Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist: One of the TOP Warm Gray Paint Colors
In an effort to cover EVERY beautiful paint color in the world with my color reviews, some fall between the cracks. Why? Well, I rely 99.9% on photos from my Color Consulting clients for my paint reviews, and sometimes I just don’t have enough (or quality) images to do a FULL review.
THANKFULLY, Balboa Mist isn’t one of those. While I wish I had a FEW more photos, I certainly have enough to give you a great low-down on this awesome paint color. I’ll also answer your questions re: LRV, undertones AND more – so let’s do this!
WHAT TYPE OF PAINT COLOR IS BALBOA MIST – IS IT WARM OR COOL?
Balboa Mist is a WARM GRAY paint color bordering on the edge of taupe. What makes Balboa Mist warm? This gorgeous shade of gray contains a subtle bit of beige, helping to cut back on any traditional cool gray tendencies it could have.
And being gray, Balboa Mist can lean that bit grayer (without looking cold) if you have north-facing light. However, with south-facing or warm afternoon western light, Balboa Mist can still look gray while picking up a taupe-style warmth. This flexibility leaves it ‘open to perception’ as to what type of color it is!
WHAT’S THE LRV OF BALBOA MIST?
Balboa Mist has an LRV of 67, so it’s FIRMLY planted in the light range. This particular depth means that Balboa Mist isn’t bordering on the off-white range but doesn’t come close to the light-medium range – it’s more or less in the middle. And while it’s a shade (literally) off my MAGICAL LRV number, it still offers great contrast with white trim.
Benjamin Moore’s 3 Best Warm White Paint Colors
Balboa Mist in the bathroom
WHAT ARE THE UNDERTONES OF BALBOA MIST?
Every gray has undertones, there’s no avoiding them, and Balboa Mist DEFINITELY favours a violet undertone.
WILL BALBOA MIST EVER LOOK PINK?
Being a warm gray with a violet undertone, it CAN look slightly violet-pink, but it’s a passive nod – at best.
You can see a bit of that subtle warmth tucked inside Balboa Mist in these next photos, showing natural and interior lighting…
WILL BALBOA MIST EVER LOOK GREEN?
It sure as heck SHOULDN’T! If Balboa Mist is looking green in your space, this could be due to a variety of factors…
- the color/temperature of your light bulbs
- reflection from the outside (trees/grass/shrubs)
- glaze on your windows (often has a greenish tint)
- you didn’t get it mixed at Benjamin Moore, or it’s a mistint
- extreme afternoon western sunshine
Let’s take a quick break to talk about paint samples…
Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on the location
- they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
- if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
What’s the best white paint color for trim with Balboa Mist?
When it comes to partnering Balboa Mist with a shade of white for trims, ceilings and doors, I lean towards…
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace for a simple, clean contrast
- Benjamin Moore White Dove provides a softer contrast with Balboa Mist
- I also love Sherwin Williams Pure White (even more than White Dove)
The 8 Best White Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore
IS BALBOA MIST A GOOD EXTERIOR PAINT COLOR?
Balboa Mist is great, but several other colors are doing a similar thing…but better. Don’t get me wrong, while it can be beautiful; it can also be a bit too passive – not committing to being an off-white, but not strong enough to hold up to decent natural light.
WHICH PAINT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO BALBOA MIST?
When trying to find the best paint color for your space, it’s important to COMPARE COMPARE COMPARE. Let’s do a few comparisons of Balboa Mist to other popular warm gray paint colors.
BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST vs CLASSIC GRAY
Balboa Mist and Classic Gray have similar intentions, as both are warm grays that CAN look quite taupe. HOWEVER, the big difference is in LRV, as Balboa Mist sits at 67 to Classic Gray’s 74. This difference means Balboa Mist offers more contrast with white trim and will stand up to bright light a bit better.
- you might also find that Balboa Mist’s undertones can show up to the party a wink more
- Classic Gray sometimes reads a bit warmer than Balboa Mist
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST vs SHERWIN WILLIAMS EGRET WHITE
I do LOVE Egret White and am often suggesting it to my Color Consulting clients alongside Balboa Mist. And while they’re very similar, Egret White is about 25% lighter than Balboa Mist and often comes across a BIT more muted, with less obvious (and slightly warmer) undertones.
