Cinder vs Instinct
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Cinder belongs to the grey family and Instinct to the blue family. Instinct (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than Cinder (LRV 24), a difference of 31 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Cinder runs red while Instinct is decidedly blue, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 24.8, 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.
Cinder vs Instinct in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Cinder and Instinct in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Instinct reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cinder.
Color Details
Cinder vs Instinct Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cinder on one side and Instinct 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.