If you’re looking for classic neutral shades, then you can’t go wrong with Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist. In fact, it was one of the most on-trend paint colors in 2019!
Benjamin Moore describes the Balboa Mist as “endlessly versatile” and “inherently sophisticated”.
It is the perfect shade for color-enhancing accents in dynamic spaces, as well as serene and tranquil environments, too.
If you’re a frequent hot decorator, it can sometimes be tricky to find the perfect warm gray shade; however, this no longer has to be the case with Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist.
While a warm gray shade may not be on the top of the paint radar, don’t make the decision just yet.
With this in mind, this article will explore everything you need to know about Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist and whether or not it will work in your space.
Here, we explore all the factors which contribute to its success in a particular room.
Let’s get started.
What Color Is Balboa Mist?
Before we jump into whether or not the shade will work in your home, you’ll first want to understand what color it truly is.
Essentially, it is a light gray color with stunning beige undertones. While it may be a light shade, it contains tons of color concentration which makes a beautiful contrast against white trim.
According to the Benjamin Moore website, Balboa Mist is a part of the Off-White Color collection – this means it is inherently versatile while being sophisticated at the same time.
The Off-White Collection features shades that are perfect for all types of environments.
To help you further understand the complexities of the shade, we have outlined some other factors to consider below.
LRV Of 67.37
The light reflective value (LRV) of Balboa Mist comes at 67.37. The number determines how dark or light the shade is.
Absolute black is determined by the number 0 while the brightest white is 100.
What Are The Undertones Of Balboa Mist?
Balboa Mist is often referred to as a greige – meaning it has both gray and beige undertones. Since it is a well-balanced color, you don’t have to worry too much about undertones.
Although, keep in mind that in some types of lighting, the shade can have purple undertones – like most gray paints.
Believe it or not, every gray paint has a certain amount of undertones, Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist is no exception – in fact, it may even catch you off-guard.
Essentially, the shade features green and brown undertones, as well as a slight purple undertone.
When it comes to choosing the perfect paint for your home with confidence. There is one simple trick you can use: peel-and-stick paint swatches.
These can easily be moved and repositioned around your home without you worrying about damaging the existing paint.
Here, you can see what the paint will look like in your home’s lighting and among all your decor.
Is Balboa Mist A Warm Or Cool Color?
Thanks to the beige side of its makeup, Balboa Mist is considered to be a warm greige color – which makes for a perfectly balanced neutral shade.
Where Can You Use Balboa Mist?
Since Balboa Mist is a medium-to-light shade, it works well in most environments. In fact, most designers recommend colors in the 60-62 LRV range as perfect for all lighting conditions.
While Balboa Mist is slightly lighter than this range at 67.37, it still works as a completely versatile color. As such, you should have no problem using it in dark or light hallways and rooms.
The shade is light enough to help expand a particular area and make it feel bigger while providing all the warmth to make your space feel cozy and organic.
Therefore, you can use this shade anywhere – and everywhere! It works particularly well in houses that feature shadowy or cool-leaning light since it provides a warm vibe that helps to balance out the coolness of a room.
Below, we have outlined some of the best areas in your home where you can use this shade. This includes your:
Laundry/ mud room
Entryway
Living room
Family room
Bathroom
Bedroom
Cabinets (including built-ins and vanities)
Playroom
Basement
Kitchen
Home office
Balboa is a classically gorgeous shade that will melt seamlessly into any transitional, modern, rustic, traditional, or modern farmhouse-style home.
Can You Use Balboa Mist In Your Home?
While Balboa Mist can work in a ton of different spaces in your home, this doesn’t necessarily mean it will.
What may look amazing in someone else’s home, may look completely different in yours.
Therefore, to help you feel more confident in your decision, below, we have outlined some simple tips to help you determine whether or not you can incorporate it into your home.
Understand Your Undertones
When deliberating the right colors for your room, you’ll want to make sure the undertones in your paint work with the undertones in your room.
As we have previously mentioned, Balboa Mist features purple undertones. Therefore, matching this color with the furniture in your room will help to elevate it. For instance, purple artwork or a purple rug.
When you’re looking to replicate this in your home, go around your room and look at all the undertones in the furniture which can’t be easily replaced. For instance, your cabinets, counters, rugs, furniture, etc, should all be evaluated.
This will help when it comes to corresponding the paint color to your specific environment. Once done, if you have determined that a gray featuring purple undertones won’t work for your room, then you may want to opt for a lighter or darker shade.
Evaluate How It Works With Your Lighting
Balboa Mist is a somewhat light shade; however, not too light that you won’t be able to notice it – well, except in circumstances where your room is overly bright.
Before you go ahead and paint your entire room, make sure to test the color to evaluate how it will work with the natural lighting in your room.
For instance, if it is too light, you may want to opt for another shade such as Collingwood. On the other hand, if it’s too dark, then you could opt for Eider White – a light gray/ greige color that has purple undertones.
You should also keep in mind that all colors have a light reflectance value (LRV) which shows how light or dark a particular color is.
On the LRV scales, Bilbao Mist falls at 67, which indicates that it is a fairly light shade when it comes to gray paint colors. However, it isn’t the lightest color in the world, either.
Therefore, if your room doesn’t receive much natural lighting, then you’ll notice the purple undertones in the paint more.
That said, this can be easily fixed by incorporating more light into your space. You can achieve this by adding a mixture of lamps and recessed lighting to your room.
Test It Out
Instead of simply painting your new paint directly on your desired wall, you can use a paint sample against a white poster board to help you determine which color will look best.
Plus, this helps you to make an unbiased decision when it comes to choosing which paint will work best with the background.
In addition to this, you’ll want to make sure you’re comparing all the colors in question – this will help you to fully comprehend the different undertones.
Best Colors To Use With Balboa Mist
Once you have determined that Balboa Mist will look wonderful in your space, you’ll next want to determine the different shades that it will blend seamlessly with.
The beauty of Balboa Mist is that the most greige colors are super simple to coordinate thanks to their balance of neutral colors. As a result, they work well with a range of different shades.
For instance, a classic combination when it comes to gray and greige colors is black and white – providing a sophisticated and classy look. You can even opt for pink for more fun!
Another fabulous option for this color is blue. Darker blues, such as navy, tend to be more formal and traditional.
Whereas softer blues and blue greens tend to be more relaxing. Plus, turquoise and teal colors are much more playful and bright. However, they all look amazing with Balboa Mist!
Lastly, another great option is greens, such as the color of herbs and forests, which help to bring the outdoors inside.
Final Thoughts
Before you get ahead of yourself and paint your home, it is important to determine whether or not it will work in your space.
This goes the same for Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist – regardless of how gorgeous it is on its own.
There are a number of factors you can consider when it comes to picking the perfect shade, including your room’s undertones and lighting.
I’m Ida Oliveira, and now I want to impart my knowledge of all things interior design onto you. If you’re going through the same process of designing your house, I want to help.
So, I hope that you’ll find everything you need to know on my website. If I make the process even a little easier and more fun for you, Alexander and Pearl will have done its job.
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