Behr Irish Mist is an underrated off-white from the same color strip as the more popular Silver Drop and Dolphin Fin. It’s a classic creamy gray that might remind you more of Irish cream than an Irish Mist.

Today we will take a look at all things Irish Mist, see it in real homes, highlight some coordinating colors, and of course, check out some dupes!
What Color is Behr Irish Mist (790C-1)
Irish Mist is a creamy off white with just a hint of gray. It’s a perfect neutral backdrop for any decor style and any number of other colors.

LRV and RBG of Behr Irish Mist
The LRV of Irish Mist is 78.
What does that mean?
The LRV of a color indicates on a scale of 0 – 100 how much light a color reflects (or doesn’t reflect). True black has an LRV of 0 and pure white has an LRV of 100.
In the paint world, we are working in a range of about 3 – 93 because no paint color is purely black or completely white.
At 78, Irish Mist is classified as an off-white paint color.

The RGB of Irish Mist is: Red 231, Green 229, Blue 219
Using those numbers from Behr, the hex value of Irish Mist is: #E7E5DB
What Are the Undertones of Irish Mist?
Irish Mist is a really pretty off-white with creamy beige undertones. This color is a little hard to come by, but from what I have seen it doesn’t tend to do anything funky. (Much like it’s dupes, which we will see in a moment.)

I love this one because it’s creamy without being yellow.
Is Irish Mist Warm or Cool
Irish Mist is most definitely a warm color, but you can use it like a neutral.
Irish Mist Color Strip
As you get darker on the Irish Mist color strip, these greigey colors start to do strange things and can actually look quite silver. Irish Mist tends to stay more beige rather than cool gray.

The other colors in this collection are:
- Silver Drop (790C-2 )
- Dolphin Fin (790C-3)
- Granite Boulder (790D-4)
- Squirrel (790D-5)
- Dusty Mountain (790D-6)
- Black Bean (790D-7)
Lighter Version of Irish Mist
There is no lighter alternative to Irish Mist on the same color strip, but a good tone match would be Behr Nano White (HDC-MD-06).

Nano White is a true white, with an LRV of 87.
Darker Version of Irish Mist
Behr Silver Drop is one shade darker than Irish Mist on the same color strip. It is a nice soft greige, but it can read slightly more silver at times.
You might also really like Benjamin Moore Classic Gray.
Behr Irish Mist in a Color Palette
Let’s take a look at this one with some beautiful coordinating colors:

Coordinating Colors for Irish Mist
Dolphin Fin
I chose Dolphin Fin for this color palette because it’s two shades darker than Irish Mist on the same color strip. Together these two would be a gorgeous neutral backdrop for the rest of your decor.

Sage Green
I love the nature inspired neutral of Behr Sage Green. It’s the perfect pop of color that isn’t too “out there.” It looks beautiful with the creamy natural tone of Irish Mist.

Sage would be a great accent color if you are using Irish Mist.
Canyon Dusk
Not everyone will like the terracotta of Canyon Dusk, but it’s super on trend and looks great with Irish Mist.

Canyon Dusk was kind of like Behr’s nod to the Sherwin Williams 2023 Color of the Year Redend Point.
Polar Bear
Technically Irish Mist is light enough that you could fool the eye into thinking it’s white by using it everywhere from trim and ceilings to doors. However if you want a crisper more traditional white, try Behr Polar Bear. It’s a still-soft white that packs a lot more brightness.

You might also like Sherwin Williams Greek Villa.
Intellectual
Behr Intellectual is a color where charcoal and taupe meet. It’s a very dark greigey shade with a whiff of mushroom. Intellectual and Irish Mist is like a softer alternative to a black and white pairing.

Complementary Color for Irish Mist
The “official” complementary color for Irish Mist (meaning the shade directly across the color wheel) would be a dusty blue with a hint of purple. Behr White Lavender is a close color match.
Behr White Lavender (M550-1)

You might also like Sherwin Williams Upward.
What Trim Colors Go With Behr Irish Mist?
Irish Mist is a beautiful off-white that you can certainly pair with any color of wood trim, if that’s what you’re working with. Behr in mind (Har har) that it will likely look a bit more gray if you use it with very warm wood, such as honey oak.
White Paint that Goes with Irish Mist
As I mentioned earlier, you actually could make Irish Mist look fairly white by using it as your only white (i.e. trim, ceilings, doors, etc). It sounds a bit spooky, but it has been done successfully with many a darker off-white.
Here we can see Sherwin Williams Shoji White used as the only white, and it looks fairly white:

Simply use Irish Mist in a different sheen for your trim.
If you are after a more contrasting white, take a look at these other options:

Nano White and Polar Bear are both white paints that we discussed earlier. Each are lighter than Irish Mist, but still warm and compliment the tone nicely.
Behr Ultra Pure White is the OG white white, and is supposedly the whitest white on the market from any paint brand. Sherwin Williams Pure White isn’t as bright, but it reads true white most of the time.
Behr Irish Mist for Your Home’s Interior
Irish Mist is a really underused color, so we will just have to do our best here. I have a couple pictures of the real deal, and I will also illustrate with similar colors. (Don’t you worry, I will always tell you when I do that!)
Irish Mist in the Living Room
First up we have a beautiful traditional living room featuring Irish Mist. Here you will find that the color looks probably its most creamy:

You can see that Irish Mist does look fairly white still, and might even trick you, if you couldn’t see all that white trim and fireplace!

