October Mist was Benjamin Moore’s 2022 Color of the Year. It was super on trend at the time, but does it still work in 2024 and moving forward?
Let’s take a look at this sagey shade, see it in real homes, revisit our color palette, and of course, check out some alternatives!
Is October Mist Still Stylish in 2024?
First things first: Is this color so last year? Or will it still wow in your home?
Something that you should know about any “Color of the Year,” is that they do take a bit of time to catch on. Most people are not obsessively checking for the latest color and ready to repaint their homes, so you will actually be at the height of style if you use it a year or two after release.
After a color reaches peak popularity, it will typically ride that wave for another 5 to 7 years.
All this to say: No you aren’t too late with October Mist.
On sage greens in general, I would say that the trend is still climbing.
What Color is October Mist by Benjamin Moore? Undertones and More
October Mist is a subtle sage color that is versatile enough for your whole home, not just for accents here and there!
This is what Benjamin Moore says about their new color CC-550 (October Mist):
This gently shaded sage quietly anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression through colour.
Allow me to read into that description a little. “Quietly anchors a space” implies to me that this is meant to be a darker neutral. That’s not a description that would be used for light and bright colors.
“Encouraging individual expression through color” tells me that this is intended to be a color that plays well with many other bolder colors. That holds true, as you will see in a moment! October Mist does work really well with a lot of other shades.
Is October Mist Green or Beige?
October Mist is green, but it can translate as a muddier green depending on the lighting and other factors. If you really hate beige or olive, you may want a cooler shade of green.
October Mist LRV
The LRV of October Mist is 46.33
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.
It surprised me that October Mist is that dark, to be honest. Any color with an LRV under 50 will absorb more light than it reflects. I was expecting it to be in the 50 – 60 range.
What Are the Undertones of Benjamin Moore October Mist?
October Mist is a gray green color with yellow undertones.
It can range in appearance from a cool sage to a light khaki.
Is October Mist Warm or Cool?
In my opinion October Mist is a true neutral. I have seen pictures of it where I think it looks cool toned, and then I see it somewhere else and I think it looks warm.
On the color wheel it is ever so slightly into the warm tones.
October Mist in a Color Palette
Putting this palette together was the best part of this whole article!
I kept this palette a little more crisp by using bright whites and non-traditional neutrals. If you like yellows, creams, and very warm neutrals, that could work well with October Mist too.
October Mist With Healing Aloe
I decided to try October Mist with Healing Aloe, first of all because I love Healing Aloe, but secondly because they are very similar colors.
I think that they look great together! If you wanted to go monochromatic with your color scheme, pairing these two would be a great option.
October Mist With Hale Navy
I actually tried October Mist with Hale Navy on a whim. People always swear that Hale Navy goes with everything, which is an easy claim to make when we’re talking about whites, grays, and beige, but what about a green neutral?
It’s official: Hale Navy goes with everything!
I love how it looks with October Mist, which is great news if your house is full of Hale Navy but you want to update your neutrals.
(If you’re trying to choose a navy, you might also like the subtle charcoal navy-ness of Sherwin Williams Cyberspace.)
October Mist With Chantilly Lace
Chantilly Lace is another treasured favorite from Benjamin Moore. Not just for me, for a whole lot of people!
I remember when I chose Chantilly Lace for my own house that it was very neutral, but technically a green shade of white. That made me think that it would work great with October Mist, and I think it does.
October Mist With Cavern Clay
Across the color wheel from sage greens are the warm clay tones of red and orange. I happen to love a good terracotta, but it’s hard to get right.
Sherwin Williams Cavern Clay is a rich, warm, earthy color without being too bright. Maybe because it’s a natural color, Cavern Clay could be obnoxious but it reads very neutral.
In Benjamin Moore’s 2022 color collection there was a shade called Wild Flower, which is another earthy clay color. I feel like Wild Flower is just a little too pink, so that’s why I went with Cavern Clay.
I love the sage green of October Mist paired with Cavern Clay, it’s bold, but it’s just… *chef’s kiss*.
October Mist With Venetian Portico
The only other color from the 2022 collection by Benjamin Moore that I decided to include in my October Mist palette is Venetian Portico.
I am really digging this color! It’s actually pretty similar to the Sherwin Williams Color of the Year from 2023: Redend Point.
To me the color is a rich blush color, just slightly more neutral, which is the only way I would dare to put it on my walls.
Hear me out: October Mist with Venetian Portico and Hale Navy. That sounds like a winning combo to me!
If you are intrigued by a neutral pink, you will also like Farrow & Ball Sulking Room Pink or Peignoir.
October Mist With White Dove
Another forever favorite from Benjamin Moore, across the Pinterest-o-sphere and beyond, is White Dove.
I chose White Dove because I wanted another white option for October Mist. I do find the color a bit dark for me personally, so I think I would want to add white here and there.
White Dove is a warm white, and that’s why I thought it would pair great with the greenish-gray across the color wheel.
I would be hard pressed to choose between Chantilly Lace and White Dove. I think both would look incredible with October Mist or any other sage green color.
If you are interested in a creamy white, you might also like Sherwin Williams White Flour, or Greek Villa.
October Mist in Real Homes
Here is a look at October Mist in a fabulous dining room:
Something about this room by Louise Dover Interiors gives “royal hunting lodge.” The crown moulding looks similar to Sherwin Williams Shoji White.
If you like this space, you will like the vibe of some of the other homes in my Fabulous Sage Green Trim Colors post!
