Learn all about Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore in this color review (Sample Here). 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 by itself.
SW 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.
LRV of Iron Ore
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.
Iron Ore for Exteriors
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 for the siding, SW Oyster White for the trim. Iron Ore also makes a great black paint color for front doors and shutters with lighter palettes. For darker palettes, I prefer to use SW Tricorn Black.
Before it just looked ordinary.
What are 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.
Iron Ore for Interiors
This paint color is fantastic in rooms with tons of light. I love Iron Ore in an office because its so restful to your eyes as you are on a computer. it also looks fantastic if you have a fabulous view because it captures the view just 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 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.
Best Interior White Trim & Ceiling Colors with 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.
When To Avoid Iron Ore
For interiors, avoid in rooms with low light unless you have LOTS of artificial lighting.
You can absolutely use this color for cabinets. My preference is to keep as a lower cabinet with white upper cabinets 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.
What is the easiest way to test Iron Ore?
We always recommend that you test paint colors in your house because lighting can change a color completely.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have SAMPLIZE, 9X14″ Pre-Painted peel-and-stick paint samples. Check out the SAMPLIZE website HERE.
Comparisons with Other Black Paint Colors
Tricorn Black vs. Iron Ore
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.
Urbane Bronze vs. Iron Ore
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.
Wrought Iron vs. Iron Ore
These colors are almost identical to each other. Iron Ore has green undertones compared to the blue undertones in Wrought iron. They have the same LRV, and in real life not even I can tell the difference.
Which Benjamin Moore Colors are like Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore?
The closest is Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron. Although they aren’t exactly the same, most people won’t be able to tell the difference. We never recommend paint matching unless you are willing to spend a lot of time going back and forth with the paint company. If you want to match, then make sure you check the paint color with a LARGE swatch from Benjamin Moore. They aren’t exactly the same, but will save a lot of frustration. When paint stores try to match Snowfall White, I’ve seen it go green. UGH!
Learn more about matching paint colors here.
The Verdict
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore is a soft black with invisible green undertones. It 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.
No matter what, don’t forget to test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. We love to test with SAMPLIZE peel-and-stick samples. Check out the SAMPLIZE website HERE.
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. See results from paint matching HERE.
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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.
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