Geranium
What Geranium Actually Looks Like
Geranium is a true, punchy red that sits comfortably between a classic fire-engine red and a brick tone. It is not dark enough to feel moody, but it carries enough pigment to fully commit to the wall. In strong natural light it reads as a clear, warm red. In lower or artificial light it deepens and takes on a slightly more rustic, earthy quality.
Geranium Undertones
The color leans orange-red rather than blue-red, so it reads warm rather than cool or wine-like. That warmth keeps it from feeling harsh or purely primary. In rooms with north-facing light or heavy shade, the orange quality can recede and the color settles into a more straightforward brick red.
Where Geranium Works Best
Geranium is an interior color, and it earns its place in rooms where you want real presence. A dining room, an entry hall, a study, or a powder room all work well because the saturation rewards smaller or contained spaces. It can work on a single accent wall in a larger room if the rest of the palette is kept quiet. It is not a whole-house color, but in the right room it holds its own completely.
Where to put Geranium
A saturated red has a long history in dining rooms, and Geranium delivers that energy without tipping into burgundy or pink territory. Pair it with warm wood furniture and candlelight and the room will feel genuinely inviting.
Entries benefit from a color that makes an impression fast, and Geranium does that on the first step inside. Keep trim white or a warm neutral to let the red read clearly.
Small square footage means you need less paint and can go bold without commitment fatigue. Geranium in a powder room feels deliberate and confident rather than overwhelming.
In a room with bookshelves, dark wood, and leather, this red adds warmth and depth rather than loudness. The lower LRV means the room stays cozy rather than bright.
What to Pair With Geranium
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for Geranium 1307 at this time. As a general pairing principle, a warm saturated red like this works well alongside creamy off-whites, soft warm taupes, raw wood tones, and matte black or deep charcoal accents. Keep surrounding colors low in saturation so Geranium can do the work.
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Colors that clash with Geranium
Geranium is a warm orange-red, and placing it adjacent to cool blue or violet tones creates a high-contrast clash that can feel jarring rather than intentional.
A very cool, bright white trim can pull against the warm undertones of Geranium and make both colors feel slightly off.
Because Geranium has a relatively low LRV, a room that is already dark and lit only by cool or fluorescent light will make the color feel heavy and murky.
Common questions
Benjamin Moore Geranium has the color code 1307, a hex value of #C14C45, and a precise LRV of 16.21, which puts it in the medium-dark range. It will absorb a fair amount of light, so sample it in your actual room before committing.
Our database lists Geranium 1307 as an interior color. If you want a similar red for an exterior project, ask your Benjamin Moore retailer about exterior-appropriate formulations in the same red family.
For most walls, an eggshell finish gives you a small amount of sheen that helps the pigment read fully without turning the surface into a mirror. In a high-traffic area or a powder room where walls may need occasional wiping, a satin finish is practical. Flat finish is an option if you want the most muted, chalky read of the color, but it will show scuffs more readily.
It should not read orange. The color is clearly in the red family, but the orange undertone means it stays on the warmer side of red rather than tipping toward crimson or cool wine tones. In very warm afternoon light it can briefly look more orange-red, but under most interior conditions it reads as a definite warm red.