Balboa Mist vs Harlequin Blue
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige, while Harlequin Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Harlequin Blue (LRV 38), a difference of 27 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while Harlequin Blue is decidedly blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 27.1, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Harlequin Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and Harlequin Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Balboa Mist will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Harlequin Blue would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Balboa Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Harlequin Blue.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Balboa Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Harlequin Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Balboa Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Harlequin Blue.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs Harlequin Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Harlequin Blue 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 Balboa Mist comparisons
See how Balboa Mist stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
