Balboa Mist – Benjamin Moore

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Balboa Mist OC-27 is one of Benjamin Moore’s best-selling neutral paint colors.

Hello all, and welcome to yet another episode of Cate Blabs, one and On about paint colors.

I’m so happy to have you here because today, we have an amazing color to talk about. Spoiler: It is a neutral. However, since my last post was about the most astounding blush paint colors, I decided it was allowed.

I’m excited to get into this color today because I hear mixed opinions on it. Some who have used it say it’s the perfect greige paint color, and others say it looked completely lavender on their walls.

I guess I should just get into it already huh?

Welcome to the stage,

BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST OC-27

LRVAND HUE FAMILY OF BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST

Here’s a quick reminder of what LRV is if you are unfamiliar with it.

LRV, or Light Reflectance Value, is a measurement commonly used by design professionals that measures the amount of light reflected from or absorbed into a surface. LRVs range from 0-100, with 100 being pure white and 0 being pure black.

So why is LRV important, though?

Knowing the LRV or a paint color comes in handy when you are trying to decide whether a color may or may not be too dark for a space.

Basically, the higher the LRV of a paint color, the more light it will reflect. So, with an LRV of 67.37, Balboa Mist will reflect a decent amount of light.

IS BALBOA MIST A GREIGE PAINT COLOR?

Many people define Balboa to be a greige and in many cases, it does look like a beautiful neutral greige. Also if you were to look at the color chip, you would probably agree. But don’t go solely off of a color chip. There are times it may not look greige because of lighting and elements in a space. So be cautious of that and always, always sample your paint color!

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IS BALBOA MIST GRAY?

On Benjamin Moore’s website, you will find Balboa Mist located in the gray color family collection. So yes, Balboa Mist is a gray paint color. To elaborate a bit further, Balboa is a soft, sophisticated, and endlessly versatile gray paint color.

WHAT UNDERTONES DOES BALBOA MIST HAVE?

BM Balboa Mist has some beige undertones. Remember it does come from the yellow hue family. Also, a very important thing to learn about Balboa is that it may shift and have flash to be a violet/ lavender color in certain lighting. This is highly dependent on the lighting and elements of the room.

Balboa is a chameleon paint color for sure, so you won’t 100 percent know what you are going to get until you sample it in your space.

IS IT A WARM OR COOL PAINT COLOR?

Balboa Mist is a warm-toned gray paint color. It isn’t the warmest Benjamin Moore gray however it is still considered to be warm. You can expect to see Balboa looking a bit more gray in cooler north-facing light and a bit more greige in warmer southern-facing light. Generally speaking, cool-toned paint colors will have undertones that are blue, purple, and green. Whereas, warm-toned paint colors have undertones of red, orange, and yellow.

READ MORE: THE BEST COOL-TONED GRAY PAINT COLORS

BALBOA MIST AND LIGHTING

Lighting is one of the main factors contributing to how a paint color will look. It can virtually change the appearance of any color. That’s kind of a big deal when you are trying to choose the right paint color. So, you should be familiar with the lighting situation of the room you are finding a paint color for.

• North-facing rooms – North-facing rooms tend to have light that comes off cooler and even somewhat blueish in tone. Paint colors that are on the lighter side will appear a bit muted whereas bolder dark colors will pop and embrace that cooler light.
•  South-facing rooms– In South-facing rooms, there tends to be a consistent warm light throughout the day. Warm and cool tones work nicely with south-facing light. This light intensifies colors, so darker colors will seem brighter while softer colors will look like they are gleaming.
• West-facing rooms-  Light is cooler in the morning and warmer or brighter in the afternoon/ early evening. Early evening is when West-facing rooms have the best light. Warmer tones might seem overwhelming because of the red-orange the light gives off. However, if the main use for the room is in the mornings, the colors won’t appear as intense because of that cooler light.
• East-facing rooms–  Light is warmer or brighter in the mornings and cooler in the afternoon/evenings. An East facing room’s bright morning light is more yellow-orange toned. Going with a warm palette will help balance the lack of natural light in the evening.

WHAT ARE THE BEST LIGHT BLUBS TO USE?

Let’s not forget about our light bulbs! They influence how your paint color will look too.

There are so many different light bulbs out there that it can be hard to choose the right one to make your paint color look its best.

For reference, light color or light appearance is measured on the Kelvin (K)temperature scale. Lower Kelvin numbers mean more yellow light; the higher the Kelvin number, the whiter or bluer light.

So a light bulb with 2500K will give off a yellow glow, whereas a light bulb with 5500K will produce a colder, blueish light.

With all my clients I recommend sticking to a light bulb in the 3000-3500K. I have found that bulbs in this range allow paint colors to look their best.

I always recommend using this type of light bulb.

And be wary of the light bulb names like “daylight” or warm light.” advise against picking a light bulb by its name. Instead, always check the package for actual facts. This allows you to choose the best bulb for you.

Don’t forget, as much as lighting plays a major part in how a paint color like Balboa Mist will look at times, there are other factors to be aware of. For example, decor, furniture, fixtures, cabinetry, and floors are all elements that can affect and/or influence the way a paint color will look in your room.

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WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SAMPLE BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST?

If you have read some of my paint color reviews, you know that the one thing I ALWAYS mention is to sample your paint colors. Sampling your paint colors is the only way you will see how that particular color, Balboa Mist, will look in your space.

Yes, I know. You saw your favorite Influencer post a picture of her beautiful neutral gray walls, and it’s the color you want. But her home is not the same as yours. You may have more light than she does, and she may have shades of blue throughout her room, whereas you have different shades of red. These are all things that matter when choosing a paint color.

So, what’s the best way to sample paint colors?

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WHERE TO USE BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST?

