Benjamin Moore October Mist 1495 Review Undertones

October Mist 1495 was Benjamin Moore's 2022 Color of the Year, and if you're considering it, you've probably already noticed the debate — is it green or is it gray? I painted my home office and a hallway with it. The answer depends on your room. Here's what I found.

What Is October Mist 1495?

October Mist is a muted sage green from Benjamin Moore with an LRV around 56. That's solidly mid-range — bright enough to keep a room open but with enough depth to register as a real color. It falls in that tricky space where green and gray overlap, and how much of each you see depends heavily on context.

It was positioned as a nature-inspired neutral when BM launched it, and that description is accurate. It's not a green that announces itself. It whispers. In some rooms it reads as a soft sage. In others it barely looks green at all — more like a warm gray with a botanical hint. That subtlety is either the appeal or the frustration, depending on what you're after.

What Undertones Does October Mist 1495 Have?

Green is the base undertone, but gray does most of the talking. October Mist carries so much gray that the green often sits in the background, showing up as a gentle warmth rather than an obvious color.

October Mist vs. Saybrook Sage — Which Should You Pick?

Saybrook Sage HC-114 is the comparison for anyone who wants more obvious green. Both are Benjamin Moore sages, but they're in different leagues of commitment.

Saybrook Sage is warmer, more saturated, and more definitively green. You'll never look at it and wonder if it's gray. October Mist is cooler, grayer, and much more restrained — it barely registers as green in some conditions. I looked at both side by side on Paintuma on a real wall photo, and the saturation gap was clear. Saybrook Sage looked like a color choice. October Mist looked like a neutral with a mood. If you want your walls to actually look green, go Saybrook Sage. If you want a neutral that has something interesting going on underneath, October Mist is the subtler play.

How Does It Look in Different Lighting?

South-facing rooms give you the best version. Warm natural light coaxes the green forward, and October Mist reads as a genuine soft sage — the color the chip promised. It feels warm and grounded.

North-facing light is the wild card. Cool indirect light pushes the gray hard and the green can retreat almost entirely. In my north-facing hallway, October Mist read as a cool gray with barely a hint of green most of the day. It still looked nice — just not very green. East-facing rooms shift from cooler mornings to warmer afternoons. West-facing rooms get golden in the evening, which brings the sage out more.

Does October Mist 1495 Work on Exteriors?

It does, with the usual caveat that sunlight changes things. In direct sun, October Mist lightens up and the green softens. It reads as a warm, muted neutral on the body of a house — not aggressively green, more like a natural stone tone with a green cast.

What Trim Color Pairs Best With October Mist?

White Dove OC-17 is my favorite pairing. It's a warm white that complements October Mist's natural quality — the two feel like they belong together. The contrast is gentle but visible.

For a crisper look, Chantilly Lace OC-65 gives you a true white that sharpens the sage and makes it pop as a definite color. Simply White OC-117 splits the difference. I slid October Mist 1495 next to several trim options on Coloraw to compare, and White Dove felt the most natural while Chantilly Lace made the green more apparent. Both are good calls — it depends on whether you want the trim to blend or to frame. Avoid cream or yellow-toned trim; it muddies the green.

What Are the Closest Matches From Other Brands?

Sherwin-Williams Evergreen Fog SW 9130 is the comparison everyone makes, since both were 2022 Colors of the Year. But they're not that close on the wall. Evergreen Fog is noticeably darker, more saturated, and more obviously green. It commits to being a green in a way October Mist doesn't.

Should You Sample October Mist Before Buying?

More than most colors, absolutely. October Mist's identity shifts so much between rooms that you need to see it in yours before deciding. A color that reads as sage in a south-facing kitchen might look like plain gray in a north-facing bedroom.

For a quick preview first, paintcolorvisualizer.com lets you upload a photo of your own room and test the color for free. It works for interior and exterior. It won't replace a real painted sample, but it tells you fast if the tone works for your space.