Read all about Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist, plus see 25 real homes that use it!
Neutral paint colors have long been lord and master of the paint world. Their ability to look amazing in different lighting situations, as well as their tendency to play nice with a large variety of paint colors, makes the choice to “go neutral” easy for many people.
But what isn’t easy is actually picking out your neutral shade. That job is the opposite of easy. In fact, it’s so hard for most people that they spend WAY too long trying to find the best color, OR they reach a point where they just pick any neutral color and end up hating it (don’t ask me how I know this first-hand! 🙃).
Neither of those scenarios is good – or necessary! That’s why I’m writing this series highlighting different paint colors. I want to give you the information you need to confidently pick your new paint colors and love them.
This paint series covers not only Sherwin-Williams paint, but all of the well known paint brands (Benjamin Moore, Behr). And if you’ve been following along, you probably knows that regardless of brand, I have a soft spot for lighter paint shades and neutrals. I love their versatility and willingness to let other colors and decor pieces take the limelight.
Today I’m doing an in-depth look at Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist (SW 9166). This color is special. It’s a warm-toned, gray-leaning, off-white that practically sparkles as it fades into the cozy background it helps create.
Like many other timeless off-whites (such as Snowbound and Greek Villa), Drift of Mist plays with lighting and undertones in its own unique way.
This beautiful pastel off-white is going to be a treat to explore! Let’s jump right in to learn more and see if you love this color as much as I do.
FAQs About Drift of Mist
What color is Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist?
SW Drift of Mist is cozy, warm, creamy (but not too creamy) off-white. Although it’s warm-toned, it somehow feels rather balanced and can pair well with both warm colors and cool colors.
The lighting and the surrounding colors will significantly impact how this paint color reads – and that can even change on an hourly basis as the light changes throughout the day!
Is SW Drift of Mist warm or cool?
Drift of Mist is a warm neutral light gray color. And it’s light enough that many people often call it off-white.
Although it can read cooler in rooms with cool light, it will usually read warm next to a truly cool color. In addition, it’s not a hue that will ever look TOO warm or creamy in rich eastern or western lighting.
Where should I use SW Drift of Mist?
This hue is one versatile shade! So, try using it in any room of the house, including:
Bedrooms
Kitchens
Family rooms
Dining rooms
Living rooms
Bathrooms
Laundry rooms
Hallways
And even exteriors
Thanks to its adaptable nature, Drift of Mist is really a must-have in Modern, Contemporary, Transitional, Traditional, Modern Farmhouse, and even Scandinavian design styles.
If undertones make your head hurt, you’re not alone! Grab your free copy of 5 Biggest Paint Choice Mistakes Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist Undertones
Here’s the thing about Drift of Mist and its undertones. While they aren’t usually overt, there are some green undertones to deal with. They don’t show up all the time, but if you aren’t a fan of green undertones, then please do yourself a favor.
Carefully check this paint in your home in small doses before you go all out and buy 6 or 8 gallons and decide you hate it.
- West-facing rooms are blessed with a flood of warm sunshine in the afternoons and early evenings. This lighting really makes the warm undertones of this shade sing. The sade will look like a warm greige with pops of green here more than anywhere!
- East-facing rooms are the opposite. They get their burst of sun in the mornings, and it cools off throughout the day. Here you’ll see those warm undertones in the earlier hours (but not as much as you will in a west room!).
- North-facing rooms tend to have the coolest natural lighting of any space. In this scenario you will see more of the crisp cream tones come through.
- South-facing rooms have consistent filtered warm light. Here, Drift of Mist’s warm undertones show, but subtly so.
NOTE: Paint colors often look different on a screen than how they look in your home. If you want to know exactly what a paint color will look like, you need to use paint samples to check out each and every color you may want to use.
Grab the samples, and check out each hue against your decor and in your particular lighting situations throughout the day.
As far as sampling goes, I highly recommend these mess-free, re-usable, re-positionable peel and stick paint samples ⤵
Great Coordinating Colors for Drift of Mist
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist’s warm green undertones means that this color is a little particular about other colors that you’ll want to partner with it. It looks incredible with grays that have a blue-green undertone and soft whites.
If you’re looking for specific coordinating colors, check out any on this list:
- Pure White
- Chantilly Lace
- Gossamer Veil
- Alpaca
- Polished Concrete
- Comfort Gray
- Caviar
- Mindful Gray
- Eider White
- Perle Noir
- Gray Clouds
- Oyster Bay
- Grizzle Gray
- Repose Gray
- Reflection
- Silver Strand
- Earl Gray
- Snowbound
- Moody Blue
- Biscuit
- Dorian Gray
LRV of Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist (SW 9166)
Ok, it’s time to get a tiny bit technical for a moment. Visually, color is a bit of a shape-shifter. It doesn’t look the same every time you see it because surrounding decor and lighting play a big part in the way it reads. So I like to add a method of evaluating colors that isn’t influenced by those shifting outside influences.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) is a number ranging between 0 and 100. Each color has an assigned LRV number to indicate how much light a color reflects. Darker shades have lower LRV numbers (because they reflect less light), and lighter shades have higher LRV numbers (since they reflect more light).
