Benjamin Moore Caliente AF-290: Color Review (2018 Colour of the Year)

THE BEST RAVISHING SHADE OF RED FOR DOORS, ACCENT WALLS, & MORE

HOT DAMN…literally. I did not see this one coming! It turns out that Benjamin Moore is throwing down the gauntlet with another ‘game-changing’ colour of the year. That’s right, we’re going RED!

And not just any red. Whereas some trendy reds lean on orange, giving an earthy, rusty appearance, this red is one blazing hot, glorious shade. Let me introduce you to…

Not familiar with it? Well, if you haven’t visited Paris’ fashion shows (oh pshaw!), painted your front door, or wanted to add a little hot SPICE to the bedroom, you’ve probably skipped over this one.

But that doesn’t mean you should…

Caliente is part of the Affinity Colour Collection, which is well-known for having colors that are deeper and more involved than your ‘everyday’ paint colour. The average color is made up of, say, 3-4 tints. The Affinity colors can be made up of 7-8, making them hard to colour match and super versatile!

Caliente is a ravishing red (takes one to know one – wink wink), and unlike the reds of yesteryear, it doesn’t lean into the orange range, which means we’re avoiding the earthy-rusty effect. However, it’s not a terribly COLD red because it isn’t overly blue-toned. It really just sits nicely in a more intimate range, rather than being shocking or abrasive.

But that doesn’t mean you have to like it…

Any colour and where it looks good depends on a variety of things, such as the room, the exposure, and the products in the room. However, with the Caliente, in particular, it REALLY comes down to personal tastes.

I’ve found that people either LOVE red or hate it. Many people can handle it as an accent but would be hesitant to commit to it on a scale larger than an apple or underwear. And then there are others who wouldn’t HESITATE to paint their entire room a rip-roarin’ red or, at the very least, an accent wall! (Personally, the only red I’ll be splashing on my walls tastes an awful lot like wine, in which case I’ll be licking my walls shortly).

So, with that being said, let’s take a closer look at Caliente to see if it could work for you…

WHAT’S THE LRV OF CALIENTE?

Caliente DOES pack a punch with an LRV of 8.82! This means it’s in the darker range and will add a sultry, sexy look to your walls – but let’s keep things PG here, people.

However, whereas many colors with this low LRV can read flat or dark, thanks to Caliente’s intense color (chroma), there’s nothing drab about it.

 The Ultimate Guide to LRV and Choosing Paint Colours 

WHERE DOES CALIENTE (OR RED) WORK BEST?

There are a lot of places where Caliente will work. There are two good reasons why Caliente is a super flexible, versatile shade of red…

1. while it’s a striking shade, it’s not obnoxious like a primary red
2. it’s more fresh and striking than a more country, rustic red

A RED FRONT DOOR

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR – DO YOU WANT TO HEAT THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD – sorry, flashback to my childhood.

Really, though, I’m not a red fan, but this entryway TOTALLY does it for me. I think it’s the contrast with the white and gray and adequate natural lighting – it’s pretty striking!

Because I haven’t had clients use Caliente, and I don’t ‘borrow’ from other Designers, I don’t have images of Caliente in action. These are photos from the Benjamin Moore site.

USING RED IN ACCESSORIES & ACCENTS

This might be where I’d land if adding red to my home. And while I prefer a more rustic red, I can see how this fresh red is TOTALLY appealing in a room like this!

A RED ACCENT WALL

Accent or feature walls are a great way to add personality to a room without committing a) long term and b) large scale.

However, if you love all things red (including me), you might be RED-Y to commit to it in an entire room, in which case red can look SMASHING in…

A SMALL ROOM IN RED

Small rooms such as powder rooms are the BEST place to add personality and leave your guests with a lasting impression!

3 Ideas to Add Personality to a Small Bathroom

RED IN THE BEDROOM

Personally, I don’t need to add any more reason for Tim to get fired up for the pants-off-dance-off, so I’ll be avoiding this one for sure.

RED IN THE DINING ROOM

According to color psychology, a red like Caliente is great for the appetite!

So whatcha think – does it float ‘yer boat, or are you more comfortable with a daring shade of navy blue or a moody dark green?

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF CALIENTE HERE! 

CALIENTE (or almost any red) & HOW TO USE IT

• It can help to jazz up a cooler north-facing room or FURTHER enhance the warmth of a south-facing room
• It looks stunning with a lot of wood tones, but I might avoid overly orange-toned woods
• It will benefit from a good coat of primer before you jump into the real painting
• Consider a matte or, at the most, eggshell finish. Red can get a bit garish on walls if they’re too glossy
• On a door, satin is a beautiful, durable finish for a red like Caliente

CALIENTE vs. HERITAGE RED

No color should be chosen before comparing it to other similar shades. As for Heritage Red, it’s similar to Caliente in that they’re both reasonably powerful shades of red. However, they differ in that Heritage Red is lighter, with an LRV Of 10.26, to Caliente’s darker of 8.82. This isn’t a HUGE difference, but it’s noticeable when you compare the two colors. If I’m looking for a rockin’ red, I prefer Caliente to the slightly softer look of Heritage Red.

CALIENTE VS MILLION DOLLAR RED

Million Dollar Red is another popular shade of red thanks to its intensity – nodding towards the ‘primary red’ end. The great thing about comparing Caliente with Million Dollar Red is that MDR shows you how Caliente is powerful, but not SHOCKINGLY so. Million Dollar Red is awesome if you want a more genuine approach to red. However, Caliente is a great way to get red without getting slapped in the face with it.

Besides being a cleaner version of red, Million Dollar Red is a good shot lighter than Caliente, with its LRV of 12.58 (to Caliente’s 8.82).

READ MORE

The 9 Best Front Door Paint Colors

The 6 Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Islands & Bathroom Vanities

Kylie’s Colours of the Year: Real People Real Homes

Colour Review: Behr Quiet Moments

Not sure which colour to pick for YOUR room? 

Check out my E-DESIGN packages – they’re affordable AND fun! 

Chat soon,

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2017, UPDATED IN 2023