Storm vs Iron Ore
Where Storm belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Storm (LRV 36) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 30 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Storm 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 37.4, 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.
Storm vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Storm 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 Storm 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. Storm 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. Storm 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. Storm reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Storm vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Storm 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 Storm comparisons
See how Storm stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 36, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 36), opening up a space where Storm encloses it.
Storm reads slightly lighter (LRV 36 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 36), opening up a space where Storm encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 36, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (36 vs 27) makes Storm the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 36), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 36, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (44 vs 36) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 36), opening up a space where Storm encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 36, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 36, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 12, Storm is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 8, Storm is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 36, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 36 vs 12, Storm is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (45 vs 36) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Storm reads slightly lighter (LRV 36 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Storm reflects far more light (LRV 36 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.