This next project by @thenorthernjoinery might be small, but it’s a perfect example of October Mist in all different lighting.
In that first photo, October Mist looks pretty light.
Now from another angle, we see the darker and warmer tones of this gray green:
Here’s another, where it looks somewhere in the middle:
Let’s pop on back to the light side, with this project by Gina of @bayberrymoon:
Bear in mind that there is a more reflective finish on this dresser than your walls are likely to have.
Finally we have October Mist on a kitchen island:
Aimee from @lildeserthome used October Mist on her island, with the soft white of Farrow & Ball Off White on the rest of the cabinets, as well as on the pantry door.
For a similar color to Off White, you might like Sherwin Williams Oyster White.
October Mist on an Exterior
Too bad so sad for us, October Mist is not yet a popular exterior choice! Here is the very similar Saybrook Sage on an exterior, to at least give you an idea:
October Mist will look a bit warmer than this. Think just a touch more “spring green.” (I’ll compare the two properly in just a minute!)
October Mist Compared to Other Popular Gray Green and Sage Colors
There are a LOT of great greens, so while I have several in this article, I also cover even more in my Ultra Sophisticated Gray-Green Paint Colors post.
Looking for a color like October Mist, but haven’t quite found the perfect one yet?
Fear not! Let’s compare this color to others that you might want to consider.
October Mist vs Evergreen Fog
It’s the battle of the former Colors of the Year!
I don’t know if this has happened before, but I was surprised to see how similar both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams went with their Colors of the Year in 2022:
That’s right, Sherwin Williams also chose a gray-green sage color to represent 2022. I feel like Evergreen Fog is Sea Salt’s sophisticated big sister. It’s darker and richer than Sea Salt, but still a bit more cool-toned than October Mist.
For me personally, the big difference is that I would not paint my whole house in Evergreen Fog. It is just that little bit too dark. I would use it in areas with good natural light, in small rooms, or on an accent wall, but in the dark days of winter I think Evergreen Fog would be too much.
If we’re talking about tone, I might prefer Evergreen Fog ever so slightly over October Mist. If you LOVE Evergreen Fog, but are leaning lighter, check out Acacia Haze.
For 2024, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams copied each other again, and both chose periwinkle leaning blues as their Color of the Year: Blue Nova and Upward.
October Mist vs Oil Cloth
Oil Cloth is darker and significantly more gray than October Mist:
I do think they look more similar in real life than they do on the swatch.
October Mist vs Saybrook Sage
Another Benjamin Moore vs Benjamin Moore battle is October Mist against Saybrook Sage.
This one might surprise you!
Saybrook Sage is more green (cooler) where October Mist is slightly more yellow (warmer).
I took a quick look and Saybrook Sage is a Benjamin Moore Color from their Historical Collection, which was inspired by America’s Historical Landmarks. What does that mean? This color has been out since 1976!
Saybrook Sage is so similar to October Mist that if you like one it may be hard to choose between them. I would say that Saybrook reads a little brighter.
October Mist vs Sage Wisdom
Benjamin Moore Sage Wisdom is a little bit more gray than October Mist, but a whole lot cooler (more green).
October Mist vs Silver Sage
Silver Sage is like a lighter version of October Mist, which is interesting, because it’s not on the same color strip:
October Mist vs Tree Moss
Tree Moss is just a little bit warmer and less gray than October Mist.
October Mist vs Camouflage
October Mist and Camouflage aren’t especially similar, but if you are looking for a neutral that isn’t gray, either of these might work for you.
Camouflage is definitely warm where October Mist is pretty neutral. They are about the same level of lightness.
October Mist next to Camouflage truly reminds me of camouflage. Both are shades that you could find in Khaki.
October Mist vs Oyster Bay
Our last color vs color battle for now is October Mist vs. Oyster Bay by Sherwin Williams.
Oyster Bay is definitely more gray than October Mist. Besides that, it is probably the closest Sherwin Williams color that we’ve compared.
I really like Oyster Bay. The grayness does make it seem a bit darker than October Mist on paper, but it is pretty similar. In real life Oyster Bay can have an aquatic gray green look that October Mist doesn’t quite get to.
Either of these would be a good sage color for your home.
October Mist vs Farrow & Ball Mizzle
Mizzle is a little bit lighter and less gray than October Mist:
October Mist vs Sherwin Williams Clary Sage
Clary Sage is a little bit darker and warmer than October Mist:
You can see more of this color in my post: Sherwin Williams Clary Sage (and Dupes!)
I find that Clary Sage reads not lighter but a bit “brighter” than October Mist, which is just a bit more subdued in comparison.
October Mist vs Soft Fern
Soft Fern is lighter and less gray than October Mist:
Soft Fern is more likely to look yellowy than October Mist.
October Mist vs Sea Haze
Sea Haze would be perfect if you like October Mist but aren’t sure if it’s a little too green and a hair too warm.
Sea Haze still reads “sage” very much, but without even a hint of olive or khaki. Not going to lie, I’m selling myself on Sea Haze!
October Mist vs Grecian Green
Benjamin Moore Grecian Green is another color that is very similar to October Mist. It is a little bit greener and lighter.
October Mist Final Moody Musings
I hope you found this article helpful! October Mist is a versatile not-too-dark sage green that you could use in your whole home.
It is warmer than a blue-gray sage color and works well in modern farmhouse color schemes with creamy whites.
Fear not, if you haven’t found your perfect paint! Here are some more posts to help you find “the one” :
