Timeless Ruby vs Carmine
Timeless Ruby (Behr) and Carmine (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. The 6-point LRV gap — 11 for Timeless Ruby vs 5 for Carmine — means Timeless Ruby will open up a space more effectively. Where Timeless Ruby leans red, Carmine reads warm — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 16.1 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Timeless Ruby vs Carmine in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Timeless Ruby and Carmine in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Timeless Ruby has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Timeless Ruby has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Timeless Ruby vs Carmine Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Timeless Ruby on one side and Carmine 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 Timeless Ruby comparisons
See how Timeless Ruby stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 11, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (11 vs 6) makes Timeless Ruby the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 11, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 11, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 11, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
Timeless Ruby reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 11, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 11, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 11), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 11, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 11, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 11, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 11 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 11, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 11), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 11, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 11), opening up a space where Timeless Ruby encloses it.