Balboa Mist vs Mercurial
Where Balboa Mist belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Mercurial is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Balboa Mist belongs to the beige-greige family and Mercurial to the greige-grey family. Balboa Mist (LRV 66) reflects noticeably more light than Mercurial (LRV 61), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Balboa Mist runs red while Mercurial is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. The ΔE 4.0 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs Mercurial in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Balboa Mist and Mercurial 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.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Balboa Mist vs Mercurial Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and Mercurial 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.
