Learn more about Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in this color review from The Color Concierge.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron is a gorgeous soft black paint color perfect for interior and exterior applications. This color can be used for accent walls, accent rooms, black window frames, interior doors and even cabinets.
Learn more about BM Wrought Iron and discover the best ways to use this paint color in your home.
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What Color Is Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron?
Wrought Iron (Sample) is one of my favorite black paint colors on the market – and I’m not alone! This is one of the best-selling Benjamin Moore black hues. It’s a very soft black that looks really neutral.
Is Wrought Iron black or gray?
I consider Wrought Iron a soft black when used inside, and more of a very dark gray when used outside in the sunshine. It always looks darker in the shade, of course.
Does BM Wrought Iron look blue?
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron is a very neutral black, but it does have blue undertones. It’s hard to see the undertone indoors, which helps this color pair with many colors and finishes, and it’s very subtle when you are outside in the sunshine. Still, I consider Wrought Iron a cool black vs a dark blue paint color.
The first time I saw the blue undertones, I was holding samples in full sunshine and comparing them to SW Iron Ore, which has green undertones. The undertones aren’t obvious, but they are there. The best way to see the blue undertones is by comparing them with another black paint color.
What is the LRV of BM Wrought Iron?
Wrought Iron has an LRV of 8.17, which makes it a soft black paint color. LRV stands for Light Reflectance Value, which measures how much light a paint color reflects or absorbs. This color is light-absorbing and very dark but not quite a true black.
What are the Wrought Iron undertones?
As mentioned above, Wrought Iron has blue undertones. These undertones are soft, so the color stays fairly neutral, especially indoors. Outdoors the paint color can flash a subtle blue in bright sunlight.
Is Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron warm or cool?
Wrought Iron is a cool black, thanks to its blue undertones. Still, the color is fairly neutral and typically doesn’t look too cool or too blue when used indoors.
Sample Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
We always recommend that you test paint colors (article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!
- Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
- Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
- Delivered overnight
- Colors are accurate
- Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
- No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of
I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and sample Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (Sample) via the link below.
Using Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Interior Paint
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron interior paint is a gorgeous, bold color option for whole rooms, accent walls, window trim, and cabinets.
We used Wrought Iron as a prominent accent color throughout the home featured in today’s post, complemented with Benjamin Moore Cloud White (Color Review Article) walls, ceilings and trim.
This was one of our favorite projects of all time! This gorgeous home was renovated during the pandemic and the colors looked so beautiful together.
Can I try Wrought Iron color drenching?
I love the idea of Wrought Iron color drenching (Article)! Of all the black paint colors on the market, I would pick Wrought Iron for this application because it’s soft enough and light enough not to look oppressive. Just make sure that the room has lots of natural or artificial light and use a flat sheen.
I would love to try a Wrought Iron color-drenched office. I love to use black paint for offices because black walls are so restful to your eyes, especially if you spend a lot of time on the computer. We did this with a similar paint color in the Benjamin Moore Onyx (Color Review Article) office featured below. Black Onyx is much darker than Wrought Iron, so I balanced it with lots of white in the design below.
Can I try Wrought Iron interior trim?
While black is not a typical interior trim color, I actually love the idea of using Wrought Iron for interior black window frames and interior french doors. We did this in our client’s large living room pictured below, and they tie in perfectly with the iron pendants in this room.
Are Wrought Iron cabinets a good idea?
Wrought Iron is a great cabinet color! It just may be the perfect black cabinet paint. You can use it for both upper and lower kitchen cabinets when balanced with light/white backsplash and countertops. It also makes a classic tuxedo cabinet (Article) look when paired with a soft white cabinet (Article) color for the uppers.
Should I paint a Wrought Iron accent wall?
Accent walls are one of my favorite ways to use Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron interior paint. We used Wrought Iron accents throughout our client’s home for walls, entire rooms, and even a bold ceiling paint accent.
The home’s library features a gorgeous Wrought Iron accent wall with a white fireplace and built-in shelves.
As you look out from the library, you can see all the Wrought Iron accents layered throughout the home.
We used BM Wrought Iron walls throughout the dining room, creating a whole-room accent within the house. Brass accents and a wood table warm the space and keep it from feeling too overwhelming. A darker black would have been too harsh.
We used a Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron ceiling in the entryway, which opens into the dining room. I absolutely love the way this bold ceiling color helps tie the two spaces together.
Is a Wrought Iron front door a good idea?
If you want black interior doors, Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron paint is a great option for a timeless look! We used Wrought Iron doors for the front and back doors in a client’s home featuring a BM Classic Gray color palette (Article).
The Wrought Iron doors added a gorgeous bold element to the front and back entrances to the home, and paired beautifully with the Classic Gray (Color Review Article) walls and Benjamin Moore White Dove (Color Review Article) trim.
Using Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Exterior Paint
Wrought Iron paint is a gorgeous exterior paint color. It makes a beautiful dark charcoal siding color in the sunshine, or looks like a soft black in the shade. While we don’t have photos of a client’s home with Wrought Iron exterior paint, it will look very much like this Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore (Color Review Article) exterior color palette.
