Ablaze
Ablaze is a genuinely dark paint color from Sherwin-Williams. Our real-world data shows it is a primary choice when homeowners need to anchor a room without demanding the spotlight. Below, you'll find 10 examples of this shade in actual homes along with suggested color relationships.
Hex
#C04641
LRV
16.01
Ablaze in Real Rooms
Ablaze has a low LRV of 16.01 — it absorbs light and reads as a genuinely dark, enveloping color. It's neutral in temperature, making it adaptable across different lighting conditions and room orientations.
1 Dining Room Photo
The best dining room colors look different lit by daylight versus candlelight, and Ablaze is one of them. It holds the room's warmth in the evening in a way that makes dinner feel like an occasion even when it's just a casual weeknight.
Ablaze paint in a minimalist dining room
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1 Bathroom Photo
Ablaze is the perfect "clean" color for a bathroom that still wants to feel cozy. It lacks the clinical coldness of a pure white but retains a sense of hygiene and order that is essential for a space dedicated to self-care and grooming.
Ablaze — japandi bathroom
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1 Front Door Photo
In a world of boring front doors, Ablaze is a breath of fresh air. It's a sophisticated choice that works with almost any siding color, providing a much-needed focal point that guides guests naturally toward the entrance.
scandinavian front door featuring Ablaze by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Home Office Photo
Ablaze works exceptionally well with "warm" tech—leather desk pads, brass lamps, and wooden monitor stands. It bridges the gap between modern technology and traditional home comfort, making the office feel like part of the house.
Sherwin-Williams Ablaze in a scandinavian home office
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1 Bedroom Photo
Lighting is key in a bedroom, and Ablaze reacts beautifully to dimmers. As you lower the lights for sleep, the color takes on a velvet-like quality, losing its daytime crispness in favor of a smoky, mysterious depth that is incredibly conducive to relaxation.
A industrial bedroom painted in Ablaze
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1 Mudroom Photo
For smaller entries, Ablaze provides a "box" of color that defines the space. It tells you exactly where the "messy" zone ends and the "clean" house begins, using color psychology to manage the flow of the household.
Ablaze paint in a small mudroom
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1 Living Room Photo
There is a specific "glow" that Ablaze takes on during the golden hour in a living room. As the sun sets, the pigments react with the low-angled light to create a hazy, ethereal atmosphere that feels incredibly high-end. It's a color that rewards those who use the room during the transition of the day.
A cozy living room painted in Ablaze
@mybudgetrecipes
1 Patio Photo
Ablaze on a patio or porch provides a sense of "enclosure" even in an open space. It defines the boundaries of the outdoor room, making it feel more private, secure, and ready for relaxation.
mediterranean patio featuring Ablaze by Sherwin-Williams
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1 Kitchen Photo
On kitchen walls, Ablaze adds a considered, intentional feel without demanding too much attention in a busy space. It holds its own against both warm wood countertops and cool quartz or marble, making it an incredibly flexible choice for the hardest-working and most high-traffic room in the house.
Ablaze — industrial kitchen
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1 House Photo
Exterior paint earns its keep over years, not months — it needs to handle bleaching summers, wet winters, and the slow shifts of a neighborhood's context. Ablaze has the depth and pigment quality to age gracefully through all of it.
Ablaze color — traditional house inspiration
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Expert Perspectives
In-depth articles and real-home features from across our network of home and design sites.
Coordinating Colors
Similar Colors
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 15), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 14), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 16 and 16, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ablaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 16), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Complementary Colors
At LRV 73 vs 16, Mountain Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 53 vs 16, Niebla Azul is decisively the brighter choice.
Silver Lake reflects far more light (LRV 53 vs 16), opening up a space where Ablaze encloses it.
Glass Bead reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 16), opening up a space where Ablaze encloses it.
At LRV 29 vs 16, Morning at Sea is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (16 vs 6) makes Ablaze the marginally brighter of the two.
Lighter Colors
A 6-point LRV gap (22 vs 16) makes Quite Coral the marginally brighter of the two.
Full Bloom reads slightly lighter (LRV 26 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Darker Colors
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 16 vs 15), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Ablaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 11), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.