October Mist vs Steam
October Mist and Steam come from the same Benjamin Moore collection. Hue-wise, October Mist belongs to the grey family and Steam to the beige-greige family. The 38-point LRV gap — 84 for Steam vs 47 for October Mist — means Steam 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 20.9 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.
October Mist vs Steam in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing October Mist and Steam 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. Steam 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. Steam 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 Steam will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than October Mist would.
Color Details
October Mist vs Steam Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see October Mist on one side and Steam 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 October Mist comparisons
See how October Mist stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where October Mist encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 47, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
October Mist reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (52 vs 47) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 30, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 47, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
October Mist reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (47 vs 43) makes October Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 47 vs 4, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 47), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
October Mist reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
With LRVs of 47 and 44, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 47, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 21, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 47), opening up a space where October Mist encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 47), opening up a space where October Mist encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 47), opening up a space where October Mist encloses it.
October Mist reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 47), opening up a space where October Mist encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (47 vs 41) makes October Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 47, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 25, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
October Mist reflects far more light (LRV 47 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
With LRVs of 47 and 45, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 47 vs 31, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 7, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 47 vs 24, October Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (57 vs 47) makes Guilford Green the marginally brighter of the two.