Sherwin Williams Drift Of Mist (9166): Undertones, LRV, & Where it Works Best
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist is a light, warm gray paint color. It works well on interior walls, especially in open-concept spaces and whole homes.
Changes in LRV and undertone can affect how Drift of Mist looks from one room to another. This is why it can appear softer in some spaces and stronger in others.
This is why doing your research and sampling is so important! So, if you’re looking for a soft paint color with gentle whispers of undertone, you might love what I have to say about Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist…or maybe not…
I love to show RELATEABLE & REAL homes, so ONLY use my own photos of those from my Online Color Consulting clients.
IS DRIFT OF MIST GRAY, GREIGE, OR BEIGE?
Drift of Mist is a soft, warm gray with super muted undertones. But even though it has a passive warmth, it can look considerably cooler in north-facing light. In a room with south-facing or western afternoon sunshine, you’re likelier to see that warmth return, making it look greige sometimes.
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Color is the Best?
WHAT’S THE LRV OF DRIFT OF MIST?
Drift of Mist has an LRV of 69. This LRV puts it in the light end, getting a BIT close to the off-white range, but not quite. If you have a super bright room, it could wash out quite a bit, whereas the slightly darker look of Gossamer Veil would hold itself a bit better. However, if you have a dark room, this type of color and depth could look a bit dingy.
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
WHAT ARE DRIFT OF MIST’S UNDERTONES?
Drift of Mist is tough as it doesn’t cater hard to green or pink-violet – only slightly to green. While that might be SEEM good, many finishes need more commitment than Drift of Mist offers. This also means that it can look a bit dingy on your walls if the rest of your space isn’t carefully coordinated to suit it.
Dunn Edwards Faded Gray (25% lighter) is VERY similar to Drift of Mist
SAMPLING DRIFT OF MIST WITH SAMPLIZE
SAMPLIZE is a peel-&-stick paint sample that you can easily move around your room for over HALF THE COST of traditional sample pots – and they deliver right to your front door!
Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF DRIFT OF MIST!
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLOR WITH DRIFT OF MIST?
If I want a nice white trim color with Drift of Mist, I’ll look at…
- Sherwin Williams Pure White for a softer approach
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White or Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a cleaner look
Should I Paint My Wood Cabinets White? A QUESTIONNAIRE
The 4 Best White Paint Colors from Sherwin Williams
IS DRIFT OF MIST A GOOD EXTERIOR COLOR?
A color with this high LRV can be tricky on an exterior, UNLESS you’re going for a light, bright, off-white look. And while Drift of Mist ISN’T off-white, with the way natural light brightens colors, it will look like one on your exterior. Personally, I’d lean towards a color with a bit more body or COMMIT to a color that actually is off-white rather than one that just washes out and looks like one.
5 Tips for Choosing an Exterior Paint Color
IS DRIFT OF MIST GOOD ON KITCHEN CABINETS?
Drift of Mist can work on kitchen cabinets, and light-depth cabinetry colors ARE super popular right now. Just make sure your finishes SUIT its earthy green undertone and READ THIS.
IS IT A POPULAR SHADE OF GRAY OR GREIGE?
I won’t say that Drift of Mist is super UNPOPULAR, but I’ve noticed that a LOT of my Online Color Consulting clients are sensitive to two undertones in particular – purple and green. Those who are comfortable with a purple undertone often dislike green ones. Those who prefer a green undertone often dislike a purple one. So, it depends on which camp you sit in!
To answer your question, no, Drift of Mist ISN’T super popular right now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be the best color for you and your home. PERSONALLY, I would find it PRETTY limiting due to its passive warmth and undertones.
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO DRIFT OF MIST?
Every color has particular nuances, and there will be NO perfect match. For a similar approach, check out…
- Benjamin Moore Intense White vs. Drift of Mist. Drift of Mist is darker than Intense White and a bit warmer/muddier, although both can have a green undertone.
