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.