A Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Caliente

Well 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…

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, then 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 colours that are deeper and more involved than your ‘everyday’ paint colour. The average colour is made up of say, 3-4 tints. The Affinity colours 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 in that it isn’t blue toned.  It really just sits nicely in a more intimate range, rather than being shocking or abrasive.

Read more: Kylie’s Colours of the Year

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

ANY colour and where it looks good is dependent 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. A lot of 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 a feature 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 is the LRV of Caliente

Caliente DOES pack a punch with an LRV of 6.89! 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.

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to LRV and Choosing Paint Colours 

Where does Caliente work the best?

There are a LOT of places that Caliente will work. It’s not obnoxious like a primary red and is a bit more fresh and striking than a more country, rustic red.

The Front Door

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR – DO YOU WANT TO HEAT THE WHOLE NEIGHBOURHOOD – sorry flashback there.

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 – it’s pretty striking!

Accessories and Accents

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

Or MAYBE as a Feature Wall

Feature walls are a great way to add personality to a room without having to commit a) long term and b) large scale.

However, if you are a lover of all things red (including myself) then you might be RED-Y to commit to it in an entire room, in which case red can look SMASHING in…

A Powder Room

Powder rooms are the BEST place to add personality and leave your guests with a lasting impression!

A 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.

A Dining Room

Red is GREAT for the appetite!

So whatcha think – does it float ‘yer boat or are you more comfortable with Behr’s Colour of the Year or Sherwin Williams (blog post tba…maybe)?

A few more notes about Caliente…

• 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 in to the real painting
• Consider a matte or at the most eggshell finish.  Red can get a bit garish on walls if they are too glossy

Not sure which colour to pick for YOUR room? 

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

Chat soon,

READ MORE

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

Colour Review: Behr Quiet Moments