Poolside Blue vs Iron Ore
Poolside Blue (Benjamin Moore) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Poolside Blue belongs to the blue family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 34-point LRV gap — 40 for Poolside Blue vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Poolside Blue will open up a space more effectively. Where Poolside Blue leans blue, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 55.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Poolside Blue vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Poolside Blue 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. Poolside Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Poolside Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Poolside Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Poolside Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Poolside Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Poolside Blue vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Poolside Blue 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 Poolside Blue comparisons
See how Poolside Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 40, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 40, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 30) makes Poolside Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 40, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (43 vs 40) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 4, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 40, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 21, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 40), opening up a space where Poolside Blue encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 40), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 40, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 25, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Poolside Blue reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 31) makes Poolside Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 7, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 24, Poolside Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 40, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 40, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.