Buttermilk vs Iron Ore
Where Buttermilk belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Buttermilk belongs to the beige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Buttermilk (LRV 77) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 71 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Buttermilk runs warm while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 63.6, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buttermilk vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buttermilk 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 Buttermilk 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. Buttermilk reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Buttermilk reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Buttermilk vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buttermilk 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 Buttermilk comparisons
See how Buttermilk stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 8-point LRV gap (77 vs 69) makes Buttermilk the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 77 vs 52, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 30, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 60, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 43, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (84 vs 77) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 21, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 77 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Buttermilk reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 77 vs 41, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Buttermilk reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 31, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 7, Buttermilk is decisively the brighter choice.