Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist OC-27

As a best-selling color for Benjamin Moore, Balboa Mist, OC-27 is a favorite light gray paint color for anyone looking to mix subtle beige into their gray paint color. It offers the perfect combination of taupe and gray to create a beautiful, warm, light gray color that hits all the marks for someone looking for a neutral tone in their space. Making for an inviting atmosphere in any room, Balboa Mist is a great choice for walls.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist OC-27 the go with anything warm pale gray

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist OC-27

This, “goes-with-anything shade of pale gray with a slightly warm cast” is a bestseller for Benjamin Moore and it’s easy to see why. Its subtle beige tone tamps down the typical coolness that we expect from gray paint colors. Its violet undertones keep it from going over the edge. Overall, Balboa Miss feels warm and inviting making it the perfect all-over paint color for any space including kitchens, living spaces, bedrooms, dining rooms, and even bathrooms. Balboa Mist is a part of Benjamin Moore’s Off White Collection. Be sure to read more about Benjamin Moore’s description of Balboa Mist

Before settling on a particular paint shade, I always advise testing out several hues. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is an outstanding option; however, be sure to sample the color in your own home before committing to it! Paint shades can vary significantly depending upon the type of lighting and space within our homes; thus it’s essential that we examine how these colors appear throughout the day in order to ensure they are the perfect match for our home.

This is where I tell you how important it is to sample any paint color before you commit to painting your walls. It’s a really great idea to stick paint samples of your desired color in the space you’re thinking about painting and check in on it at varying times throughout the day to get a true, accurate idea of what the color is going to look like in your space. If you buying paint pot samples, consider using large posterboard for samples to give yourself the most accurate idea of the color. 

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How Light or How Dark is Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist?

It’s important to get a good sense of how light or dark a color is before we even put it on the walls. Balboa Mist is a light, pale gray. The invitingly warm gray color reflects an abundance of light, creating a soothing environment.

What is the LRV?

The Light Reflectance Value or LRV of Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is 65.53.

LRV is a useful tool for determining how light or dark a paint color is (100 being the whitest white and 0 being the darkest black). Keep in mind that “light” refers to Light Reflective Value, meaning the amount of light reflected. The more reflective the color, the brighter it will appear. There really is no “sweet spot” when it comes to LRV but for a light gray paint color, this is a pretty nice LRV. Balboa Mist has an LRV of 65.53. Compared to another popular light gray paint color, Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, which has an LRV of about 74, Balboa Mist has a slightly lower LRV because it has a bit more depth of color because it reflects slightly less light. Both colors are light gray and on the walls, the variance in lightness is almost indetectable.

Is Balboa Mist a Warm or Cool Paint Color?

I think it’s pretty clear that Balboa Mist is a warm gray paint color. Warm grays aren’t that typical. Gray paint colors usually run cool. It’s important to understand how undertones affect how paint colors look on the wall, especially in gray shades. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is warm because of the undertones that help it to lean slightly towards the edge of beige or taupe. Unlike cool grays, warm grays you don’t have to worry about this color appearing icy or cold. I believe in the blend of cool and warm tones in a home. If you match warm and cozy gray with a slightly cool white or even some blue accents, you’ll have really nice balance of saturation.

If hearing about this warm gray makes you unsure and you’d rather check out a nice cool light gray then you should check out Sherwin Williams Passive Gray and Sherwin Williams Crushed Ice.

What Undertones Does Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist Have?

Every gray paint color has undertones even the “true gray” paint colors. Some are more subtle and some are more obvious. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is not a “true gray,” remember, it’s a gray with beige influences. The color comes from the yellow hue family but it does have violet undertones. These purple undertones are generally a non-issue but there are certain lighting or environmental conditions in which you may see Balboa Mist show a hint of lavender or even a slightly pinkish hue. If you are looking for a nice light gray, my guess is that you aren’t excited about the prospect of a potential pink wall which is great because Balboa Mist is not going to flash pink every time – that’s just a note of caution.

What Paint Sheen Should I Use for Balboa Mist?

An eggshell finish or a flat sheen is always my recommendation for living spaces. However, feel free to use the sheen of your choice for this paint color. Keep in mind, if you need more durability then you can go to a satin or a semi-gloss just know that you will have a higher level of shine and those finishes are less forgiving to any wall blemishes or touch-ups you may have.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist in Real Spaces

We’ve explored the many features of Balboa Mist, but to really get a sense of its beauty it’s essential to see it in action, in real spaces. Let’s uncover how this shade appears in kitchens and places flooded with sunlight! This can provide us invaluable insight into whether or not Balboa Mist is right for your home.

