Balboa Mist vs Mill Springs Blue
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Balboa Mist belongs to the beige-greige family and Mill Springs Blue to the blue family. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Mill Springs Blue (LRV 34), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while Mill Springs Blue is decidedly green and blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 26.6, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Mill Springs Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and Mill Springs 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 Mill Springs Blue would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Balboa Mist reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Mill Springs 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 Mill Springs Blue.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs Mill Springs Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Mill Springs 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.
