone makes it a perfect choice for creating a fresh and airy feel. Whether you’re painting your living room, bedroom, or kitchen, Cotton Balls can help refresh and open up the area.

It’s particularly useful in smaller rooms or areas with limited natural light, as the brightness of the white can make the room seem larger and more inviting. This color also works well as a base, allowing you to add colorful accents through furniture and decor items, providing a neutral backdrop that makes any color pop.

It’s easy to apply and can cover existing paint colors effectively, making it a practical choice for quick updates. Moreover, it has an enduring appeal, ensuring your area remains stylish and appealing for years to come without needing frequent updates.

Cotton Balls OC-122 by Benjamin Moore vs Simply White OC-117 by Benjamin Moore

Cotton Balls OC-122 and Simply White OC-117 by Benjamin Moore are both popular white paint colors, but they have subtle differences that might affect your decision depending on the area you’re painting. Cotton Balls is a clean and soft white with a warm undertone, making it feel cozy and inviting in a room. It excels in rooms that need a gentle yet pure white, offering a welcoming ambience without feeling too stark.

On the other hand, Simply White is crisper and has a slightly brighter appearance. It’s an adaptable choice that works beautifully to brighten up an area while maintaining warmth, thanks to its slight yellow undertones. This color is particularly effective in rooms that get a lot of natural light, as it reflects light beautifully, making the room feel lively and fresh.

When choosing between these two, consider the quality of light and the mood you want to create in your room. Cotton Balls might be preferable for a softer, warmer look, while Simply White could be better for a clearer, more vibrant feel.

You can see recommended paint color below:

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As a closing thought about OC-122 Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore, I’ve found that this paint color can really lift the look of any room. It’s like a fresh, clean sheet of paper, providing a perfect background that makes everything around it stand out beautifully. What’s great about Cotton Balls is how bright and cheery it makes rooms feel. Whether you’re painting a bedroom, living room, or even a smaller corner of your home, this shade has the power to make areas feel more open and airy.

In testing it myself, I noticed how Cotton Balls interacts with light in a lovely way — it looks slightly different depending on the time of day due to natural sunlight. So, no matter the hour, it brings a special kind of brightness that is hard to find with other colors.

One of the best things about this paint color is how well it works with other colors. You can pair it with bold colors like navy or soft hues like light pink, and it still stands out without clashing. It’s really forgiving, so if you’re new to decorating, choosing OC-122 Cotton Balls is a safe yet effective choice.

To sum it all up, Benjamin Moore’s OC-122 Cotton Balls is an excellent choice for anyone looking to refresh their home. It’s simple, it’s clean, and it breathes new life into any area without much effort. It’s the perfect background that lets all other colors shine, making your home a lovely place to live.

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