Dark Lead Colour vs Iron Ore

Where Dark Lead Colour belongs to Little Greene'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. Dark Lead Colour (LRV 15) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Dark Lead Colour runs red while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 16.7, 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.

Dark Lead Colour vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dark Lead Colour 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 Dark Lead Colour will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.

Dark Lead ColourLittle Greene Dark Lead Colour 118 hallway

@hillfarmfurniture

Iron OreIron Ore SW 7069 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bedroom

The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Dark Lead Colour reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.

Dark Lead ColourLittle Greene Dark Lead Colour 118 bedroom

@restoringlansdowne

Iron OreBedroom painted in Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

Dark Lead Colour
Little Greene · 118
Hex#6d6a65
LRV14.5
BrandLittle Greene
Number118
UndertoneRed
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

Dark Lead Colour vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dark Lead Colour on one side and Iron Ore on the other.

Bathroom
Bedroom
House
Kitchen Cabinets
Living Room

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 Dark Lead Colour comparisons

See how Dark Lead Colour stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
Dark Lead Colour
White Dove
Benjamin Moore
White Dove
LRV 83

White Dove is the lighter choice

Ammonite
Dark Lead Colour
Ammonite
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69

Ammonite is the lighter choice

Purbeck Stone
Dark Lead Colour
Purbeck Stone
Farrow & Ball
Purbeck Stone
LRV 52

Purbeck Stone is the lighter choice

Evergreen Fog
Dark Lead Colour
Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams
Evergreen Fog
LRV 30

Evergreen Fog reads noticeably lighter

Mizzle
Dark Lead Colour
Mizzle
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52

Mizzle is the lighter choice

Agreeable Gray
Dark Lead Colour
Agreeable Gray
Sherwin-Williams
Agreeable Gray
LRV 60

Agreeable Gray is the lighter choice

Accessible Beige
Dark Lead Colour
Accessible Beige
Sherwin-Williams
Accessible Beige
LRV 58

Accessible Beige is the lighter choice

Denim Drift
Dark Lead Colour
Denim Drift
Dulux
Denim Drift
LRV 27

Denim Drift reads noticeably lighter

Tranquil Dawn
Dark Lead Colour
Tranquil Dawn
Dulux
Tranquil Dawn
LRV 55

Tranquil Dawn is the lighter choice

Balboa Mist
Dark Lead Colour
Balboa Mist
Benjamin Moore
Balboa Mist
LRV 66

Balboa Mist is the lighter choice

Vintage Vogue
Dark Lead Colour
Vintage Vogue
Benjamin Moore
Vintage Vogue
LRV 12

Nearly identical in tone

Pale Green
Dark Lead Colour
Pale Green
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

Pale Green reads noticeably lighter

Pine Needle
Dark Lead Colour
Pine Needle
Dulux
Pine Needle
LRV 7

Dark Lead Colour reads slightly lighter

Cement grey
Dark Lead Colour
Cement grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

Cement grey reads slightly lighter

Black grey
Dark Lead Colour
Black grey
RAL ClassicClassic
Black grey
LRV 6

Dark Lead Colour reads slightly lighter

Piazza
Dark Lead Colour
Piazza
Tikkurila
Piazza
LRV 65

Piazza is the lighter choice

Humble Yellow
Dark Lead Colour
Humble Yellow
Jotun
Humble Yellow
LRV 57

Humble Yellow is the lighter choice

Windmill Lane
Dark Lead Colour
Windmill Lane
Little Greene
Windmill Lane
LRV 31

Windmill Lane reads noticeably lighter

Senses
Dark Lead Colour
Senses
Jotun
Senses
LRV 41

Senses is the lighter choice

Lamp Black
Dark Lead Colour
Lamp Black
Little Greene
Lamp Black
LRV 3

Dark Lead Colour reads slightly lighter

Washed Linen
Dark Lead Colour
Washed Linen
Jotun
Washed Linen
LRV 55

Washed Linen is the lighter choice

Tea with Florence
Dark Lead Colour
Tea with Florence
Little Greene
Tea with Florence
LRV 18

Tea with Florence reads slightly lighter

Thames Fog
Dark Lead Colour
Thames Fog
Valspar
Thames Fog
LRV 27

Thames Fog reads noticeably lighter

Ocean Abyss
Dark Lead Colour
Ocean Abyss
Behr
Ocean Abyss
LRV 7

Dark Lead Colour reads slightly lighter

Classic Silver
Dark Lead Colour
Classic Silver
Behr
Classic Silver
LRV 48

Classic Silver is the lighter choice

Teton Blue
Dark Lead Colour
Teton Blue
Behr
Teton Blue
LRV 31

Teton Blue reads noticeably lighter

RAL 110-2
Dark Lead Colour
RAL 110-2
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-2
LRV 72

RAL 110-2 is the lighter choice

RAL 110-1
Dark Lead Colour
RAL 110-1
RAL EffectEffect
RAL 110-1
LRV 80

RAL 110-1 is the lighter choice

Paper
Dark Lead Colour
Paper
Tikkurila
Paper
LRV 88

Paper is the lighter choice

Passageway
Dark Lead Colour
Passageway
Valspar
Passageway
LRV 14

Nearly identical in tone