Crimson Red vs Extra White
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Crimson Red belongs to the pink-red family and Extra White to the white family. Extra White (LRV 86) reflects noticeably more light than Crimson Red (LRV 4), a difference of 82 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Crimson Red runs warm while Extra White is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 81.6, 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.
Crimson Red vs Extra White in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Crimson Red and Extra White 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 Extra White will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Crimson Red would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Crimson Red.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Extra White returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Extra White reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Crimson Red.
Color Details
Crimson Red vs Extra White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Crimson Red on one side and Extra White 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.