Rock Salt vs Iron Ore
Where Rock Salt belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Rock Salt belongs to the white family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Rock Salt (LRV 83) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 77 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 64.3, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Rock Salt vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Rock Salt 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 Rock Salt will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Rock Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. Rock Salt reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Rock Salt vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Rock Salt 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 Rock Salt comparisons
See how Rock Salt stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 83 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 58, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 27, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 55, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 44, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 83, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 83 vs 66, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (83 vs 74) makes Rock Salt the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 8, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 68, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 12, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 45, Rock Salt is decisively the brighter choice.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Rock Salt reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.