Vintage Claret
What Vintage Claret Actually Looks Like
Vintage Claret reads as a rich, dark berry, somewhere between a dried rose and a deep plum. It carries enough red to feel warm but enough blue-violet to feel sophisticated rather than predictable. At low light it can read almost eggplant. In bright natural light it opens up into a true berry-rose with more pink visible in the tone.
Vintage Claret Undertones
The color sits at the intersection of red, pink, and violet. Depending on your light source, the violet side can come forward and give the room a cooler, more purple quality, or the red side asserts itself and the color feels warmer and more rosy. Incandescent and warm LED lighting pulls out the red and rose. Cooler daylight and north-facing light push it toward a deeper plum-violet.
Where Vintage Claret Works Best
Because the LRV is very low, Vintage Claret works best where you want enclosure and drama rather than brightness. Think accent walls, dining rooms, libraries, home offices, or powder rooms where impact matters more than reflected light. It can work on all four walls in a small room if you lean into the cocooning effect intentionally. It is an interior-only color.
Where to put Vintage Claret
A dark, enveloping berry on all four walls creates a candlelit intimacy that suits evening entertaining. Keep the ceiling lighter to prevent the room from feeling compressed.
Small footprint means the low LRV works in your favor here. The depth and richness feel intentional rather than oppressive, and visitors experience it as a feature rather than a mistake.
Vintage Claret gives a study a sense of gravity and focus. Pair it with warm wood shelving and brass fixtures to keep the mood rich rather than cold.
Used behind the bed, this color adds drama without committing the whole room. In warm lamp light, the rose and red tones come forward and feel genuinely cozy.
What to Pair With Vintage Claret
No coordinating colors are listed in our database for this color at this time. As a general guide, Vintage Claret pairs well with warm off-whites, deep charcoals, soft sage greens, and aged brass or gold hardware.
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Colors that clash with Vintage Claret
If adjacent rooms are painted in cool blue-grays, Vintage Claret can look muddy or discordant at the threshold because the violet undertone fights with cool grays in an unflattering way.
A stark cool white trim can make Vintage Claret feel harsh and heavy rather than sophisticated, sharpening the contrast in a way that flattens the color.
At LRV 14.23, this color absorbs a lot of light. In a room with one small window and no lamps, it can make the space feel genuinely dark and unwelcoming.
Common questions
The Benjamin Moore color code is 1364, the hex is #924E6A, and the LRV is 14.23, which is quite low. That low reflectance is the main reason this color reads as dramatically dark on the wall.
No. This color is listed as interior only in the Benjamin Moore lineup, so you will need to choose a different color or consult your Benjamin Moore retailer if you want a similar tone for exterior use.
Yes, meaningfully. A flat or matte finish will make Vintage Claret feel deeper and more velvety, pulling the plum quality forward. An eggshell will add just enough sheen to help the color catch light and appear slightly more rose. Avoid high gloss on large surfaces because it emphasizes every wall imperfection and can make the color feel harder and more saturated than you may want.
Plan on at least two coats over a properly primed surface, and a tinted primer close to the finish color will save you from needing a third coat. Going from a light or white wall to Vintage Claret without a tinted primer is the most common reason people end up applying four coats.