Secret Path vs Iron Ore
Where Secret Path belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Secret Path belongs to the green-grey family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Secret Path (LRV 28) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Secret Path runs green while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 32.9, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Secret Path vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Secret Path 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 Secret Path will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Secret Path 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. Secret Path 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. Secret Path reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Secret Path vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Secret Path 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 Secret Path comparisons
See how Secret Path stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 28, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 28, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 28), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 28, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
With LRVs of 28 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 28, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 4, Secret Path is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
Secret Path reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 28, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (28 vs 21) makes Secret Path the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 28, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Secret Path reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Secret Path reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 28, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Secret Path reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 28), opening up a space where Secret Path encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 28) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 28 vs 7, Secret Path is decisively the brighter choice.