This next living room provides a slightly cooler aspect to Irish Mist. Here it looks more gray/beige than cream:

This is how I would expect Irish Mist to look in a north-facing room.

Behr Irish Mist in the Bathroom
In Emily’s bathroom (@emily.a.lopez) Irish Mist is the softest neutral. It looks equal parts gray and cream and provides a peaceful backdrop for the other finishes.

Again if you only look at the close wall where there is no white trim, you can see how Irish Mist can look quite white on its own.
“…Behr Irish Mist. It’s the perfect light grey neutral. I paint all my rentals this color.” – Emily Lopez
Behr Irish Mist on Kitchen Cabinets
If you are interested in using Irish Mist for cabinets here is the similar color Benjamin Moore Dove Wing to give you an idea of how it would look:

You will see in a moment when we talk dupes, that Dove Wing is just a tiny bit less gray than Irish Mist.

You can see that without white countertops or tile, Irish Mist would look pretty white. Only around the apron sink do you get a better idea that it’s an off-white.

What if you want Irish Mist walls with true white cabinets?
Luckily Emily has done that for us! These kitchen cabinets are a bright but warm white:

You can see that in this scenario Irish Mist looks more gray, but if you used a cooler white for the cabinets it will look warmer. The cabinets are similar to Benjamin Moore White Dove.
Behr Irish Mist on an Exterior
When we get too exteriors we will once again have to do our best to visualize Irish Mist using a similar color. This time it’s the dupe Sherwin Williams Ethereal White.

You will see in a minute when we talk dupes that this is almost exactly how Irish Mist would look. Ethereal White is just a tiny bit cooler, but as this next shot is in warm sunlight, it’s a near perfect example:

Irish Mist Compared to Other Behr Paint Colors
There are really only two paint colors from Behr that Irish Mist is often compared to: The darker shade Silver Drop, and the ever popular Swiss Coffee.
Behr Irish Mist vs Silver Drop (790C-2)
As we discussed earlier, Silver Drop is one shade darker than Irish Mist on the same color strip. It has an LRV of 70, so it is still right on the edge of being an off-white.

Behr Irish Mist vs Swiss Coffee (12)
Swiss Coffee is one of Behr’s ever popular white paint colors. It has an LRV of 84 so it is still a white paint color and not an off-white, although it is still creamy.
You can see that Swiss Coffee is lighter and less gray than Irish Mist.

Confused by which Swiss Coffee? Swiss Coffee Paint Colors Compared (Are They All the Same?)
Irish Mist Dupes from Other Brands
Looking for the Irish Mist look, but prefer a different brand?
I’ve got you covered! Here are the best versions of Irish Mist that you can get from Benjamin Moore, Sherwin Williams, and Valspar:

Benjamin Moore Irish Mist Equivalent
From Benjamin Moore, the best color match for Irish Mist is the color Dove Wing.
Benjamin Moore Dove Wing (OC-18)

Dove Wing is ever so slightly creamier and less gray than Irish Mist.
Valspar (Lowe’s) Equivalent to Irish Mist
The best Irish Mist color match that Valspar makes, is the shade Divine Cream.
Valspar Divine Cream (7006-8)
Divine Cream is just a touch cooler (more green/yellow) than Irish Mist.

Irish Mist Sherwin Williams Equivalent
There was a tight race between two Sherwin Williams off-whites for the best dupe, but in the end Ethereal White took it home.
The other color in the running was Nuance.
Sherwin Williams Ethereal White (SW 6182)
Ethereal White has about the same LRV as Irish Mist but it is a tiny bit cooler.

Ethereal White can tend to have a slightly green undertone, which you can see in the side by side, where Irish Mist does not.
Read my whole post here: Ethereal White: A Heavenly Shade by Sherwin Williams (Plus Dupes!)
Sherwin Williams Nuance (SW 7049)
Nuance is just a little bit darker than Irish Mist. Other than that the color looks exactly the same.

Can we take a moment to enjoy the absurdity that is Sherwin Williams’ description of Nuance? “This cool bright white…”
What in the what?? Cool and bright who? I’m willing to bet this was a copy and paste error. Maybe by the time you read this it will be fixed.

Irish Mist Pros & Cons
Thank you so much for reading to the end! That actually really helps me out 🙂 Let’s summarize a few pros and cons to Irish Mist!
Pros
- Beautiful and soft off-white
- Warm but still neutral
- Goes with almost anything
- Less traditional but safe choice for cabinets or exteriors
Cons
- Might not be dark enough to read as a “color” in your space
- Very tame (not necessarily a con)
Not the one? Oh baby, oh baby, I’ve got more!