Cayenne vs Iron Ore
Cayenne (Cloverdale Paint) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Cayenne belongs to the pink family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 3-point LRV gap — 9 for Cayenne vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Cayenne will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 25.2 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.
Cayenne vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cayenne 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. Cayenne reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Cayenne has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Cayenne has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Cayenne gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Cayenne has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Cayenne vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cayenne 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 Cayenne comparisons
See how Cayenne stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (12 vs 9) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 9), opening up a space where Cayenne encloses it.