Black Iron vs Wedgewood Gray
Both from Benjamin Moore's palette. Hue-wise, Black Iron belongs to the grey family and Wedgewood Gray to the blue-grey family. Wedgewood Gray (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Black Iron (LRV 6), a difference of 43 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean blue, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 51.1, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Black Iron vs Wedgewood Gray in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Black Iron and Wedgewood Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Wedgewood Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Iron.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Wedgewood Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Iron.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Wedgewood Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Black Iron.
Color Details
Black Iron vs Wedgewood Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Black Iron on one side and Wedgewood Gray on the other.
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 Black Iron comparisons
See how Black Iron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 6, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 6 vs 6), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 6, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 6, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
With LRVs of 6 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 6, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (13 vs 6) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 6, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 6, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 6, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 6, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 6, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Treron reflects far more light (LRV 25 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (12 vs 6) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 6, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 6, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 6), opening up a space where Black Iron encloses it.