Calamine vs Ruby red
Where Calamine belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Ruby red is a RAL Classic color. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. Calamine (LRV 68) reflects noticeably more light than Ruby red (LRV 9), a difference of 59 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 70.7, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Calamine vs Ruby red in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Calamine and Ruby red in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Calamine will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Ruby red would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Calamine reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ruby red.
Color Details
Calamine vs Ruby red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Calamine on one side and Ruby 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 Calamine comparisons
See how Calamine stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
