Balboa Mist vs String
Where Balboa Mist belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, String is a Farrow & Ball color. Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige, while String reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than String (LRV 62), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while String is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 12.4, 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 String in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and String in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs String Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and String 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.
