Pomegranate
What Pomegranate Actually Looks Like
Pomegranate is a rich, dark red that sits closer to burgundy than a true fire-engine red. It carries real depth, the kind that makes a room feel enclosed and intentional rather than open and airy. At full saturation in good light it reads as a warm, wine-toned red. In dim rooms or low north light it can shift toward a very dark, almost blackened red. This is not a color that whispers.
Pomegranate Undertones
The color facts for this shade do not specify undertones from our database, and without independent research to draw from, the honest answer comes from the RGB values alone: the red channel dominates heavily over both green and blue, with the blue channel slightly edging the green. That configuration typically produces a red that leans slightly toward a cooler, berry-adjacent territory rather than a pure orange-red warmth. In practice that means it tends to hold its red identity without pulling strongly orange, and it can read a touch more sophisticated than a standard warm red.
Where Pomegranate Works Best
Pomegranate earns its keep in spaces where you want drama on purpose. A dining room, a home library, a powder room, or an entryway are all natural fits because those rooms benefit from enclosure and atmosphere rather than brightness. It is not well suited as the main color in a small bedroom where you sleep, or in a kitchen where you want a clean, energizing feel. Because the LRV is very low, dark rooms get darker, so plan your lighting carefully before committing to full walls.
Where to put Pomegranate
A deep red on all four dining room walls is one of the oldest tricks in the book, and Pomegranate is built for it. Candlelight and warm pendant lighting will pull out the red and make the room feel alive at dinner. Pair it with a white or cream ceiling to keep the space from feeling like a cave.
A powder room is small enough that the low LRV works in your favor rather than against you. One coat on all four walls creates a jewel-box effect that guests notice. A bright white trim color and a well-lit mirror do the heavy lifting to keep the space functional.
Dark walls in a reading room are a classic move because they reduce glare and create focus. Pomegranate on the walls with warm wood bookshelves and leather furniture is a combination that holds up well. Use multiple warm light sources rather than a single overhead fixture.
A foyer painted in a saturated dark red makes a strong first impression without committing every room in the house to the same intensity. Keep the adjacent rooms lighter so the transition reads as intentional, not accidental.
What to Pair With Pomegranate
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for this shade, so pairings below are based on established color principles for deep, dark reds in this family. No specific Benjamin Moore names are referenced that are not in our verified list.
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Colors that clash with Pomegranate
A cool blue-gray next to a deep berry-leaning red creates a jarring contrast at the doorway threshold. The two colors fight rather than transition.
In a room that already skews dark, very bright white gloss trim can look stark and disconnected rather than crisp.
Strongly orange pine or oak floors can pull against the cooler berry quality of this red, making both surfaces look muddier.
Common questions
The precise LRV is 10.14, which is very low. On a scale where 0 is pure black and 100 is pure white, this color reflects almost no light back into the room. That means you need to plan your artificial lighting deliberately. Wall sconces, table lamps, and candles all work with this color in a way that a single overhead ceiling fixture does not.
It can, but you have to lean into the darkness rather than fight it. A windowless dining room or powder room painted in Pomegranate with warm artificial light sources can feel intentional and atmospheric. A windowless home office painted in Pomegranate with only overhead fluorescent light will feel oppressive.
For most rooms, eggshell gives you enough durability to wipe the walls down while keeping the reflectivity low enough that the depth of the color reads well. Flat finishes will absorb more light and push the color darker. Satin is fine for trim or in a bathroom where moisture resistance matters.
Yes. Benjamin Moore lists this color as available in both interior and exterior formulas. For exterior use, keep in mind that a very dark, saturated red will absorb heat and may fade over time with heavy UV exposure, so touch-ups may be needed more frequently than with lighter colors.