Sea Urchin 3 vs Iron Ore
Where Sea Urchin 3 belongs to Dulux's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Sea Urchin 3 belongs to the blue family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Sea Urchin 3 (LRV 40) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 34 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Sea Urchin 3 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 41.7, 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.
Sea Urchin 3 vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Sea Urchin 3 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 Sea Urchin 3 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. Sea Urchin 3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Sea Urchin 3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Sea Urchin 3 vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Sea Urchin 3 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 Sea Urchin 3 comparisons
See how Sea Urchin 3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 40, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
A 12-point LRV gap (52 vs 40) makes Purbeck Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
A 10-point LRV gap (40 vs 30) makes Sea Urchin 3 the marginally brighter of the two.
Mizzle reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 40, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
Sea Urchin 3 reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (43 vs 40) makes French Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 4, Sea Urchin 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
Sea Urchin 3 reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reads slightly lighter (LRV 44 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 40, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 21, Sea Urchin 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (51 vs 40) makes Pigeon the marginally brighter of the two.
Sea Urchin 3 reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Sea Urchin 3 reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 40), opening up a space where Sea Urchin 3 encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 41 vs 40), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Sea Urchin 3 reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reads slightly lighter (LRV 45 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (40 vs 31) makes Sea Urchin 3 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 40 vs 7, Sea Urchin 3 is decisively the brighter choice.