Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist is another favorite paint color I thought I’d feature here today.

I just love this color and I think you will too!

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

This post first appeared here back in 2020.

Since then I’ve gotten SO many great questions, I’ve compiled a list of the top ones and answered them all here.

The consistent positive feedback I’ve been getting on these paint color posts has inspired me to create a few more.

A Lovely Warm Gray Paint

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is a beautiful light gray paint color we love!

As you can see from my husband’s home office, above – this is such a great neutral gray color.

In the interior design world this is considered to be a gray beige or a greige paint color – due to the slight purple undertones.

If you’re looking for a light gray paint with a little bit of warmth to it, this could be the one.

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist in our home office.

We really wanted this room to feel and look very light and bright.

However, we also wanted to the wall color to have a bit more of a visual impact than an all white space.

Balboa Mist is the winner here!

As you can see it looks great in this space.

Balboa Mist is a warm gray paint with slightly warm undertones.

It looks just perfect with white trim.

This paint color works so beautifully with both the trim and the white ceiling paint color here.

In fact, I think it makes the beautiful trim details and wainscotting in this room really pop!

The trim in this space is painted in Benjamin’s Moore’s White Dove.

What Color Works Best With Balboa Mist?

So, if you’re asking for a paint color that goes well with Balboa Mist, White Dove is my answer here.

White Dove is the first Benjamin Moore paint we ever used.

It turned out to be the perfect introduction to their world of premium paint.

By the way, if you’d like, you can read more about wainscotting.

We also considered Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter (which looks a lot like a darker version of Balboa Mist), Pale Oak and Sherwin William’s Agreeable Gray for this space.

I wish I’d thought to take a photo of these paint samples all up on the wall.

We (obviously) ultimately chose Balboa Mist because it looks just a bit softer, a bit warmer.

I think it gives this room such a fresh look plus, it made the room brighter too!

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist OC – 27

Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist is also known as OC – 27

I recently learned from my local hardware store, the OC stands for Off White Colors.

Balboa Mist is part of the BM off white collection.

The off-white collection is part of the time-honored tradition of Benjamin Moore paints.

This was a surprise to me as I was told years ago it was for Original Colors?!

I always like to know what these letters mean, because it helps me to remember the right code!

While I was there, I also asked him to recommend some brushes and rollers for our precise paint needs.

If you’re doing this job yourself, this set, which has everything you need in it, was the same one he pointed out to me.

 

 

What is the light reflectance value of Balboa Mist?

The light reflectance value (LRV) of this classic gray paint color is 67.

This puts it almost solidly in the middle as far as brightness/whiteness goes.

Which rooms work best with Balboa Mist?

Balboa Mist has great depth of color and would work perfectly in a family room, dining room and living room.

Even though this color is our home office, I can see it being the perfect color for any room in your house.

For high-humidity environments, like bathrooms, just make sure to use the mildew resistance formula which is found in the Aura paint line.

The Benjamin Moore Aura bath line of paints is a great product known for it’s beautiful color vitality.

I’ve also seen this work beautifully in an open floor plan.

How many coats of paint do you need?

Our application method: We went with two coats of paint, plus a tinted primer.

How much will a professional paint job cost us?

This will really depend on so many different factors.

To even give a rough estimate, the square feet and and actual amount of wall area including wall height and length of each wall would need to be factored in.

Once you know the total square footage, this will also determine the amount of wall paint you will need to purchase.

When you know the total wall area and the number of gallons needed, you best bet is to then get at least three different estimates.

This is the method we approach all of our painting projects with.

What type of finish looks best with this paint?

Benjamin Moore makes a great product, so any high end finish is going to look great.

Feel free to go with the sheen of your choice.

We chose to go with a satin finish here, this is considered a middle of the sheen spectrum finish.

Satin is a popular finish – and one of the most common interior paint finishes.

Unlike the slight sheen of eggshell – which is probably the most popular finish, a satin finish will have a velvety sheen.

Not only does it give beautiful results, but it creates an easy-to-clean surface – most marks tend to come off with just gentle scrubbing.

I also appreciate how it seems to work great with less-than-perfect surfaces.

In other words, this will work with a wide variety of surfaces.

This makes satin finishes a great choice for high-traffic areas.

More info on how to select the right paint finish – be sure to read this post.

Conclusion

Ultimately you need to love the paint colors you choose for your walls.

Which is why I can’t recommend trying it out as a sample in your home first.

Because even the surrounding light from one room to another can differ, and this will alter the look of any paint color.

Live with a few samples for a few days before making your final decision.

Always be sure to test the color in natural facing light and artificial light too!

A great way to test out a paint color, is to get these large self stick paint samples.

Doesn’t this sounds so clever?

No messy paint cans to deal with before you commit! Win/win!

If you’re at all curious, you can find them here and try it out as a sample in your home first!

Hopefully, you found this post helpful.

If you do end up using Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist for your interior paint job, let me know.

Even better, send me a photo – I’d love to see it.

Any other questions, please shoot me an email or leave it in the comments below.

I’ll be happy to answer them.

Which reminds me… I’ve already answered a popular inquiry on the best white paint colors to use for trim and base moldings.(just in case your wondering:)

Additional Gray and Greige Paint Color Inspiration:

If you’re looking for even more gray and greige paint color inspiration and home design ideas, be sure to check out these other posts by clicking on each title below-

• Benjamin Moore Calm
• Farrow and Ball Elephant’s Breath
• Benjamin Moore Cumulus Cloud
• Top gray paint colors.
• The Best Paint Colors For Kitchens With White Cabinets.
• Benjamin Moore Cape Hatteras Sand
• The Best Paint Brushes For Your Trim and Baseboards
• How To Paint A Brick Fireplace.
• The Best DIY Paint Sprayers For Cabinets.
• How to pick the best Benjamin Moore paint color.
• Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige paint review.
• The Best Greige Paint Colors For Your Home.
• Sherwin Williams Repose Gray Paint Review.
• Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray paint review.
• The best white paint color for kitchen cabinets, according to design professionals.

 

Last,  but not least of all…

Design lovers! Have you joined our fun and VERY helpful design Facebook group?

In this group – members share their own photos with specific design questions and dilemmas from their homes and spaces.

Everyone chimes in with their best advice!

We also spill our favorite design sources and tips – it’s SO great for hunting down hard to find items and pieces.

Lastly, to help you even further with your home projects, download my FREE DESIGN CHEAT SHEET!

It’s loaded with all sorts of quick tips and handy measurements.

Sign up below to grab that, it’ll be super helpful!

And last but not least...be sure to PIN THIS IMAGE BELOW –  this way you’ll have all this info conveniently saved for your next home project!

*This post contains affiliate links. This means if you click a link and purchase something, I may get a small commission from it at no cost to you. For more info, please read my disclaimer. I only refer things that I truly love and hope you will too!