Off-white

Off-white is a colour that is almost, but not quite, white. It is what white becomes when it is switched off, or at least turned down a little to save energy.^[1]

Off-white is the most popular colour for walls in rented homes, where it is chosen because it is the colour the walls already were.

Varieties

Paint catalogues list hundreds of shades of off-white, with names such as Eggshell, Ivory, Linen, Mist, Whisper and Slightly Louder Whisper. Each is named after something else that is also off-white, except Whisper, which is named after the noise people make while choosing it.^[2]

How white is off

The point at which white becomes off-white was fixed in 1931 by the Standards Committee for Pale Things, which painted a single wall and then sat in front of it for six years. Its conclusion, that off-white begins “at about the moment you notice”, remains the official definition, and the wall has since been repainted, in off-white.^[3]

Off-white should not be confused with on-white, which is ordinary white, or with off-off-white, which is cream.

In nature

Off-white occurs naturally in eggshells, old paper, teeth and most clouds that have been out for some time. It does not occur in snow, which is white on purpose.

See also

• Cloud – off-white after a long day
• Door – usually off-white, by default
• Empty glass – a colour that isn't there at all

References

1. Ivory, I. (2005). Nearly. Pale Press.
2. Eggshell, E. (2016). Choosing in a Whisper. Swatch Books. p. 400.
3. Standards Committee for Pale Things (1937). “On Noticing”. Final report, bound in off-white.