Milky Way vs Iron Ore
Where Milky Way belongs to Jotun's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Milky Way reads as beige, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Milky Way (LRV 74) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 68 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Milky Way 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 61.3, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Milky Way vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Milky Way 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 Milky Way will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Milky Way vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Milky Way 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 Milky Way comparisons
See how Milky Way stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 9-point LRV gap (83 vs 74) makes White Dove the marginally brighter of the two.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 58, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 27, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
At LRV 74 vs 55, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 44, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reads slightly lighter (LRV 84 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 8-point LRV gap (74 vs 66) makes Milky Way the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 74 vs 74), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 8, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (74 vs 68) makes Milky Way the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 12, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 45, Milky Way is decisively the brighter choice.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Milky Way reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.