Formal Maroon vs Hostaleaf
Both from Behr's palette. Formal Maroon reads as pink, while Hostaleaf reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (9 vs 9), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Formal Maroon runs red while Hostaleaf is decidedly green and blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 26.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below, 5 simulated room previews show how each color reads at scale — real-room photos will be added as they become available.
Color Details
Formal Maroon vs Hostaleaf Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Formal Maroon on one side and Hostaleaf on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Formal Maroon comparisons
See how Formal Maroon stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
