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.
More Cinder comparisons
See how Cinder stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 24, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 24, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 24, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 24, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 24, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
Cinder reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Cinder reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
Cinder reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 24), opening up a space where Cinder encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (31 vs 24) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.