Gypsum vs Iron Ore
Where Gypsum belongs to Cloverdale Paint's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Gypsum reads as white, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Gypsum (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. With a ΔE of 65.3, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gypsum vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gypsum 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 Gypsum 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. Gypsum 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. Gypsum 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. Gypsum returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Gypsum reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Gypsum vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gypsum 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 Gypsum comparisons
See how Gypsum stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 58, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 27, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 44, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 84 vs 66, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (84 vs 74) makes Gypsum the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 68, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Gypsum is decisively the brighter choice.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Gypsum reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.