Red Maple vs Iron Ore
Red Maple (Jotun) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Red Maple reads as pink-red, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 7-point LRV gap — 12 for Red Maple vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Red Maple will open up a space more effectively. Where Red Maple leans warm, Iron Ore reads neutral — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 19.1 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.
Red Maple vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Red Maple 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. Red Maple 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. Red Maple has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Red Maple gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Red Maple has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Red Maple has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Red Maple vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Red Maple 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 Red Maple comparisons
See how Red Maple stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 12, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 12, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 12, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 12), opening up a space where Red Maple encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (12 vs 7) makes Red Maple the marginally brighter of the two.
A 12-point LRV gap (24 vs 12) makes Cement grey the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 57 vs 12, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 12, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.