The LRV of SW Drift of Mist = 69
This value is solidly in the medium-light category. This color reflects lots of light and is also dark enough to read as soft instead of bright white. Although it’s in the gray family, it’s light enough that it could be considered a darker off-white.
LRV…what? Don’t worry, I’ve got you! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
Drift of Mist Compared to Other Colors
I often find that it can be challenging to detect the undertones in paint colors until I see a color side by side with other similar colors. Here’s how Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist stacks up against three different popular paint color choices.
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist vs. City Loft
With an LRV of 69, Drift Of Mist is just a teensy bit darker than Sherwin Williams City Loft’s LRV of 70. At first glance, these two colors may look nearly identical.
However, if you look more closely, City Loft has warm beige undertones and looks just a hair warmer than Drift of Mist with its green undertones.
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist vs. Agreeable Gray
Drift of Mist’s LRV of 69 is quite a bit brighter than SW Agreeable Gray’s LRV of 60. Both colors have strong gray and beige undertones. Although they’re both warm, Agreeable Gray reads as more gray and green than Drift of Mist does.
Make no mistake, both of these colors are stunners in the right environment!
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist vs. Crushed Ice
With an LRV of 66, SW Crushed Ice is darker than Drift of Mist. They may both be neutral medium to light greige colors, but Crushed Ice leans more warm gray than Drift of Mist does.
More Colors to Consider
Not yet ready to take the plunge with Drift of Mist? I get it! Check out these ideas for gray paint colors, greige paint colors and other neutral shades to see if one of them might be a better fit.
- Chantilly Lace (Benjamin Moore) – a crisp white that brightens any space
- Snowbound (Sherwin Williams) – a cool lovely white
- Silver Satin (Benjamin Moore) – a gray-tinted off-white
- Dover White (Sherwin Williams) – a warm, creamy off-white
- Silver Drop (Behr) – a pale gray with a hint of beige
- Super White (Benjamin Moore) – a bright, neutral shade of white
- Accessible Beige (Sherwin Williams) – a cool, popular beige
- Light French Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a mid-toned neutral gray
- Simply White (Benjamin Moore) – a creamy white with yellow undertones
- Pure White (Sherwin Williams) – warm white that sometimes leans greige
- Repose Gray (Sherwin Williams) – a popular warm gray
Feeling lost? I gotcha, boo! Grab a FREE copy of my new guide to avoid the paint color picking mistakes people make! Click here or enter your email below. I’ll send the tips right away!⤵️
25 Real Life Homes Using Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to have some fun with this hue! Seeing how a color looks in real homes is a helpful way to help you see how it REALLY behaves. Let’s check out some real-life homes to see how this paint appears as I show you 25 real homes using Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist paint.
Living Rooms in SW Drift of Mist
A quick note here: don’t forget to consider picking the right paint finish…it’s not only about getting the color right! We have an in-depth explanation of choosing sheens here.
1. Drift of Mist in Light-Filled Living Room
Drift of Mist is used brilliantly in this room! At a quick glance, you can see the soft off-white color. Closer inspection shows how the paint can look gray in low light and even greige in certain lighting (bottom left of the picture against crisp white trim).
2. Living Room Painted Light Greige
Don’t you love this chic room seen on Houzz? The gray ceiling beams, gray stone, and decor pieces draw out the gray undertones in Drift of Mist. The walls are light and bright but definitely lean gray and slightly cool in the natural light.
3. Vaulted Family Room in SW Drift of Mist
Ah, a perfect blend of chic and cozy from My Texas House. The greige decor and wood pieces pull out the warm tones and creamy nature of Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist. Note that it’s also just dark enough to avoid blending in with the brighter white decor items.
4. Drift of Mist with Warm Wood Tones
Drift of Mist is bright enough to make darker spaces feel light and spacious. I love how the warm tones are a natural fit with wood.
Drift of Mist Kitchens
For kitchens, eggshell or satin are popular finish choices for walls. For cabinets consider semi-gloss or high gloss for the most durable finish (and a gorgeous glow).
5. Kitchen with Greenery
Kitchens don’t get any more timeless than this one! Let’s see…adjectives that come to mind are bright, soft, creamy, inviting, and beautiful. And yet, even in a bright room like this one, Drift of Mist isn’t too bright. The chairs and stove hood add a nice natural pop of color, and that pretty greenery outside makes those undertones pop.
6. Walls Painted Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist
This kitchen shared at Pool Bros Flooring has much less natural light, but this hue still looks lovely and reads off-white! Also, you can pick up the creamy nature of the cabinets against the white subway tiles, but the darker grout manages to tie in the tiles, cabinets, and greige pops of color in the counters.
7. Kitchen with a Brick Backsplash
When you’re working with earthy tones in bricks or in wood, a cool-leaning white or off-white will make you cringe every time you see it. The warm tones in Drift of Mist are ideal, and this kitchen shows how it can even bring these two elements together in a natural fit.
8. Painted Kitchen Cabinets in Drift of Mist
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist reads as crisp white against the dark gray walls and black counters in this example from 2 Cabinet Girls. It expertly bridges the gap between dark gray walls and warm wood floors.
