Metro vs Iron Ore
Metro (Cloverdale Paint) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 61-point LRV gap — 67 for Metro vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Metro will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 56.5 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.
Metro vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Metro 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. Metro 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. Metro 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. Metro 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 Metro 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. Metro returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Metro vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Metro 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 Metro comparisons
See how Metro stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 67, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Metro reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Metro reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Metro reads slightly lighter (LRV 67 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (67 vs 58) makes Metro the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 27, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
Metro reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 67 vs 55, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 67 vs 44, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 67), opening up a space where Metro encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 67 vs 66), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 7-point LRV gap (74 vs 67) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 67), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 67 vs 12, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 67 vs 45, Metro is decisively the brighter choice.
Metro reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Metro reflects far more light (LRV 67 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.