Richmond Gray vs Iron Ore

Richmond GrayBenjamin MoorevsIron OreSherwin-WilliamsΔE 53.7Very different colors

Where Richmond Gray belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Richmond Gray belongs to the beige-greige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Richmond Gray (LRV 56) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 51 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Richmond Gray runs yellow while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 53.7, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

Richmond Gray vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

1 real room side by side. Seeing Richmond Gray 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 Richmond Gray will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.

Richmond GrayBenjamin Moore Flowering Herbs living room makeover

@mark.hartman.souder

Iron OreIron Ore SW 7069 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Richmond Gray
Benjamin Moore · HC-96
Hex#CEC7AA
LRV56.1
BrandBenjamin Moore
NumberHC-96
UndertoneYellow
TemperatureWarm
BrightnessMedium
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Richmond Gray vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Richmond Gray 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 Richmond Gray comparisons

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

Richmond Gray
White Dove
Richmond Gray
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Richmond Gray encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Ammonite
Richmond Gray
Ammonite
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

At LRV 69 vs 56, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Purbeck Stone
Richmond Gray
Purbeck Stone
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

A 4-point LRV gap (56 vs 52) makes Richmond Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Richmond Gray
Evergreen Fog
Richmond Gray
Evergreen Fog
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

At LRV 56 vs 30, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Mizzle
Richmond Gray
Mizzle
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Richmond Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Richmond Gray
Agreeable Gray
Richmond Gray
Agreeable Gray
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

A 4-point LRV gap (60 vs 56) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.

Richmond Gray
Accessible Beige
Richmond Gray
Accessible Beige
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

With LRVs of 58 and 56, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Richmond Gray
Denim Drift
Richmond Gray
Denim Drift
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Richmond Gray reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.

Richmond Gray
French Gray
Richmond Gray
French Gray
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

At LRV 56 vs 43, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Naval
Richmond Gray
Naval
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

At LRV 56 vs 4, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Richmond Gray
Tranquil Dawn
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

With LRVs of 56 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Richmond Gray
Bancha
Richmond Gray
Bancha
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13

Richmond Gray reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Hardwick White
Richmond Gray
Hardwick White
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Richmond Gray reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Pure White
Richmond Gray
Pure White
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

At LRV 84 vs 56, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Artichoke
Richmond Gray
Artichoke
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

At LRV 56 vs 21, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Balboa Mist
Richmond Gray
Balboa Mist
Richmond Gray
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 56), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Richmond Gray
Shoji White
Richmond Gray
Shoji White
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 56), opening up a space where Richmond Gray encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Snowbound
Richmond Gray
Snowbound
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 56), opening up a space where Richmond Gray encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Pewter Green
Richmond Gray
Pewter Green
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Richmond Gray reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Skimming Stone
Richmond Gray
Skimming Stone
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 56), opening up a space where Richmond Gray encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Dix Blue
Richmond Gray
Dix Blue
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41

At LRV 56 vs 41, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Calamine
Richmond Gray
Calamine
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68

A 11-point LRV gap (68 vs 56) makes Calamine the marginally brighter of the two.

Richmond Gray
Treron
Richmond Gray
Treron
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25

At LRV 56 vs 25, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Vintage Vogue
Richmond Gray
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Richmond Gray reflects far more light (LRV 56 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.

Richmond Gray
Saybrook Sage
Richmond Gray
Saybrook Sage
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Richmond Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 56 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

Richmond Gray
Pale Green
Richmond Gray
Pale Green
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

At LRV 56 vs 31, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Pine Needle
Richmond Gray
Pine Needle
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

At LRV 56 vs 7, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Richmond Gray
Cement grey
Richmond Gray
Cement grey
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

At LRV 56 vs 24, Richmond Gray is decisively the brighter choice.

Guilford Green
Richmond Gray
Guilford Green
Richmond Gray
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 56), so neither reads brighter in a room.

Richmond Gray
Just Walnut
Richmond Gray
Just Walnut
Benjamin Moore
Richmond Gray
HC-96 · LRV 56

At LRV 72 vs 56, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.