Our Review of Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore

By:

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist is a lovely light and creamy greige that can brighten an exterior without being too stark. It looks great on just about any home style because of its versatility, and it’s the perfect color if you’re on the fence between white and a deeper greige.

Below, we’ll go over how we like to use Balboa Mist in our designs, its undertones, and the best complementing colors. Keep reading to learn about Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore.

Are you looking for a paint-only transformation? Our paint visualizer package is the answer! It’s the perfect tool for homeowners who only need assistance making paint-related decisions. However, if you need help with other aspects of your exterior, we’ve still got you covered. We can also assist with visualizing design elements such as garages, porches, shutters, and more. Learn more about our virtual exterior design services.

Our designers only use and recommend products that we know, love, or would use on our own properties. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. 

Virtual rendering of a two-story coastal home painted in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist with white trim, black doors, Juliette balconies, and black garage doors.

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist: The specs

Balboa Mist has an LRV of 65.53, which means it falls into the mid-tone category on the scale. It will never appear too dark or too bright like a true white. (Curious about LRV? Learn more here, including why LRV is so important to keep in mind when choosing the perfect paint color for your home.)

Balboa Mist is also considered a neutral. Neutral paint colors are not heavily saturated and they go with nearly everything. They can easily pair with other colors and are excellent as the central hue or accent color.

Virtual rendering of a large farmhouse painted in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist with vertical siding, stone skirting, wood stain garage doors, and white windows.

What undertones does Balboa Mist have?

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist is a lighter greige with subtle purple and taupe undertones that add depth and complexity. Depending on the lighting, Balboa Mist can shift from a warm, inviting hue in direct sunlight to a cooler tone that’s more muted in shaded environments. A home that receives both kinds of light will have an interesting façade that changes throughout the day.

WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND SAMPLING AND TESTING PAINT COLORS BEFORE COMMITTING. FACTORS SUCH AS NATURAL LIGHTING, UNDERTONES, AND YOUR PROPERTY’S FIXED ELEMENTS WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOW A COLOR WILL APPEAR ON YOUR EXTERIOR. OUR FRIENDS AT SAMPLIZE OFFER EXTRA-LARGE 9 X 14.75 INCH PEEL-AND-STICK PAINT SAMPLES OF THE COLORS WE LOVE FOR EXTERIORS. ORDER YOUR ‘REAL PAINT, NO MESS’ SAMPLES FROM SAMPLIZE HERE.

Digital rendering of a large colonial style home painted in Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore with greige shutters, white trim, and black front doors.

Is Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist warm or cool?

Benjamin Moore notes that Balboa Mist has a ‘slightly warm cast,’ making it a warm paint color. However, its purple and taupe undertones allow it to read cooler in certain lighting conditions. This means it’s a chameleon color, and it can adapt to different environments.

Rancher with vertical siding painted in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist with white windows and a black front door.

Recommended applications for Balboa Mist

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist is a great choice as an exterior paint color for a refined look on contemporary and classic homes alike. Our designers have applied it to many home styles with excellent results, including farmhouses and ranches. Its undertones enhance the textures of brick, stucco, and siding, adding visual interest and a gorgeous appearance.

Balboa Mist can serve as a stunning central color for the entire home, or it can be used on trim, shutters, and doors as an accent color. Its versatility allows it to pair perfectly with darker accents for a striking contrast or with lighter shades for a softer color palette that’s more elegant.

Digital rendering of a three-story contemporary home painted in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist with black windows, black double-hung front doors, and a large portico.

What colors pair well with Balboa Mist?

Balboa Mist is an interesting greige because it can be paired with a surprisingly wide variety of other colors. We’ve used Balboa Mist with deep gray-greens, browns, light to medium blues, and brighter soft whites. With Balboa Mist, you can achieve a plethora of color palettes to fit your unique style.

The rendering above proves that you can apply Balboa Mist to any home style with ease. This contemporary home is a stunner, and we love this color palette! Balboa Mist is used on the lap siding and brick with Topeka Taupe by Benjamin Moore on the panels behind the portico and Benjamin Moore’s Black on the trim, soffits, and fascia.

Playing off Balboa Mist’s slight purple undertones, Topeka Taupe is a beautiful choice as a contrasting shade. Not only does it pull out Balboa Mist’s undertones, but it also plays well with the vertical wood next to it. Black panels framing the portico and black trim outline the architecture and roofline while also tying in with the black windows and doors.

