Ocean Abyss vs Smoldering Red
Ocean Abyss (Behr) and Smoldering Red (Benjamin Moore) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Ocean Abyss belongs to the blue family and Smoldering Red to the pink-red family. The 5-point LRV gap — 12 for Smoldering Red vs 7 for Ocean Abyss — means Smoldering Red will open up a space more effectively. Where Ocean Abyss leans blue, Smoldering Red reads red — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 68.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ocean Abyss vs Smoldering Red in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ocean Abyss and Smoldering Red in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Smoldering Red reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Smoldering Red has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Smoldering Red has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Ocean Abyss vs Smoldering Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ocean Abyss on one side and Smoldering 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 Ocean Abyss comparisons
See how Ocean Abyss stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
