By Michelle Marceny, Certified Color Expert and founder of The Color Concierge
Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore in this color review. This soft black paint color is a versatile black color that can add sophistication and drama to an exterior paint color palette or interior accent. This black paint color looks fabulous with red brick, warm or cool stone, or on its own.
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore has invisible green undertones. The only time I’ve ever seen the undertones was in a very bright, high-altitude location, where undertones can really sneak up on you. Otherwise, the undertones will be invisible in this dark paint color. This color looks fabulous with red brick.
Please note that all the photos in this post are from Color Concierge projects.
*This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. If you click on some links and make a purchase, I will get a small commission at no cost to you. This helps cover the costs of the blog, so I can keep offering great content to our readers.
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What Color is SW Iron Ore?
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore is a dark, yet muted black paint color.
What is the Iron Ore LRV?
The LRV of Iron Ore is 6, which makes it a soft black or a very dark charcoal. It is black, but there are many darker Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore black paint colors on the market.
LRV (Light Reflectance Value) is a measurement used to identify how light or dark a color is. The scale goes from 1 (pure black) to 100 (pure white) and indicates how dark or light a color is. Learn about LRV in The Color Concierge LRV Guide.
What are the SW Iron Ore undertones?
Iron Ore has subtle green undertones. These undertones make it a warm, versatile black paint color that pairs well with many neutrals and other colors. Amazingly, blacks have undertones!
Is SW Iron Ore warm or cool?
Iron Ore is a warm black paint color thanks to its green undertones. This keeps the color looking cozy and inviting even though it is very dark.
Sample Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
We always recommend testing your paint colors in the space you plan to paint. Designers do this to ensure the lighting and furniture work well with the color in your home. You can order your samples using the link below.
Using Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Exterior Paint
Use Iron Ore as an exterior paint color, with a warmer white trim color for a traditional house. For a more contemporary house, you can use it as a whole-house black paint color. This red brick house was completely transformed with SW Iron Ore siding and SW Natural Choice trim.
Before it just looked ordinary.
Would a Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Exterior Front Door Work?
Iron Ore makes a great black paint color for front doors and shutters, as seen in this linked article with lighter palettes. For darker palettes, I prefer to use SW Tricorn Black.
Iron Ore works great as an exterior accent color because it’s so well-balanced that it really doesn’t risk leaning toward green, even in bright sunlight.
I love to pair an Iron Ore front door with lighter exterior color palettes, as we did with this white exterior color palette shown in this linked blog post in our client’s home.
What Are the Best Exterior White Trim Colors for Iron Ore?
I would stick with white trim colors with an LRV between 70 and 75. We used SW Natural Choice for the trim. It has an LRV of 73. A very light white would have been too stark.
TIP: When using dark paint colors, consider a warmer white or light greige so that the contrast doesn’t look too stark.
Using Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Interior Paint
This paint color is fantastic in rooms with tons of light. It’s a wonderful option for accent walls, accent rooms, and any place you want to go bold.
Should I Try an SW Iron Ore Office?
I love Iron Ore in an office because it’s so restful to your eyes when you are on a computer. It also looks fantastic if you have a fabulous view because it frames it like a black picture frame.
I have it as an accent wall in my loft studio, where it is restful and lovely and repeats the color of the black chandelier. It makes my photos of Paris pop! I also love the way the warm wood stairway brings the room to life. Without the warm tones, the room could look a bit cold.
I’m on my computer all day long. Before I added this dark wall to my loft office studio, the room was too bright, and I often ended up with a headache after a long day. Adding this dark, neutral accent wall really helped.
Is an Iron Ore Accent Wall a Good Idea?
Painting an Iron Ore accent wall is one of my favorite applications for this dark paint color. Despite being such a dark color, it’s surprisingly versatile and can pair well with many Sherwin-Williams white paint colors, as seen in this article and other light neutrals.
In fact, when I repainted my loft office with Sherwin-Williams Cheviot, as seen in this blog post, I kept the Iron Ore accent wall. The color looks just as beautiful (even not even better) with the updated neutral in this space.
