Carter Red vs Iron Ore
Where Carter Red belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Carter Red belongs to the pink-red family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Carter Red (LRV 24) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 19 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Carter Red runs red while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 46.1, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Carter Red vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Carter Red 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.
Living Room
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Carter Red will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Carter Red reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Carter Red reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Carter Red reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. Carter Red reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Carter Red reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Carter Red vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Carter Red on one side and Iron Ore 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 Carter Red comparisons
See how Carter Red stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 24, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 24, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 24, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
With LRVs of 27 and 24, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 24, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 24 vs 4, Carter Red is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
Carter Red reads slightly lighter (LRV 24 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 24, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 24 vs 21), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
Carter Red reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 24, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 24, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 25 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Carter Red reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 24), opening up a space where Carter Red encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (31 vs 24) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 24 vs 7, Carter Red is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 24 vs 24), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 57 vs 24, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 24, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.