Virtual rendering of a farm house painted in Balboa Mist by Benjamin Moore with cedar shake siding, stone cladding, dormer windows, and copper light fixtures and awning.

This design has Balboa Mist paired with White Dove by Benjamin Moore on the decorative paneling below the windows, trim, dormer siding, and shake siding. A German Smear applied to the stone and brick gives the home a cohesive look while maintaining the textural interest. This visual shows Balboa Mist paired with a white that has a brighter LRV yet remains soft and creamy.

Rancher with a green front door, painted brick, white windows, and a greige garage door.

The home above shows Balboa Mist on the garage door and the stone cladding on the right side of the home. Deep River by Benjamin Moore on the siding and trim adds a beautiful color blocking technique. A cool pop of color from Wasabi by Benjamin Moore was applied to the front door. Black light fixtures and house numbers blend into the deep green of Deep River, so they don’t distract or add too much contrast.

We like how our designers added a partition to create a small patio with a seating area. The black of the partition also blends seamlessly with the façade of the home.

Traditional home with dark stone cladding, a black garage door, and white windows.

Pros and cons of Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist

PROS:

  • Not too bright or dark
  • Looks great on modern and traditional home styles
  • Surprisingly wide variety of color pairing options

CONS:

  • The purple undertones may deter some homeowners

Balboa Mist alternatives

Balboa Mist is a smart choice for an exterior paint color. However, we know of a few others that may pique your interest too. Below, we share alternatives that are equally as impressive.

A-frame brick cottage with copper gutters, a small porch, wood porch ceiling, and a black front door.

Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak vs. Balboa Mist

Pale Oak by Benjamin Moore is a wonderful hue with a sophisticated look. It has an LRV of 69.89, slightly higher than Balboa Mist’s 65.53, allowing it to reflect more light and create an airy, brighter feel.

Pale Oak has subtle warm undertones, which lend to its softer profile and neutrality. You can use it beautifully on the same materials as Balboa Mist, either as the central or accent color. Our designers often apply it to homes with lots of brick or siding as the primary hue.

Additionally, Pale Oak pairs well with rich earthy tones, browns, and dark greiges. For a contrasted look with Pale Oak as the central color, try pairing it with Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore’s Chelsea Gray (as seen above) on the trim and shutters. If you like a lighter color palette, try it with Fawn Brindle by Sherwin Williams for a gorgeous, elegant style. Add copper gutters and lighting to exude warmth and complete the look.

Modern home with black windows, stained cedar shake siding, a black front door, and minimal landscaping.

Benjamin Moore’s Classic Gray vs. Balboa Mist

Benjamin Moore’s Classic Gray is a light neutral with an LRV of 74.78, putting it on the lighter end of the LRV scale. Although ‘gray’ is in its name, it appears more like an off-white, especially on exteriors that receive a ton of light. Its undertones are much like Pale Oak’s, making it a great neutral color to work with on any home style.

Digital rendering of a coastal home painted in Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist with white trim and windows, and wood stained front doors.

The bottom line on Balboa Mist

Balboa Mist stands out as a versatile and classic neutral that can adapt to changing light throughout the day and various applications. Furthermore, its undertones add depth to any home, whether it’s used as a primary or accent color. Balboa Mist’s ability to complement a wide variety of materials and home styles make it a reliable option for homeowners looking for a timeless color.

Did Balboa Mist check all your boxes for an exterior paint color? Are you ready to see it on your home? Then we can help! All we need are your answers to our short questionnaire for our designers to get started creating a custom design. We’ll even provide a shoppable resource list so getting started is as easy as clicking a few links. Get started here.

Author

Originally from Tennessee, Ami currently lives in South Carolina, which has been home since leaving the military in 2016. Interior and exterior design has always intrigued Ami, especially the styles and characteristics seen in other countries as an avid traveler and photographer. She lives for the renewal of older or historic homes that maintain their character, and regularly creates her own mood boards and virtual designs for inspiration or to help others with their spaces. Having always had a passion for design and following their work for years prior, Ami was excited to be brought onto brick&batten’s team of writers. Her writing endeavors actually started in an academic/scientific setting, then in a regulatory aspect. Writing about paint colors, emerging or current trends in exterior design, and so much more revolving around something she’s always enjoyed was a fun and welcomed change!

Schedule a Complimentary Call