- Benjamin Moore Winter Orchard vs. Drift of Mist. Winter Orchard is pretty similar to Drift of Mist, however, it’s a touch grayer, and its green undertone pops up a bit more.
- Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil vs. Drift of Mist. Gossamer Veil is darker than Drift of Mist via its LRV of 62. It also comes off a touch stormier and more colorful (more undertone) while still acting like a neutral.
- Drift of Mist vs. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. You’ll notice a big shift between these two shades and in most cases, they shouldn’t be vying for the same project. Agreeable Gray has more depth (LRV of 60) than Drift of Mist’s 69, meaning Agreeable Gray is darker. And while both colors are wishy-washy about their undertones and can lean slightly into green, Agreeable Gray has a muddier, warmer look.
- Sherwin Williams City Loft vs Drift of Mist. If you’re not convinced Drift of Mist can harbor a wee green undertone, compare it to City Loft. City Loft’s soft taupe (violet-pink) contrasts against Drift of Mist’s subtle, slightly green hue, helping us see it clearer.
Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil
WHAT TYPES OF COLORS GO WITH DRIFT OF MIST?
Because Drift of Mist has a warm green undertone, it will be a BIT fussy about what it’s partnered with, but you could check out…
- Some grays with a blue-green undertone (that are darker than DOM).
- off-white paint colors as long as they’re similarly ‘dirty’ – not clean and bright
- Soft white paint colors
READ MORE
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
The 5 Best Off-White Paint Colors
The Pros & Cons of Off-White or Light Depth Cabinets
NEED HELP?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
KYLIE M INTERIORS E-DESIGN AND ONLINE VIRTUAL PAINT COLOR EXPERT, SPECIALIZING IN BENJAMIN MOORE AND SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT COLORS DIY DECORATING AND DESIGN ADVICE BLOGGER
Hi, what if we need paint consulting on a new build and the contractor wants the paint choice after drywall is installed, which is before all my appliances, flooring and other finishes go in? I did see that you want pictures to do the consulting and I have no pictures except an unfinished house. The house is up in the mountains, 6000 feet, where there is a lot of snow and gray, dreary days in winter. I want a warm neutral paint for the whole house -I could be talked into a different color for the bedrooms if warranted—but don’t want the paint to appear dingy. I had drift of mist picked out but changed my mind after reading your review.
Hey Beth! I do MANY consultations before drywall is up. Ideally, you’d have your main finishes (countertop/flooring/fireplace stone/etc.) picked, but all the same, some people START with the main paint colors for walls/cabinets/trims and then work out from there.
When you send photos, you’re also welcome to send photos of looks you love! As for Drift of Mist, it’s oookay, but there are some along similar lines that I love much more!
What is the best griege paint color that goes with chantilly lace in a bedroom
Hi Kylie, would a color like drift of mist, with it’s green undertones, help neutralize pink/purple tones in my wood floors? I painted my walls SW Symmetry but they’re showing pink/purple because of the floors. Thanks!
Wellll, it’s hard – opposites attract and can make each other stronger, so in choosing green it can clash/bounce off the tones in the floor. Often, people lean in a bit to the pink rather than away from it for this reason. The idea is that the pink-purple isn’t going away, it’s just a matter of not ‘accenting’ it. Others lean into a soft white like BM White Dove/SW Pure White to hit kind of a happy medium 🙂
Hi, I could, really, use some help. I had Drift of Mist in a West facing room and it threw a beautiful warm color …I’m trying to create the same color with a North facing room.. can you help me? …Accessible Beige seemed too yellow …I could possibly lightening Wordly Gray …but what do you think …City Loft may work, IDK… I’m having a really hard time.
Hey Ashley, it would be SO hard to say without seeing your room, but I would say that SW Egret White and Shoji White are good places, in general. They won’t necessarily look like Drift of Mist, but then DOM will change from morning to afternoon western lighting, whereas northern is more predictable throughout the day
Would this work in a whole house that uses Quietude as an accent wall, with Pure White trim?