Fresh Sage vs Iron Ore
Fresh Sage (Dulux) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Fresh Sage belongs to the green-grey family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 28-point LRV gap — 33 for Fresh Sage vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Fresh Sage will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 39.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Fresh Sage vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Fresh Sage 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. Fresh Sage 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. Fresh Sage 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. Fresh Sage 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 Fresh Sage 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. Fresh Sage returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Fresh Sage reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Fresh Sage vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Fresh Sage 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 Fresh Sage comparisons
See how Fresh Sage stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 33, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (33 vs 30) makes Fresh Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 33, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Fresh Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 33 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 10-point LRV gap (43 vs 33) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Fresh Sage reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 33), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 33, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 33 vs 21, Fresh Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Fresh Sage reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (41 vs 33) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
A 9-point LRV gap (33 vs 25) makes Fresh Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Fresh Sage reflects far more light (LRV 33 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 33), opening up a space where Fresh Sage encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 33 vs 31), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 33 vs 7, Fresh Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (33 vs 24) makes Fresh Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 33, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 33, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.