You can use Balboa Mist anywhere you want. It’s a fantastic color, so of course, you can use it anywhere. But sample it first, please! (I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record)

BALBOA MIST ON THE EXTERIOR

You can see in the picture by The Hunted Home Paint how beautiful and bright Balboa Mist looks on this exterior. It’s a true transformation!

LOOKING FOR MORE EXTERIOR PAINT COLORS? CHECK THESE OUT:

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• SW Lazy Gray

Don’t forget to pick up these amazing painting tools! They will only make your life easier!

WHAT IS THE BEST TRIM COLOR FOR BALBOA MIST?

I personally love a crisp white paint color on the trim. I feel like it always makes the paint color pop. Especially with Balboa Mist. Crisp white paint colors that look great with Balboa are BM Chantilly Lace, BM White Heron, or SW Extra White. If you prefer a white paint color with a bit more warmth to it, take a look at BM White Dove.

If you want a bit more of a monotone look, try using Balboa Mist on the trim in a semi-gloss sheen. This will make everything seamless yet still have a slight variation between the walls and trim.

READ MORE: THE 8 BEST WHITE PAINT COLORS FOR TRIM & BASEBOARDS

BALBOA MIST SHERWIN WILLIAMS COLOR EQUIVALENT

There is no true Sherwin Williams equivalent to Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist. Various colors are considerably similar but surely not identical. The one Sherwin Williams paint color that is a somewhat close match is:

If you were thinking of color-matching Balboa Mist in Sherwin Williams paint, I strongly recommend you purchase a sample of the mixed formula before purchasing a full gallon.

Often when you try to color match between paint manufacturers, the colors don’t come out the same. This is because each brand uses different formulas to create its paint colors.

My advice here is to find a color that you like from the brand itself.

READ MORE: THE BEST SHERWIN WILLIAMS GRAYS

BENJAMIN MOORE BALBOA MIST COLOR COMBINATIONS

Balboa will work with a lot of colors, including classic black paint colors. But the colors it looks best with are shades of blue.

WHAT COLORS GO WITH BALBOA MIST?

Neutral paint colors tend to be the easiest to coordinate with. However, sometimes undertones and whatnot can throw you off. In the case of Balboa Mist, I found a few paint colors that will work with it.

NEED AN EASY WAY TO REMEMBER WHAT PAINT COLORS YOU USED IN YOUR HOME? CHECK OUT THIS PRINTABLE PAINT COLOR TRACKER!

COLOR COMPARISONS

So, let’s talk about a few comparisons. As you may know, I like comparing paint colors because I feel helps you in the process of choosing a paint color for your space. Let’s see how BM OC-27 compares to a few other popular paint colors.

BALBOA MIST VS PALE OAK

• BM Pale Oak is cooler-toned than Balboa
• Pale Oak has an LRV of 69.89, which is a bit higher than Balboa’s LRV of 67.37
• Pale Oak is a smidge lighter than Balboa.
• Both have a chance of shifting or flashing lavender in certain lighting
• Pale Oak may also shift or flash to a peachy color

READ MORE: BENJAMIN MOORE PALE OAK REVIEW

BALBOA MIST VS EDGECOMB GRAY

• Edgecomb Gray HC-173 is the warmer paint color of the two.
• Edgecomb had an LRV of 63.88, which is a bit lower than Balboa’s LRV of 67.37
• Balboa Mist is more on the gray side compared to Edgecomb Gray
• Edgecomb Gray is a bit more saturated of a paint color.

READ MORE: EDGECOMB GRAY COLOR REVIEW

BALBOA MIST VS COLLINGWOOD OC-28

• BM Collingwood is the cooler of the two paint colors
• Collingwood has an LRV of 62.14, whereas Balboa Mist has an LRV of 67.37
• Balboa is a little bit lighter than Collingwood
• Collingwood is darker and a tad grayer
• Both colors may flash or shift violet.

READ MORE: COLLINGWOOD PAINT COLOR REVIEW

BALBOA MIST VS AGREEABLE GRAY

• Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is the more cool-toned of the two colors.
• Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60, which is lower than Balboa at 67.37
• Agreeable is the darker of the colors
• Both colors are very versatile to use throughout your home.
• in certain lighting conditions, Agreeable Gray has the potential to flash green, and Balboa Mist can flash purple.

READ MORE: AGREEABLE GRAY COLOR REVIEW

CONSTANTLY FORGETTING WHAT PAINT COLORS YOU USED IN YOUR HOME? KEEP TRACK OF THEM ALL WITH THIS HANDY PAINT COLOR KEEPER

RECAP

Here’s a quick rundown of all the information we went over.

• Has an LRV of 67.37
• is in the yellow hue family
• it’s considered a soft, light, warm gray paint color
• sometimes it can look greige
• there are times it can flash lavender
• it’s a chameleon of a paint color and will look different in certain lighting
• it’s one of Benjamin Moore’s best-selling neutral paint colors
• looks great with blues
• also works beautifully with a crisp white trim

FINAL THOUGHTS

I think Balboa Mist is an awesome paint color. It’s quite sophisticated and gracefully elegant. I mean, there has to be a reason it’s on Benjamin Moore’s best-selling list, right? It truly is a beautiful neutral gray paint color.

Of course, Balboa Mist won’t be the perfect gray/greige for everyone. However, if you like it and want to see if it will work in your space I say sample it out. You must must must sample this (and every) paint color to see if it will work in your home. I know you are probably 100% over me saying this, but it’s the honest truth.

Never take someone’s word as to how a color will perform on your walls. They don’t live in your home with your lighting and decor. You need to see it with your own eyes, and sampling is the only way to do so.

Overall, I like Balboa Mist. It’s a great gray paint color option, and it’s worth considering.

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