Positive Red vs Real Red
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. With LRVs of 11 and 13, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. They share a warm quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 8.8, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Positive Red vs Real Red in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Positive Red and Real 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
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Positive Red vs Real Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Positive Red on one side and Real 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 Positive Red comparisons
See how Positive Red stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 11, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red encloses it.
Positive Red 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 Positive Red 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 Positive Red encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 11, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (11 vs 4) makes Positive Red the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red 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 Positive Red 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 Positive Red encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 11, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 12 and 11, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
With LRVs of 11 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 11), opening up a space where Positive Red encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 11, Dix Blue 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 Positive Red encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 11, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.