Honest Indigo vs Iron Ore
Where Honest Indigo belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Honest Indigo reads as blue, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (7 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Honest Indigo runs cool while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 41.1, 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.
Honest Indigo vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Honest Indigo 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 temperature contrast between Iron Ore and Honest Indigo is what sets these apart most in this context.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Iron Ore brings more warmth to the space, while Honest Indigo keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Iron Ore brings more warmth to the space, while Honest Indigo keeps things cooler and crisper.
Color Details
Honest Indigo vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Honest Indigo 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 Honest Indigo comparisons
See how Honest Indigo stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 7, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 7, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 7, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 7, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 4, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 7, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (13 vs 7) makes Bancha the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 44 vs 7, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
Artichoke reflects far more light (LRV 21 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 7, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 7, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 7, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Pewter Green the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 7, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Vintage Vogue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 45 vs 7, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Honest Indigo encloses it.
With LRVs of 7 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.