Balboa Mist vs They call it Mellow
Balboa Mist (Benjamin Moore) and They call it Mellow (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Balboa Mist reads as beige-greige, while They call it Mellow reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 14-point LRV gap — 79 for They call it Mellow vs 66 for Balboa Mist — means They call it Mellow will open up a space more effectively. Where Balboa Mist leans red, They call it Mellow reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 22.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Balboa Mist vs They call it Mellow in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Balboa Mist and They call it Mellow in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. They call it Mellow 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 They call it Mellow will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Balboa Mist would.
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. They call it Mellow 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 They call it Mellow Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Balboa Mist on one side and They call it Mellow 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.
