Steam vs Iron Ore
Where Steam belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Steam reads as beige-greige, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Steam (LRV 84) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 79 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Steam 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 66.0, 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.
Steam vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steam 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 Steam 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. Steam 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. Steam reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Steam returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Steam vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steam 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 Steam comparisons
See how Steam stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
