Explorer Blue vs Balboa Mist
Where Explorer Blue belongs to Behr's range, Balboa Mist is a Benjamin Moore color. Explorer Blue reads as blue, while Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Explorer Blue (LRV 27), a difference of 38 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Explorer Blue runs blue while Balboa Mist is decidedly red, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 36.1, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Explorer Blue vs Balboa Mist in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Explorer Blue and Balboa Mist in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Balboa Mist returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Explorer Blue vs Balboa Mist Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Explorer Blue on one side and Balboa Mist on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Explorer Blue comparisons
See how Explorer Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
