Deep Fossil vs Iron Ore
Where Deep Fossil belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Deep Fossil (LRV 31) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 31.3, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Deep Fossil vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Deep Fossil 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 Deep Fossil 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. Deep Fossil 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. Deep Fossil 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. Deep Fossil reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Deep Fossil vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Deep Fossil 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 Deep Fossil comparisons
See how Deep Fossil stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 31, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 31, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Deep Fossil reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 31, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 4, Deep Fossil is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Deep Fossil reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 31, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (31 vs 21) makes Deep Fossil the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Deep Fossil reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (41 vs 31) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (31 vs 25) makes Deep Fossil the marginally brighter of the two.
Deep Fossil reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 31), opening up a space where Deep Fossil encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 31 vs 7, Deep Fossil is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (31 vs 24) makes Deep Fossil the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 31, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 31, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.