Spruce vs Iron Ore
Spruce (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 25-point LRV gap — 30 for Spruce vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Spruce will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 33.9 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.
Spruce vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Spruce 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. Spruce 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. Spruce 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. Spruce 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 Spruce 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. Spruce returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Spruce vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Spruce 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 Spruce comparisons
See how Spruce stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Spruce reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Spruce reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Spruce reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Spruce reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Spruce encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Spruce is decisively the brighter choice.