Modern Blue vs Iron Ore
Modern Blue (Cloverdale Paint) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Modern Blue belongs to the blue family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 57-point LRV gap — 63 for Modern Blue vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Modern Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 57.5 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.
Modern Blue vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Modern Blue 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. Modern Blue 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. Modern Blue 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. Modern Blue 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 Modern Blue 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. Modern Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Modern Blue vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Modern Blue 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 Modern Blue comparisons
See how Modern Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 6-point LRV gap (69 vs 63) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 63), opening up a space where Modern Blue encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (63 vs 52) makes Modern Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 63 vs 30, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 63 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Modern Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 63 vs 43, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 4, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 63, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 21, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 66 and 63, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 63), opening up a space where Modern Blue encloses it.
At LRV 63 vs 51, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 63 vs 41, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Modern Blue reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 63 vs 31, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 7, Modern Blue is decisively the brighter choice.