Dark Crimson vs Elderberry
Dark Crimson (Behr) and Elderberry (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the pink-red family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 3-point LRV gap — 9 for Dark Crimson vs 6 for Elderberry — means Dark Crimson will open up a space more effectively. Where Dark Crimson leans red, Elderberry reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 11.9 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dark Crimson vs Elderberry in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dark Crimson and Elderberry 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Dark Crimson brings more warmth to the space, while Elderberry keeps things cooler and crisper.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Elderberry reads more restrained here, while Dark Crimson adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Elderberry reads more restrained here, while Dark Crimson adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
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. Dark Crimson brings more warmth to the space, while Elderberry keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Dark Crimson vs Elderberry Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dark Crimson on one side and Elderberry 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 Dark Crimson comparisons
See how Dark Crimson stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 9, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
Dark Crimson reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (9 vs 4) makes Dark Crimson the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 9, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 9, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 9 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 9), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Dark Crimson encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.