Gray Owl vs October Mist
Gray Owl and October Mist come from the same Benjamin Moore collection. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 18-point LRV gap — 65 for Gray Owl vs 47 for October Mist — means Gray Owl will open up a space more effectively. Both share a yellow character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 12.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Owl vs October Mist in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gray Owl and October Mist in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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. Gray Owl reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than October 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. Gray Owl 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 Gray Owl will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than October 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. Gray Owl returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Gray Owl vs October Mist Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Owl on one side and October 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 Gray Owl comparisons
See how Gray Owl stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gray Owl reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Gray Owl the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Gray Owl encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Gray Owl is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Gray Owl reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Gray Owl reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.