Wine Dark vs Iron Ore
Wine Dark (Farrow & Ball) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Wine Dark belongs to the blue-grey family and Iron Ore to the grey family. The 7-point LRV gap — 13 for Wine Dark vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Wine Dark will open up a space more effectively. Where Wine Dark leans cool, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 18.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Wine Dark vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Wine Dark 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. Wine Dark reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. Wine Dark has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Wine Dark has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Wine Dark has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Wine Dark vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Wine Dark 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 Wine Dark comparisons
See how Wine Dark stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 5-point LRV gap (13 vs 8) makes Wine Dark the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Wine Dark encloses it.
Wine Dark reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.