Wrought Iron exterior accents are also a great idea. You can use Wrought Iron as an exterior front door color and a matching shutter color. It also looks lovely as a black roofline and accent color with a white body color like BM Swiss Coffee (Color Review Article). The home pictured below features BM Wrought Iron shutters.
BM Wrought Iron Complementary Colors
One of the best things about Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron paint is how neutral it is. It can pair well with so many different colors and finishes.
Does Wrought Iron go with white?
Absolutely! It’s neutral enough to work well with a variety of white paint colors. We love using Wrought Iron with warm white paint colors like BM Cloud White and BM White Dove (Color Review Articles). But it can also work with more crisp white paint colors thanks to its cool, blue undertones.
Does Wrought Iron go with wood?
Most blacks look remarkable with warm woods, and Wrought Iron is no exception. I love to use wood with black colors because it warms up a potentially cool room. A great example of this is in our client’s BM Onyx (Color Review Article) office below, with warm wood shelves.
What are the best trim and ceiling colors for Wrought Iron walls?
I recommend pairing Wrought Iron walls with warm white and off-white paint colors, like BM Cloud White, BM White Dove and even BM Swiss Coffee. It can also pair with cooler white trim colors, like BM Chantilly Lace (Color Review Article). It could even work with SW Extra White (Color Review Article), a cool white trim color that is very popular in the United States. Add warm wood decor to warm up the space.
The Best Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Alternatives
Not sure if Wrought Iron is the right black paint color for your project? Review these other Wrought Iron alternatives to find your perfect hue.
BM Wrought Iron vs BM Cheating Heart
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron and Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart (Sample) both have cool, blue undertones but Cheating Heart’s undertones are more overt. Cheating Heart (Color Review Article) is slightly lighter than Wrought Iron, with an LRV of 8.79.
BM Wrought Iron vs BM Iron Mountain
BM Iron Mountain (Color Review Article) is a bit lighter than Wrought Iron, with an LRV of 10.96. Iron Mountain (Sample) has warm, green undertones and is much earthier and more brown than Wrought Iron.
BM Wrought Iron vs BM Black
If you need the darkest black paint color then try BM Black (Sample). It has an LRV of 4.56, which makes it the darkest black that BM makes. It has neutral undertones and looks very much like a true black.
BM Wrought Iron vs BM Onyx
BM Onyx is a bit darker than Wrought Iron and looks warmer in place. It’s darker than Wrought Iron as well, with an LRV of 4.99.
BM Wrought Iron vs BM Soot
Benjamin Moore Soot (SAMPLE) is a very close alternative to Wrought Iron. It has similar blue undertones but looks a bit cooler on the wall. It’s also slightly darker than Wrought Iron, with an LRV of 6.19.
BM Wrought Iron vs SW Tricorn Black
If you want the darkest of blacks instead of Wrought Iron, then try SW Tricorn Black (SAMPLE). This is the truest black featured in this post, with an LRV of 3. It has neutral undertones and looks warmer than Wrought Iron.
What is the Sherwin Williams Equivalent to Wrought Iron?
There aren’t any colors exactly like Wrought Iron in the Sherwin-Williams catalog. The one color that behaves similarly is SW Iron Ore (Color Review Article). They do have different undertones (SW Iron Ore has green undertones and BM Wrought Iron has blue undertones), but they still work in similar applications. Iron Ore is also slightly darker than Wrought Iron, with an LRV of 6 compared to Wrought Iron’s 8.17.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Wonderful accent color for interior and exterior applications
- A soft, cool black that won’t overpower a room, even when used for color-drenching
- Neutral enough to pair with a variety of paint colors and finishes
Cons:
- May look overpowering in a room without enough natural or artificial light
- Not a true black; may look more like a charcoal gray especially outdoors
- Cool undertones may make it lean toward blue in certain lighting
Key Learning Points
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron is a beautiful soft black paint color perfect for accent walls, cabinets and doors.
- Use Wrought Iron as a bold accent for individual walls, whole rooms like offices or dining rooms or for interior black doors and window trim. A darker black can be too harsh for this application.
- Wrought Iron looks like a dark charcoal outside in the bright sun, and is a beautiful siding or black trim color.
- Its soft blue undertones keep this color cool but still allow it to pair with a variety of colors and finishes.
NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. Learn about the pitfalls of matching paint colors in our post, Are Paint Color Matches Accurate?
Online Color Consulting
If you still need help with paint colors, check out our Online Color Consulting packages or an In-Person Color Consultation in the Denver Metro area.
Related Posts:
- BM Onyx Color Review
- SW Iron Ore Color Review
- BM Iron Mountain Color Review
- Best Black Paint Colors for Red Brick
- Best Exterior Front Door Paint Colors
- Tuxedo Kitchen Cabinet Color Schemes
- BM Cloud White Color Review
- BM Classic Gray Color Review
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 for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give 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.
