Apple-A-Day vs Crimson Red
Where Apple-A-Day belongs to PPG's range, Crimson Red is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both pink-reds, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within pink-red to land. Apple-A-Day (LRV 9) reflects noticeably more light than Crimson Red (LRV 4), a difference of 5 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 14.2, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Apple-A-Day vs Crimson Red in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Apple-A-Day and Crimson Red 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Apple-A-Day gives the walls a little more lift.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Apple-A-Day has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Apple-A-Day has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Apple-A-Day has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The brightness difference is modest but present — Apple-A-Day gives the walls a little more lift.
Color Details
Apple-A-Day vs Crimson Red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Apple-A-Day on one side and Crimson 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 Apple-A-Day comparisons
See how Apple-A-Day stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (9 vs 6) makes Apple-A-Day the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
Apple-A-Day reads slightly lighter (LRV 9 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 9) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 9, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 8), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Apple-A-Day encloses it.