Starting off strong, Balboa Mist is featured on the wood board and batten with a contrasting white paint color above. The accent wall lengthens the wall making the ceiling height feels higher. Paired with black windows and medium-toned wood floors, it’s a wonderful neutral paint color for this farmhouse-style bedroom.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist warm pale gray paint color
via Noble Renovation

I love this sweet little nook with beautiful white trim details. You can really see the warmth of Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist coming through in this example.

Balboa Mist looks slightly cooler in this space. The cool, dark flooring balances the warmth of Balboa Mist beautifully. On the left wall, you can see a slight flash of those purple undertones but it is not super obvious.

A gorgeous white kitchen with high end finishes is a pretty nice match for the soft pale gray, Balboa Mist. Everything in this space is playing nicely together from the wall color to the gray wood floors, and the gray veins of the countertops. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist creates a beautiful backdrop for a warm and inviting space.

Maybe you want something a little moodier, well Balboa Mist can do that too. Using this pale gray on the walls, trim, and accents can create the moody feel you see here.

Here’s another example where we see Balboa Mist appearing cooler than usual. We can’t say for sure but it’s likely due to directional lighting or artificial lighting that is reflecting a cooler light. It’s still a really nice pale gray that looks quite true.

Again, a cooler example of Balboa Mist. This time, the balance of cool accents like the dark blue drapes tones down the warmth of the paint color. This is a great example of how the paint color’s environment can change the feel of the color. It’s easy to forget the environment plays on a paint color.

I absolutely love this version of Balboa Mist. Odd because it’s pretty washed out because of the abundance of natural light. However, it makes it feel so light and airy. It’s the perfect pale gray paint color.

What are some Complementary Colors to OC-27?

Balboa Mist is a warm pale gray. As I mentioned previously, it’s a good idea to balance cool and warm tones in a space so if you’re using Balboa Mist you may want to pair it with something cooler like a blue gray paint color. You can also pair Balboa Mist with a paint color with similar undertones that is just lighter or darker than it. Lastly, warm whites such as SW Greek Villa coordinate beautifully with this warm light gray. For a trim color, I’d consider one of my favorite white paint colors, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace. I rave about it as a trim color but it’s great for ceilings, accents, and whole wall colors as well.

Where to Use BM Balboa Mist in Your Home?

Everywhere! Seriously, Balboa Mist is perfect for interiors and even acceptable for exteriors. I call it a nice “all over” paint color as you can really paint your entire home this color and expect it to look polished. Of course, you should always be aware of directional lighting and counteract it with artificial lighting where possible. Here are some of the places I’d use Balboa Mist.

  • Kitchens
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Dining Room
  • Bathroom
  • Entryway
  • Bathrooms
  • Hallways

Additionally pairing Balboa Mist with other accents like board and batten or other wood accent walls is a really nice touch.

What are Some Alternative Gray Colors to Balboa Mist? 

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist and Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist vs Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

A similar color to Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is Classic Gray. It’s slightly lighter than Balboa Mist. It’s also a warm gray that is light enough that it could function as an off-white paint color. Both colors are really calming and produce relaxing vibes with a light and airy feel and both can wash out really easily with an abundance of natural light. Classic Gray is significantly lighter on the LRV scale with an LRV of 73.67 compared to Balboa Mist’s 65.53.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist and Benjamin Moore Pale Oak

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist vs Benjamin Moore Pale Oak

Another option that is similar to Balboa Mist is Benjamin Moore Pale Oak. Pale Oak is slightly lighter than Balboa Mist but it’s also a touch cooler. Pale Oak and Balboa Mist both have violet undertones and have been known to flash lavender in certain lighting. The LRV of Pale Oak is slightly higher than Balboa Mist meaning it reflects more light (is lighter) with an LRV of 68.64 compared to Balboa Mist’s LRV of 65.53. Both colors are in the Benjamin Moore Off Whites Collection.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist and Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

For an alternative greige from Sherwin Williams, you may like Agreeable Gray. It’s also a warm gray that is slightly more of a medium tone. Agreeable Gray is just a touch more brown making it a more of a greige than a gray. Balboa Mist, comparatively, is more a pale gray with some greige tendencies. Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60 making it slightly darker than Balboa Mist.

In Conclusion

Overall, I think Balboa Mist is the perfect introduction to the light gray/beige or greige paint color world. It has an unmatched fresh look that will give your space a great depth of color while remaining neutral.

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