Charlotte's Locks vs Pure red
Where Charlotte's Locks belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Pure 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. Charlotte's Locks (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Pure red (LRV 17), a difference of 4 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 18.9, 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.
Charlotte's Locks vs Pure red in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Charlotte's Locks and Pure red in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The brightness difference is modest but present — Charlotte's Locks gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Charlotte's Locks vs Pure red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charlotte's Locks on one side and Pure 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 Charlotte's Locks comparisons
See how Charlotte's Locks stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 21, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 6, Charlotte's Locks is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 21, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 21, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (27 vs 21) makes Denim Drift the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
Charlotte's Locks reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (21 vs 13) makes Charlotte's Locks the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 21, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
With LRVs of 21 and 21, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 66 vs 21, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 21, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 21, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Charlotte's Locks the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 21 vs 8, Charlotte's Locks is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 21), opening up a space where Charlotte's Locks encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (21 vs 12) makes Charlotte's Locks the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 21, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 21), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.