Candle Wax vs Iron Ore
Candle Wax (Cloverdale Paint) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Candle Wax belongs to the greige-grey family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 10-point LRV gap — 16 for Candle Wax vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Candle Wax will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 21.5 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.
Candle Wax vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Candle Wax 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. Candle Wax reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Candle Wax returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Candle Wax 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 Candle Wax will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Candle Wax returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Candle Wax vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Candle Wax 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 Candle Wax comparisons
See how Candle Wax stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 16, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 16, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 16, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 16, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 16), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 16, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 12-point LRV gap (16 vs 4) makes Candle Wax the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
With LRVs of 16 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 16, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (21 vs 16) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 16, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Candle Wax reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Candle Wax reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 16, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Candle Wax reads slightly lighter (LRV 16 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 16), opening up a space where Candle Wax encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 16, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (16 vs 7) makes Candle Wax the marginally brighter of the two.