Formal Maroon vs Oxblood
Where Formal Maroon belongs to Behr's range, Oxblood is a Cloverdale Paint color. These are both pinks, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink to land. Formal Maroon (LRV 9) reflects noticeably more light than Oxblood (LRV 4), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 10.5, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Formal Maroon vs Oxblood in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Formal Maroon and Oxblood in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Formal Maroon reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Formal Maroon vs Oxblood Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Formal Maroon on one side and Oxblood 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.
At LRV 69 vs 9, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
Formal Maroon reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (9 vs 4) makes Formal Maroon the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 9, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 9, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Formal Maroon encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.