Paper Lantern
What Paper Lantern Actually Looks Like
Paper Lantern is a rich, saturated red that reads more brick than cherry. It sits in that territory between a classic barn red and a burnt tomato, warm and earthy without crossing into brown. The depth is real: this is not a mid-tone red you can treat casually. In a well-lit room it shows its full warmth. In dim light or a north-facing space it can pull darker and almost muddy, leaning toward a deep rust.
Paper Lantern Undertones
The color carries clear orange and earthy undertones, which place it firmly in the warm half of the red spectrum. There is no blue or purple pull here. That orange base is what keeps it from feeling cold or formal, giving it a handmade, organic quality closer to aged terracotta or fired clay than to a traditional lacquer red.
Where Paper Lantern Works Best
Because the LRV is low, Paper Lantern absorbs a significant amount of light. That makes it a poor choice for a small, windowless room you want to feel open. It earns its place on a single accent wall, in a dining room you want to feel intimate, on an exterior front door, or in a library or study where the cocooning effect is intentional. Large rooms with good natural light handle it well because the walls can carry the depth without the space feeling closed in.
Where to put Paper Lantern
A dining room is one of the best places to use a low-LRV red like this. You want that space to feel warm and enveloping at dinner, and Paper Lantern delivers exactly that. Keep the ceiling lighter and bring in warm candlelight or incandescent bulbs to let the color do its job without making the room feel like a cave.
On an exterior front door, Paper Lantern reads as a confident, grounded red that is not screaming for attention. It works well against natural stone, warm brick, or a cream body color. Because it leans brick rather than fire-engine, it has more longevity than a truer red.
A home library or study benefits from colors that make a small space feel purposeful rather than exposed. Paper Lantern on all four walls, combined with wood shelving and warm lighting, creates a focused, settled atmosphere. Just make sure your artificial lighting is warm-toned or the color will go flat.
If you want one strong wall in a living room or bedroom, this color can carry it without needing help from trim or accessories to look intentional. Keep the remaining three walls a warm neutral so the accent reads as deliberate contrast, not an accident.
What to Pair With Paper Lantern
No specific Benjamin Moore coordinating colors are listed in our database for this color. Generally, Paper Lantern pairs well with warm off-whites, deep charcoal neutrals, and natural wood tones that echo its earthy warmth.
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Colors that clash with Paper Lantern
If an adjacent room or the same room uses a cool blue-gray, Paper Lantern will fight it hard. The warm orange undertones in this red collide with cool gray, making both colors look off.
A stark, blue-white trim next to this color will make the red look orange and muddy because the blue in the white amplifies the contrast against the warm undertones.
Fluorescent or daylight-temperature LED bulbs strip the warmth out of this color entirely, and at LRV 13.64 you cannot afford to lose warmth. The result can look dull and brownish.
Common questions
Paper Lantern has an LRV of 13.64, which is quite low. That means it reflects very little light, so it will make any space feel smaller and darker. That is a feature in a dining room or library you want to feel intimate, but it is a liability in a small bathroom or windowless hallway. Test a large sample in the actual room before committing.
Yes, according to Benjamin Moore this color is listed for interior use. If you want to use a similar brick red on an exterior surface like a front door, ask your Benjamin Moore retailer about tinting an exterior formula to match.
For walls, eggshell or matte will soften the intensity and keep the color from looking reflective. On a front door or a piece of furniture, a semi-gloss finish will make the color pop and add a layer of depth. Avoid flat on high-traffic surfaces since the color is dark enough that scuffs will show.
Deep reds are notoriously difficult to apply over lighter walls because the pigment takes time to build. Plan on a gray or tinted primer close to the final color, then two full coats of Paper Lantern. Three coats may be needed if you are covering white or a very light color. Skipping primer almost always leads to uneven coverage and wasted paint.