Balboa Mist vs S 4500-N
Where Balboa Mist belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, S 4500-N is a NCS color. Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige, while S 4500-N reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than S 4500-N (LRV 27), a difference of 38 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while S 4500-N is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 27.0, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs S 4500-N in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and S 4500-N in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than S 4500-N.
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 S 4500-N.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs S 4500-N Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and S 4500-N 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.
