Balboa Mist vs Balmy
Where Balboa Mist belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Balmy is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Balboa Mist belongs to the beige-greige family and Balmy to the blue family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (66 vs 66), so they'll read as similarly Light in most lighting conditions. Balboa Mist runs red while Balmy is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 11.6, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Balmy in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and Balmy 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 brings more warmth to the space, while Balmy keeps things cooler and crisper.
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 brings more warmth to the space, while Balmy keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs Balmy Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Balmy 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.