Should I Try SW Iron Ore Color Drenching?
Absolutely! In fact, an Iron Ore color-drenched room will look fabulous with warm wood furniture. Just make sure that you have tons of natural or artificial light. Of all the blacks, this would be my favorite for a color drench. In the photo above, you can see how lovely it looks contrasted with the stair handrails.
Can I Use Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Cabinets?
You can absolutely use this color for cabinets. My preference is to use it for lower cabinets with white upper cabinets in a tuxedo kitchen cabinet design; otherwise, it can start to look heavy. If you want to use it for both upper and lower cabinets, make sure that you install soft white countertops and a white backsplash to keep the look light and balanced.
Is an Iron Ore Interior Front Door a Good Idea?
I love the look of a black interior front door. It adds so much dimension to an entryway and is an easy, low-risk way to add some color. The black front door below is BM Wrought Iron, which is almost identical to SW Iron Ore.
What Are the Best Interior White Trim & Ceiling Colors for Iron Ore?
Use crisp whites such as SW Extra White (above, loft), or warmer whites such as SW Greek Villa, SW Alabaster, or SW White Dove. If you pick a trim color that is too creamy, it can start to look yellow.
If you need more information about choosing Sherwin-Williams white trim colors, then this blog post is for you.
When Should I Avoid SW Iron Ore?
For interiors, avoid it in low-light rooms unless you have LOTS of artificial lighting.
Best Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Alternatives
Compare SW Iron Ore to some of our other favorite black paint colors.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore vs Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black
Iron Ore is significantly softer and lighter than Tricorn Black. This generally makes it a better black for interiors. Tricorn Black can look harsh inside.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore vs Sherwin-Williams Urbane Bronze
Iron Ore is much cooler and more black than Urbane Bronze. They both have green undertones, but Urbane is lighter, warmer, and will look more brown.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore vs Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
These colors are almost identical. Iron Ore has green undertones, while Wrought Iron has blue undertones. They have the same LRV, and in real life, not even I can tell the difference.
What Is the Best Benjamin Moore Iron Ore Alternative?
The closest is Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron. Although they aren’t exactly the same, most people won’t be able to tell the difference.
Remember: we never recommend paint matching unless you are willing to spend a lot of time going back and forth with the paint company. Instead, simply choose the closest color in the brand you want to use.
Learn more about matching paint colors here.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore Pros and Cons
Pros:
- So well balanced it doesn’t risk looking green, even in bright sunlight
- Wonderful for an office; restful for your eyes if you’re on a computer all day
- Although it’s very dark, its warm undertones make it versatile and help it pair with many other colors
Cons:
- Not a true black; if you want a very dark black paint color this is not it
- Doesn’t work well in rooms with low light, unless you have LOTS of artificial lighting
- If paired with a trim color that is too creamy, the trim can start to look yellow
Key Learning Points
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore is a soft black with invisible green undertones and is surprisingly versatile for being such a dark, bold color.
- Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore is interchangeable with BM Wrought iron.
- It is most often used as an interior accent color, but in the past couple of years has had a resurgence as a popular exterior paint color.
- I love this color as an interior or exterior front door paint color.
As we mention in every blog post, don’t forget to test your paint colors. Learn how to Test Your Paint Colors Like a Pro in our color testing blog post.
We also like to warn our readers and clients to be very careful not to match their paint colors to different brands. Results are often bad, and you can see results from color matching in this post.
Online Color Consulting
Still looking for the best white paint color? Discover our Online Color Consulting Package.
Related Posts
- Accent Wall Paint Color Guide
- Sherwin-Williams Cheviot Color Review
- Best Black Paint Colors That Go with Red Brick
- How to use Black Paint Colors
- All About Classic Gray
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color — whether that’s a whole-house color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since founding The Color Concierge in 2017, my team and I have completed 1,000s of color consultations, online and in person. I’m a Certified Color Expert with nine years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
Every color review on this site comes from colors we’ve specified in real homes and photographed on location during our own consultations — not from a fan deck or a manufacturer’s website.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colors. Thank you for your understanding.
