It's all boils down to interpretation, I guess, but I've always viewed off white as having more gray or brown (leaning almost to tan) undertones, while cream is just that, not a stark white, but the color of dairy cream. ;) Off white being a bit deeper that cream.

I snagged these off the web. All have true white in them for comparison. I'd consider the ones below "off white" (note the depth compared to the white in the wall):
{{!gwi}}

I'd consider these a cream (lighting in photo isn't the best, but note the depth compared to the white trim, it's very subtle, but the cabs are just a bit deeper and warmer than the trim in the room):
{{!gwi}}

Then there's something I'd consider that falls in between the two. These are maple cabs that have glaze and speckle applied per manufacturer site. I'd consider them 'antiqued', usually done with cream paint, and the darker glaze clings to nooks and crannies to give an aged effect. So it's deeper than a cream but not as deep as off white, and not solid color because of the effect the glaze brings into it. You can use the white ceiling for comparison to a true white.

{{!gwi}}

that's about it -

cream tends towards the warm, off-white tends towards the cool.

creams tend to be palely yellow, but can have sand tones( the slightest hint of tan)

off-whites tend to use grays and browns as tones, producing non-colors that eventually look like button mushrooms.

Thanks so much moonshadow and chinacat. I sure appreciate the responses, especially the pictures. I love those cabs in the last photo, that's the look Im trying to achieve. Happy Sunday!

You're welcome! ;)

In our store...we hear that all the time!!
"I'd like a nice off-white"...

Aaaauuggh! There's only a THOUSAND "Off-Whites"!!!
Some are Rosey, Gray-ish, Blue-ish, Ivory, Tan-ish, Green-ish, Peach-ish.......ad nauseum...

There. "Rant" over & done! ;-)
(I feel better!)

Faron

LOL Faron. :-) Glad ya feel better.
Please excuse the ignorance on my part. I know it must be frustrating sometimes. So how would you answer the question? Is the defining factor in a "true cream" color that the white includes some small amount of yellow? Whearas "off white" is just that it could be white with blue, pink, peach, tan, etc. in it?

Mrsandrews,
LOL...I'm glad you took my "rant" in humor!! That's how I meant it!

Like earlier posts, My view of "Creams" leans to the Ivory-yellow-tan tones. Some of our most popular "Creams" have just small amounts of "C" colorant (Yellow-Oxide), t/w "L" (Brown). Some Creams have C & "AX" (Bright yellow). "T" is an Oranger-Yellow, sometimes used in Creams.

The "C" colorant (Yellow-Oxide) is the most frequently used in MANY colors....kind of a Yellow-Gold/Brown.
We've gone through 30 Qts. of this colorant PER WEEK sometimes...!!

"Off-Whites"....this is the SERIOUSLY-vague one! From Reds to Blues...to Minty-tones through Grays...IT BOGGLES THE MIND!!

Faron

Faron, I take most everything with humor. Makes for a much happier life than assuming people mean any harm. I like to laugh a lot.

Thanks for the very specific answer. That helps a lot!

I'm remodeling and my bedroom furniture is cottage colored and I want to do the wainscoating to match my furnitre with white shutters and white trim around the windows. A door will separate the bathroom and want to do white wainscoating in that room?
Someone told me cream of cottage cream doesn't go with white?

The top of the walls will be a darker blue and the bathroom will be a grey blue?

thanks