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 2023 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!
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Is October Mist Still Stylish in 2023?
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 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 green color with yellow undertones. The RGB is 71.76% red, 72.55% green and 65.1% blue. This is a very balanced color.
Is October Mist Warm or Cool?
In my opinion October Mist is a true neutral. I have seen pictures of it against pure white accessories and I think it looks cool toned. Then I see it playing off of cream and yellow 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.
Don’t Forget Your Supplies!
This little brush might look funny, but it’s my absolute ride or die!
Rollers like these hold the most paint and make the job faster. Get a metal roller cage for easy on and off.
DryDex is the fastest (and funnest!) way to make chips and dents disappear. (Make sure you get a small spackling tool that actually fits in the container, and a sanding sponge.)
This tool will save your back and limit time on a ladder.
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 colour 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 of the year 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 2023 Color of the Year: 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!
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 Whitetail.
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.
October Mist vs Sea Salt
First up we have Sherwin Williams Sea Salt:
A quick side-by-side shows that Sherwin Williams Sea Salt is lighter and cooler-toned than October Mist.
Sea Salt and October Mist would never be confused for each other, but both are warmer leaning gray greens that you can use almost anywhere!
Read my whole post about Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
October Mist vs Benjamin Moore Sea Salt
I was today years old when I discovered that Benjamin Moore also makes a color named “Sea Salt.”
I thought it would be fun to compare this to October mist too.
Clearly the Benjamin Moore version of Sea Salt isn’t in the sage family at all. It’s actually a pretty nice neutral!
I really wonder why it’s named Sea Salt though, because a neutral beige is not what I think of when I hear the term, whether Sherwin Williams Sea Salt existed or not.
October Mist vs Revere Pewter
If you have spent any time painting or renovating in the last few years, you’ve heard of Revere Pewter. Maybe you’ve even tried it on your walls.
Let’s compare Benjamin Moore’s former color of the year against possibly the neutral color of the decade:
Against Revere Pewter, October Mist looks significantly more green than it does against some other colors. Revere Pewter is decidedly more brown toned, and looks quite warm in comparison.
These two colors actually go well with each other (in my opinion), so if you are considering repainting your existing Revere Pewter, you could do that without needing to repaint your whole house.
October Mist is a more updated color, since green neutrals are getting hot this year, but it’s hard to imagine it ageing as well as Revere Pewter has.
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.
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 Saybrook Sage
Another Benjamin Moore vs Benjamin Moore battle is October Mist against Saybrook Sage.
This one might surprise you!
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. Saybrook sage is more green where October Mist is slightly more yellow.
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 perhaps, but it is very similar.
Either of these would be a good sage color for your home.
October Mist vs Other Sage Colors in a Nutshell
Here is a chart of all the gray-green sage colors that we have compared, plus one more!
Healing Aloe is a much lighter color than all of the other ones that we have looked at, but I wanted to include it because it is such a great color!
If you are considering October Mist, but are worried it is too dark for your whole home, Healing Aloe would be a great choice. Side by side you can see that they read very similar in tone. Healing Aloe is ever so slightly more green, in addition to being lighter and a little less saturated.
October Mist in Real Homes
Because October Mist is still relatively new, it’s pretty hard to find good examples that aren’t the manufacturer’s stock photos. Here are a few shots that I collected of October Mist in the flesh!
This project by @thenorthernjoinery might be small, but it’s a fabulous 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.
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.”
Other Benjamin Moore Alternatives to October Mist
Looking for a color like October Mist, but haven’t quite found the perfect one yet?
Fear not! I have collected similar colors that we haven’t talked about yet!
Grecian Green
Grecian Green is another color that is very similar to October Mist. It is a little bit greener and lighter.
Winterwood
Winterwood is part of Benjamin Moore’s Classic Colors collection, and I can see why. Winterwood is the definition of neutral. It’s not exactly gray or beige. It is in the yellow color family on the hex chart, so it’s a warmer neutral.
Mountain Air
Mountain Air is another chameleon color. Here it looks quite tan against the greens and grays, but paired with warmer tones it definitely looks neutral. Mountain Air is very similar to Revere Pewter.
If you are looking for something warmer than gray, but not green, Mountain Air could be for you!
Dry Sage
Dry Sage is darker and more saturated in the yellow-greens than other colors that we have looked at. If you are looking for a warmer green neutral, Dry Sage might be the one.
Fieldstone
Ah Fieldstone. Maybe because I’m getting older I’ve gotten set in my ways, but it’s so hard to pry grays out of my hands!
Fieldstone is slightly darker than my all time favorite gray: Morning Rain. Other than that it’s very similar, therefore I can’t be objective, and we must move on.
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 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.”
More Colors
