October Mist 1495 is the deeper, silvery sage, with an LRV of 47 and a soft green that reads more clearly green.
Sea Salt SW 6204 is the lighter, airier coastal sage, with an LRV of 63 and a green-blue that shifts with the light.
They are cross-brand (Benjamin Moore versus Sherwin-Williams) but in the same light-sage family, so the tiebreaker is depth and how much light your room gets, not undertone. Test both on a photo of your space before you commit.
October Mist and Sea Salt are the two light sages that come up most when a homeowner is comparing Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams side by side. They look related on a chip, and they are, but the depth gap between them is real: October Mist sits at LRV 47, Sea Salt at LRV 63, a 16-point swing. October Mist reads as a soft, present sage; Sea Salt reads as a breezy, barely-there coastal green. This is our side-by-side method for comparing paint colors applied to the two light sages that bridge the two biggest US brands.
The numbers side by side
| Attribute | October Mist 1495 | Sea Salt SW 6204 |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Soft silvery sage | Pale green-blue-gray, coastal sage |
| LRV | 47 | 63 |
| Approximate hex | #B4B7A6 | #CDD2CA |
| Undertone | Silvery, reads more clearly green | Green-blue that shifts with the light |
| Loves | Soft presence, kitchens, bedrooms | Small baths, airy coastal palettes |
| Watch out for | Reading gray in low light | Fading toward off-white in strong sun |
| Overall vibe | Soft, silvery, present | Light, breezy, barely-there |
Try it on your house
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LRV figures are the published values from each brand. Hex values are approximate digital renderings only, and screens vary; the authoritative reference is always a physical paint chip from the retailer.
Upload one photo, get a photorealistic render, then swap to Sea Salt in one click. Free, no signup.
Room by room, exposure by exposure
| Situation | Usual winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| North-facing room | Sea Salt | The higher LRV (63) keeps the room from closing in; October Mist can read gray in cool, flat light. |
| Bright south room | October Mist | Strong sun can wash Sea Salt toward off-white; October Mist holds its soft sage presence. |
| Kitchen with white cabinets | Sea Salt | The breezy green-blue reads cleanly against white and keeps the kitchen feeling open. |
| Bedroom | October Mist | The LRV 47 reads as a soft, present sage with more cocooning than Sea Salt. |
| Small or dim room | Sea Salt | The LRV 63 bounces what little light exists; October Mist can feel a touch heavy here. |
| Whole main floor, open plan | Sea Salt | Airier LRV 63 flows better across connected spaces and different exposures. |
The pattern is consistent: Sea Salt, with its higher LRV of 63, wins wherever light is scarce or you want the room to feel open. October Mist, with its LRV of 47, wins wherever you want a soft, present sage with a bit more weight. The 16-point LRV gap between them is not a rounding error, it is a visible difference you can check on your own wall.
When to choose October Mist
- You want a soft, silvery sage with more presence than a barely-there coastal green.
- Your room gets strong natural light, so the LRV 47 reads as a clear sage instead of gray.
- You like a sage that reads more clearly green, without Sea Salt's blue shift.
- You are pairing it with warm wood or cream trim and you want a soft, grounded backdrop. For the full breakdown, see our October Mist review and best rooms guide.
When to choose Sea Salt
- Your room is small, dim, or north-facing, and you need the LRV 63 to keep the space from feeling heavy.
- You want a breezy, coastal sage that reads as a color but never weighs the room down.
- You are painting a kitchen with white cabinets, or any space where an airy, open feel matters more than presence.
- You are doing an open-plan main floor where one color has to flow across several rooms and exposures. For more on this lighter sage, see our Sea Salt undertones and best rooms guide, and for a related deeper-sage matchup, our Evergreen Fog vs October Mist duel.
Same wall, both sages, your actual light. Free render in about 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between October Mist and Sea Salt?
The main difference is depth. October Mist 1495 has an LRV of 47 and a silvery cast, so it reads as a soft, present sage. Sea Salt SW 6204 has an LRV of 63 and a green-blue that shifts with the light, so it reads lighter, airier, and more coastal. They are cross-brand (Benjamin Moore versus Sherwin-Williams) but in the same light-sage family, so the choice comes down to how much light your room gets, not undertone.
Which is lighter, October Mist or Sea Salt?
Sea Salt is lighter. Its LRV is 63, compared with 47 for October Mist. That 16-point gap is real and visible on the wall: Sea Salt bounces more light and feels airy, while October Mist reads as a soft, present sage with more weight. If your room is dim or small, Sea Salt is usually the safer pick.
Do October Mist and Sea Salt have the same undertones?
They are in the same light-sage family, but they lean differently. October Mist has a silvery quality that lets the green read more clearly. Sea Salt has a green-blue quality that makes it read coastal and shifty. Calling them identical is the common mistake; the depth and the silvery-vs-blue-green lean are what separate them.
Can I see both colors on my own wall before I buy paint?
Yes. Upload one photo of your room to FacadeColorizer, get a photorealistic render in October Mist, then swap to Sea Salt in one click. You will see the 16-point LRV gap on your actual wall, in your actual light, which is the only honest way to settle this cross-brand duel. The first HD render and three color variations are free.
1 HD render plus 3 free color variations. Start with October Mist, swap to Sea Salt in one click.
Trademark notice. Benjamin Moore and October Mist are trademarks of Benjamin Moore & Co. Sherwin-Williams and Sea Salt are trademarks of The Sherwin-Williams Company. FacadeColorizer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by these companies. Brand and color names are used descriptively (nominative fair use). Hex and RGB values are approximate digital renderings; the only authoritative reference is a physical paint sample.
Trademarks mentioned (Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Caparol, Brillux, Sto, Alpina, Valspar, PPG, Glidden, Dulux, Crown Trade, Sandtex, Farrow & Ball, Johnstone's, Leyland) are property of their respective owners. FacadeColorizer is independent and not affiliated with any of them. Nominative fair use under Lanham Act §1125.
