Heartthrob vs Positive Red
Heartthrob and Positive Red come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. Their light reflectance values are nearly the same — 11 vs 11 — so neither will read significantly brighter or darker than the other. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 2.5 puts them in subtle territory — distinguishable in direct comparison, less so from across a room. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Heartthrob vs Positive Red in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Heartthrob and Positive Red are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. In photos like these you're seeing the difference at its most direct. In a finished room, the distinction is there but not dramatic.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. At this scale the difference is subtle — you'd need them side by side, as shown here, to reliably tell them apart.
Color Details
Heartthrob vs Positive Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Heartthrob on one side and Positive 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 Heartthrob comparisons
See how Heartthrob stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 11, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Heartthrob reads slightly lighter (LRV 11 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 11, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 11, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 11, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (11 vs 4) makes Heartthrob the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
With LRVs of 13 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 11, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (21 vs 11) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 11, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 11, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 25 vs 11, Treron is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 11), opening up a space where Heartthrob encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 11, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (11 vs 7) makes Heartthrob the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 11, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 11, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.