Cabernet vs Fairfax Brown
Where Cabernet belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Fairfax Brown is a Sherwin-Williams color. Cabernet reads as pink, while Fairfax Brown reads as beige-pink — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (8 vs 7), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. The ΔE 3.2 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cabernet vs Fairfax Brown in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Cabernet and Fairfax Brown 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.
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. 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Cabernet vs Fairfax Brown Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cabernet on one side and Fairfax Brown 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 Cabernet comparisons
See how Cabernet stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 8, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 8, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 8, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.