Balboa Mist vs Willow Springs
Balboa Mist (Benjamin Moore) and Willow Springs (PPG) come from different manufacturers. Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige, while Willow Springs reads as greige-white — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 13-point LRV gap — 79 for Willow Springs vs 66 for Balboa Mist — means Willow Springs will open up a space more effectively. ΔE 6.0 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 7 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Willow Springs in Real Spaces
7 real rooms side by side. Balboa Mist and Willow Springs are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Willow Springs reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Balboa Mist.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Willow Springs returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Willow Springs returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Willow Springs will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Balboa Mist would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Willow Springs returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Willow Springs returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Willow Springs 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 Willow Springs Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Willow Springs 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.
