Classic Grey vs Iron Ore

Classic GreyCloverdale PaintvsIron OreSherwin-WilliamsΔE 54.9Very different colors

Classic Grey (Cloverdale Paint) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. The 57-point LRV gap — 63 for Classic Grey vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Classic Grey will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 54.9 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.

Classic Grey vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Classic Grey 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. Classic Grey reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.

Classic GreyClassic Grey EX311 by Cloverdale Paint — Living Room

@visualization

Iron OreIron Ore SW 7069 living room

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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. Classic Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Classic GreyClassic Grey EX311 by Cloverdale Paint — Bedroom

@visualization

Iron OreBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore

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Kitchen

Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Classic Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Classic GreyClassic Grey EX311 by Cloverdale Paint — Kitchen

@visualization

Iron OreSherwin Williams Iron Ore kitchen cabinets

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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 Classic Grey will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.

Classic GreyClassic Grey EX311 by Cloverdale Paint — Dining Room

@visualization

Iron OreBlack walls in a dining room Sherwin Williams Iron Ore 7069

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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. Classic Grey returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

Classic GreyClassic Grey EX311 by Cloverdale Paint — Bathroom

@visualization

Iron OreGray bathroom in Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Classic Grey
Cloverdale Paint · EX311
Hex#CFD0C7
LRV62.5
BrandCloverdale Paint
NumberEX311
Undertone
Temperature
BrightnessLight
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Classic Grey vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Classic Grey on one side and Iron Ore on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Classic Grey comparisons

See how Classic Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Classic Grey
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove reads noticeably lighter

Ammonite
Classic Grey
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite reads slightly lighter

Purbeck Stone
Classic Grey
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Evergreen Fog
Classic Grey
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Mizzle
Classic Grey
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Agreeable Gray
Classic Grey
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Nearly identical in tone

Accessible Beige
Classic Grey
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Denim Drift
Classic Grey
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Tranquil Dawn
Classic Grey
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Balboa Mist
Classic Grey
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter

Vintage Vogue
Classic Grey
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Pale Green
Classic Grey
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Pine Needle
Classic Grey
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Cement grey
Classic Grey
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Black grey
Classic Grey
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Piazza
Classic Grey
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Nearly identical in tone

Humble Yellow
Classic Grey
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Windmill Lane
Classic Grey
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Senses
Classic Grey
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Classic Grey reads noticeably lighter

Lamp Black
Classic Grey
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Washed Linen
Classic Grey
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Classic Grey reads slightly lighter

Tea with Florence
Classic Grey
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Thames Fog
Classic Grey
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Ocean Abyss
Classic Grey
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

Classic Silver
Classic Grey
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Grey reads noticeably lighter

Teton Blue
Classic Grey
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Classic Grey is the lighter choice

RAL 110-2
Classic Grey
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 reads slightly lighter

RAL 110-1
Classic Grey
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 reads noticeably lighter

Paper
Classic Grey
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Classic Grey
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Classic Grey is the lighter choice