Charleston Gray vs Iron Ore
Where Charleston Gray belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Charleston Gray belongs to the greige-grey family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Charleston Gray (LRV 30) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 25 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Charleston Gray runs warm while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 34.0, 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.
Charleston Gray vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Charleston Gray 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 Charleston Gray 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. Charleston Gray 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. Charleston Gray 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. Charleston Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Charleston Gray reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Charleston Gray vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charleston Gray 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 Charleston Gray comparisons
See how Charleston Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 30, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Charleston Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 4, Charleston Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Charleston Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Charleston Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Charleston Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (41 vs 30) makes Dix Blue the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 30, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 25) makes Charleston Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Charleston Gray reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Charleston Gray encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Charleston Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (30 vs 24) makes Charleston Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 30, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 30, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.