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White
BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST vs COLLINGWOOD
Is Balboa Mist the lighter version of Collingwood? Oh, the rumor would have it! However, while these two are similar, they’re only kissin’ cousins!
Balboa Mist is a bit lighter than Collingwood. Along with this shift in LRV, Balboa Mist can also look a bit warmer and sliiiiightly more violet-pink in comparison. This is why they’re AWESOME colors to compare with each other!
Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Collingwood
WHICH PAINT COLORS GO WELL WITH BALBOA MIST?
You don’t have to look far to find colors that look good with Balboa Mist, such as some of the following…
- gray paint colors with similar undertones that are lighter and darker than Balboa
- subtle off-white paint colors
- many gray-blue blends
- muted warm neutrals that are LIGHTER than Balboa Mist
- soft and subtle warm white paint colors
WHAT DARK PAINT COLORS WORK WITH BALBOA MIST?
Like Collingwood, Balboa Mist has many dark colors that look good with it. If you’re wanting to paint your cabinets, front door, or a fun feature wall, check out the following:
- Darker warm gray paint colors (with a violet undertone) like Benjamin Moore’s Metropolis
- Heavy green-gray blends, as well as blue-gray-greens
- Navy blue paint colors, including Sherwin Williams Cyberspace and Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray
And I’ve got more! If Balboa Mist isn’t strikin’ your fancy, check out these other wicked paint colors…
READ MORE
The 12 Best LIGHT Greige & Taupe Paint Colors
The Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Popular Gray
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak: Paint Color Review
Paint Color Review: Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
North, East, South, West – Which Paint Colors is the Best?
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Chat soon,
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2019, UPDATED FOR YOU IN 2022!
Hi Kylie,
I am putting in a Chantilly Lace and Hale Navy kitchen. My kitchen faces east with a lot of windows. So I get plenty of light. I do not have a lot of visible walls but it opens up to a sunken family room that has a large orange brick fireplace on one wall (not visible from the kitchen). I wanted to paint both areas a nice grey and thought Stonington Grey would work because of it’s undertones. The other thought was to paint the few visible walls in the kitchen chantilly lace then find something complimentary for the family room. What do you think?
Author
Oooo, i LOOOVE the sounds of these together. I mean, I can’t say for sure without seeing the colors in your countertop/tile/fireplace/those kinds of things, but off the top – it SOUNDS good. I also love SW Big Chill which has a similar approach to Stonington Gray.
I have wood toned trim – I would say closer to orange stain (house built in 2000 – original trim) I’m thinking of Balboa Mist to lighten up my walls. Currently they are in the light coffee colors circa 2004? Would this color look good with my wood trim?
Author
From the sounds of it, yes!
My son is currently building a home ( he’s single, so I am helping) and all walls have been painted balboa mist, cabinets are black in kitchen and all bathrooms/flooring will be medium color wood (not real dark or too light). I ordered black doors and was thinking about black trim around doors,windows and baseboard. There will be no crown molding. Please tell me what you think?
Author
Hey Jennnifer! You know…it sounds like a lot of black. Black is STUNNING…in moderation. Black cabinets can be gorgeous, but black cabinets and doors can be reeeally overwhelming – and then to add trim in, feels like too much. PERSONALLY, if he loves the black cabinets, keep those. Then paint the inside of the front door black and add some black light fixtures so the metal picks it up. I worry that it will be very…goth and drastic otherwise!
Hi Kylie,
I recently added wainscoting to my hallway, foyer and painted above it in Edgecomb gray. While I like the color, it is very light against the white wainscoting. I was hoping for something that had a tad bit more gray. I would like to repaint it with Balboa Mist, the only issue is in part of the room I have a traditional striped wallpaper, that has a beige background. The stripe is like a metallic, probably lending itself more towards a warm beige. Will this work with Balboa Mist?
Author
Oooo, from the sounds of it, Balboa Mist will be too gray. If the COLOR of Edgecomb Gray works, how about trying it 25% or 50% darkened?