Charlotte's Locks vs Iron Ore
Where Charlotte's Locks belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, Charlotte's Locks belongs to the pink-red family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Charlotte's Locks (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 16 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Charlotte's Locks 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 66.2, 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.
Charlotte's Locks vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Charlotte's Locks 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 Charlotte's Locks will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. Charlotte's Locks 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. Charlotte's Locks reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Charlotte's Locks vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Charlotte's Locks 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 Charlotte's Locks comparisons
See how Charlotte's Locks stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
