Balboa Mist vs Drift of Mist
Balboa Mist is a Benjamin Moore color while Drift of Mist comes from Sherwin-Williams. Hue-wise, Balboa Mist belongs to the beige-greige family and Drift of Mist to the greige-grey family. At LRV 69 vs 66, Drift of Mist will read as the brighter of the two — a 4-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Balboa Mist's red character against Drift of Mist's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. With a ΔE of 1.3, the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side to reliably tell them apart. Below you'll find 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Drift of Mist in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Balboa Mist and Drift of Mist 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Drift of Mist has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Drift of Mist reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The brightness difference is modest but present — Drift of Mist gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs Drift of Mist Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Drift of Mist 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.
