Matchstick vs Iron Ore
Matchstick (Farrow & Ball) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Matchstick reads as beige, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 62-point LRV gap — 68 for Matchstick vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Matchstick will open up a space more effectively. Where Matchstick leans warm, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 59.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Matchstick vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Matchstick 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Matchstick reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Matchstick returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Matchstick returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Matchstick will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Matchstick returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Matchstick vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Matchstick 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 Matchstick comparisons
See how Matchstick stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 68), opening up a space where Matchstick encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 69 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 30, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Matchstick the marginally brighter of the two.
Matchstick reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 43, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 4, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 68, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 21, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 68 and 66, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 68), opening up a space where Matchstick encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 68, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 68 vs 41, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 68 vs 68), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 25, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Matchstick reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 7, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 24, Matchstick is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (68 vs 57) makes Matchstick the marginally brighter of the two.
A 4-point LRV gap (72 vs 68) makes Just Walnut the marginally brighter of the two.