Worsted vs Iron Ore
Where Worsted belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Both sit in the grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. Worsted (LRV 35) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 30 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 37.6, 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 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Worsted vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Worsted 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 Worsted 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. Worsted 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. Worsted reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Worsted vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Worsted 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 Worsted comparisons
See how Worsted stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 35, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 35), opening up a space where Worsted encloses it.
Worsted reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 35), opening up a space where Worsted encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 35, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (35 vs 27) makes Worsted the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 35), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 35, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (44 vs 35) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 35), opening up a space where Worsted encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 35, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 35, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 12, Worsted is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 8, Worsted is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 35, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 35 vs 12, Worsted is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (45 vs 35) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Worsted reads slightly lighter (LRV 35 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Worsted reflects far more light (LRV 35 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.