9. Painted Kitchen
If you love weathered wood and reclaimed wood, Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist is one hue to put on your shortlist of possibilities.
Drift of Mist Paint in Dining Rooms
10. Dining Room Walls in SW Drift of Mist
This room from What Jess Wore shows off the paint’s gray-leaning greige qualities perfectly. If you don’t see it right away, just look at it compared with the crisp white shelves and trim.
11. Drift of Mist in Low Light
Low light brings out the gray in Drift of Mist and makes it look much darker. The walls in this dining room read soft light gray, and the slats add a nice texture to keep the paint from looking dingy or too flat.
12. Drift of Mist Farmhouse Dining Space
The bright light washes out the gray tones here in this dining room from My Texas House. However, you can see them in the shadows, which allows the paint to contrast against the bright white trim.
13. Drift of Mist with Warm Artificial Lighting
In this room, the low, warm yellow lighting combined with the beige decor and wood tones work to draw out the greige side of Drift of Mist. Even though beige is the dominant read here, there’s still some gray and just a hint of green poking through.
Bedrooms Painted with Drift of Mist
In general for bedrooms, and low-traffic areas, flat paint is fine. If you like something with a bit of shine (and more ease of cleaning) opt for eggshell or satin.
14. Sherwin Williams’ Drift of Mist Master Suite
Although the bright natural light washes out Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist in this room from The Creativity Exchange, there’s still enough color that it contrasts with the white trim. Plus, the creamy softness of this hue keeps this room feeling light and bright without being uncomfortably bright.
15. Kid’s Bunk Room Painted Greige
This room from Marnie Homes (see their work here on Instagram) is adorable – a perfect beach house room for kids!
Drift of Mist is a brilliant choice for this space because it keeps the room feeling cozy and comfortable while pairing perfectly with the wood tones (Photographer: Dana Jeffery Hoff).
16. Bedroom Walls Painted SW Drift of Mist
A bedroom should envelop you in comforting vibes. Drift of Mist expertly does that while, at the same time, fading into the background so that your eye is drawn to the colorful decor as shown in this example from Darling Down South.
17. Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist Guest Bedroom
The wood flooring and large beige rug tone down the gray and pull out the beige with just a hint of green undertone in different areas in this bedroom from Southern Hospitality Blog.
18. Large Master with Drift of Mist Paint
I am consistently amazed at how effortlessly this color excels as an off-white shade at letting a room stay bright without being uncomfortable. That’s why I recommend Drift of Mist for consideration in many bedrooms. It looks great in so many (but not all, so check color swatches!).
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist Bathrooms
Don’t forget the finish! For bathrooms the perfect sheen is either an eggshell or satin. Why? We’ll tell you in this post about paint sheen.
19. Master Bath Walls in Light Gray
This hue helps bathrooms achieve a timeless look. Here, in this example from Blackline Renovations, the low lighting draws out the gray with just a hint of a green undertone.
20. Vanity Painted Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist
This hue is on the light-medium end of the brightness spectrum, so it has a good amount of pigment. However, it shines as a light contrasting color with darker neutrals in this space shared by 2 Cabinet Girls.
21. Drift of Mist with Painted Green Vanity
Drift of Mist has just enough color to contrast with the bright trim. Plus, the light gray steps back expertly to let the green vanity catch your eye.
Exteriors Using Drift of Mist Paint
22. Two Story Home in SW Drift of Mist
This house shared by Southern Living may be full of Southern charm, but it highlights just how beautiful Drift of Mist looks on home exteriors.
Entry and Hallways Painted Drift of Mist
23. Stairwell Featuring SW Drift of Mist
Unfortunately, gray and wood don’t always come together well. However, it takes two qualities (creamy and ultra-light gray) to make it possible for gray and wood to coexist in visual harmony, like here in this hallway from The Creativity Exchange.
24. Bright Entryway
Pairing this color against rich wood tones is one of my favorite ways to use it because both hues bring out the very best in each other. Here, the creaminess both calms and highlights the rich wood.
SW Drift of Mist in Other Spaces
25. Mudroom with Drift of Mist
This mudroom is about the creamiest you will ever see Drift of Mist. However, if you scroll to the second image, you can see that although the color is still soft and creamy, the reason it reads ALMOST yellow in the first image is due to the lighting.
26. Drift of Mist SW Home Office
Check out the luxurious look of this interior paint color in this lovely home office from Tracy Lynn Studio. The shade is definitely an off-white here, and paired with those stunning wood beams, there’s a hint of warmth shining through.
Sherwin Williams Drift of Mist is a creamy light gray that leans warm and can read as a “dark” off-white. Even though this color is wonderful in many ways (and one of my personal favs), it won’t work in every home since its often hidden green undertones can show up unexpectedly.
Make sure that you verify how this color will read in your home by using a paint sample before you commit to it!
Pin this paint color for later! And if you use this paint shade, leave a comment on the pin! That helps others decide if they want to try this color, too!
Ready to show those boring, beige walls who’s the boss at home? Grab my free guide to help you sidestep the mistakes that almost everyone makes when it comes to picking paint! You’ll be on your way to perfect paint promptly…pinky swear.
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