Oxford Blue (Heritage) vs Iron Ore
Where Oxford Blue (Heritage) belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Oxford Blue (Heritage) reads as blue, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. They have nearly identical light reflectance values (6 vs 6), so they'll read as similarly Dark in most lighting conditions. Oxford Blue (Heritage) 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 14.5, 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 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Oxford Blue (Heritage) vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Oxford Blue (Heritage) 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 Oxford Blue (Heritage) is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Iron Ore brings more warmth to the space, while Oxford Blue (Heritage) 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 Oxford Blue (Heritage) keeps things cooler and crisper.
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. Iron Ore brings more warmth to the space, while Oxford Blue (Heritage) keeps things cooler and crisper.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The temperature contrast between Iron Ore and Oxford Blue (Heritage) is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Oxford Blue (Heritage) vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Oxford Blue (Heritage) 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 Oxford Blue (Heritage) comparisons
See how Oxford Blue (Heritage) stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
