Ancona Blue vs Preferenced Red
Both from Farrow & Ball's palette. Ancona Blue reads as blue, while Preferenced Red reads as pink-red — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Ancona Blue (LRV 48) reflects noticeably more light than Preferenced Red (LRV 8), a difference of 40 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Ancona Blue runs cool while Preferenced Red is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 51.1, 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.
Ancona Blue vs Preferenced Red in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Ancona Blue and Preferenced Red in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Ancona Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Preferenced Red.
Color Details
Ancona Blue vs Preferenced Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ancona Blue 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.