Varnished Ivory vs Iron Ore

Varnished IvoryBehrvsIron OreSherwin-WilliamsΔE 60.2Very different colors

Varnished Ivory (Behr) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Varnished Ivory reads as beige, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 67-point LRV gap — 72 for Varnished Ivory vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Varnished Ivory will open up a space more effectively. Where Varnished Ivory leans red, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 60.2 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Varnished Ivory vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Varnished Ivory and Iron Ore in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.

Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Varnished Ivory returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Varnished IvoryBehr Varnished Ivory kitchen interior

@butterfliesinthyme

Iron OreSherwin Williams Iron Ore kitchen cabinets

@mybudgetrecipes

Kitchen Cabinets

Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Varnished Ivory returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Varnished IvoryBehr Varnished Ivory kitchen cabinets

@simply.white.vintage

Iron OreSw Iron Ore Painted Cabinets

@fieldandforestdesign

Color Details

Varnished Ivory
Behr · MQ3-40
Hex#e5dccc
LRV72.1
BrandBehr
NumberMQ3-40
UndertoneRed
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessLight
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Varnished Ivory vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Varnished Ivory on one side and Iron Ore on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.

More Varnished Ivory comparisons

See how Varnished Ivory stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Varnished Ivory
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove reads slightly lighter

Ammonite
Varnished Ivory
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Varnished Ivory
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Evergreen Fog
Varnished Ivory
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Varnished Ivory
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Agreeable Gray
Varnished Ivory
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter

Accessible Beige
Varnished Ivory
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Denim Drift
Varnished Ivory
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Varnished Ivory
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Balboa Mist
Varnished Ivory
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Varnished Ivory
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Varnished Ivory
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Varnished Ivory
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Varnished Ivory
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Black grey
Varnished Ivory
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Piazza
Varnished Ivory
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Varnished Ivory reads slightly lighter

Humble Yellow
Varnished Ivory
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Windmill Lane
Varnished Ivory
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Senses
Varnished Ivory
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Varnished Ivory
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Varnished Ivory
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Tea with Florence
Varnished Ivory
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Varnished Ivory
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Ocean Abyss
Varnished Ivory
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Varnished Ivory
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Varnished Ivory reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
Varnished Ivory
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice

RAL 110-2
Varnished Ivory
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

Nearly identical in tone

RAL 110-1
Varnished Ivory
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 reads slightly lighter

Paper
Varnished Ivory
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper reads noticeably lighter

Passageway
Varnished Ivory
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Varnished Ivory is the lighter choice