Formal Maroon vs Preferenced Red
Where Formal Maroon belongs to Behr's range, Preferenced Red is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Formal Maroon belongs to the pink family and Preferenced Red to the pink-red family. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (9 vs 8), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Formal Maroon runs red while Preferenced Red is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. At ΔE 2.1, these are close — the kind of difference that matters when choosing between them, but doesn't read strongly in a finished room. 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 Preferenced Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Formal Maroon on one side and Preferenced Red 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.
