Balboa Mist vs Sandy
Where Balboa Mist belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Sandy is a Jotun color. These are both beige-greiges, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within beige-greige to land. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Sandy (LRV 30), a difference of 36 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while Sandy is decidedly warm, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Sandy in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and Sandy 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 Sandy 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 Sandy.
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 Sandy.
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
Balboa Mist vs Sandy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Sandy 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.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (69 vs 66) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 30, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (66 vs 60) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 43, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 4, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 66, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 41, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 66 vs 25, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 7, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 66 vs 24, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (66 vs 57) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
A 6-point LRV gap (72 vs 66) makes Just Walnut the marginally brighter of the two.