Cherry Tomato vs Coral Reef
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. Coral Reef (LRV 29) reflects noticeably more light than Cherry Tomato (LRV 12), a difference of 17 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean warm, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 25.0, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cherry Tomato vs Coral Reef in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cherry Tomato and Coral Reef 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 LRV gap is large enough that Coral Reef will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cherry Tomato would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Coral Reef reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cherry Tomato.
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. Coral Reef reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cherry Tomato.
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 Coral Reef will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cherry Tomato would.
Color Details
Cherry Tomato vs Coral Reef Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cherry Tomato on one side and Coral Reef 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.