French Press vs Iron Ore

French PressBenjamin MoorevsIron OreSherwin-WilliamsΔE 11.5Distinct difference

French Press (Benjamin Moore) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, French Press belongs to the beige-greige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 4-point LRV gap — 10 for French Press vs 6 for Iron Ore — means French Press will open up a space more effectively. Where French Press leans red, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 11.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

French Press vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Seeing French Press 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

A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. French Press reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.

French PressBenjamin Moore French Press Living Room

@wescott_painting

Iron OreIron Ore SW 7069 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

French Press
Benjamin Moore · AF-170
Hex#5F4D43
LRV9.9
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberAF-170
UndertoneRed
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessDark
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

French Press vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see French Press 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 French Press comparisons

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

White Dove
French Press
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
French Press
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
French Press
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
French Press
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
French Press
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
French Press
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
French Press
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
French Press
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
French Press
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
French Press
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
French Press
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
French Press
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
French Press
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Cement grey
French Press
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads noticeably lighter

Black grey
French Press
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

French Press reads slightly lighter

Piazza
French Press
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
French Press
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
French Press
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
French Press
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
French Press
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

French Press reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
French Press
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
French Press
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
French Press
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
French Press
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Nearly identical in tone

Classic Silver
French Press
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
French Press
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
French Press
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
French Press
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
French Press
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
French Press
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Passageway reads slightly lighter