S 3000-N vs Iron Ore

S 3000-NNCSvsIron OreSherwin-WilliamsΔE 43.5Very different colors

S 3000-N is a NCS color while Iron Ore comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 44 vs 6, S 3000-N will read as the brighter of the two — a 38-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. They share a neutral quality — useful to know if you're layering them in the same space. At ΔE 43.5, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.

S 3000-N vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces

3 real rooms side by side. Seeing S 3000-N 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

Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. S 3000-N returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.

S 3000-NNCS S 3000-N living room interior

@villahelander

Iron OreIron Ore SW 7069 living room

@mybudgetrecipes

Bathroom

Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that S 3000-N will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.

S 3000-NNCS S 3000-N bathroom paint

@villasallstrom

Iron OreGray bathroom in Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams

@mybudgetrecipes

House

At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that S 3000-N will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.

S 3000-NNCS S 3000-N exterior color review

@villa_fredriksdal

Iron OreIron Ore house color review

@mybudgetrecipes

Color Details

S 3000-N
NCS · S 3000-N
Hex#b1b0ae
LRV43.5
BrandNCS
NumberS 3000-N
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessMedium
Iron Ore
Sherwin-Williams · 7069
Hex#434341
LRV5.5
BrandSherwin-Williams
Number7069
Undertone
TemperatureNeutral
BrightnessDark

S 3000-N vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison

5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see S 3000-N 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 S 3000-N comparisons

See how S 3000-N stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.

White Dove
S 3000-N
White Dove
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 83 vs 44, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.

Ammonite
S 3000-N
Ammonite
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Ammonite
LRV 69
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.

Purbeck Stone
S 3000-N
Purbeck Stone
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.

S 3000-N
Evergreen Fog
S 3000-N
Evergreen Fog
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.

Mizzle
S 3000-N
Mizzle
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Mizzle
LRV 52
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.

S 3000-N
Agreeable Gray
S 3000-N
Agreeable Gray
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.

S 3000-N
Accessible Beige
S 3000-N
Accessible Beige
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 58 vs 44, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.

Denim Drift
S 3000-N
Denim Drift
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 27, S 3000-N is decisively the brighter choice.

French Gray
S 3000-N
French Gray
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

With LRVs of 44 and 43, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

S 3000-N
Naval
S 3000-N
Naval
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44
Sherwin-Williams
Naval
LRV 4

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.

Tranquil Dawn
S 3000-N
Tranquil Dawn
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

A 12-point LRV gap (55 vs 44) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.

Bancha
S 3000-N
Bancha
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Bancha
LRV 13
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 13, S 3000-N is decisively the brighter choice.

Hardwick White
S 3000-N
Hardwick White
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.

S 3000-N
Pure White
S 3000-N
Pure White
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.

S 3000-N
Artichoke
S 3000-N
Artichoke
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44
Sherwin-Williams
Artichoke
LRV 21

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.

Balboa Mist
S 3000-N
Balboa Mist
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 66 vs 44, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.

S 3000-N
Shoji White
S 3000-N
Shoji White
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 74 vs 44, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.

S 3000-N
Snowbound
S 3000-N
Snowbound
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44
Sherwin-Williams
Snowbound
LRV 83

At LRV 83 vs 44, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.

S 3000-N
Pewter Green
S 3000-N
Pewter Green
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 12, S 3000-N is decisively the brighter choice.

Skimming Stone
S 3000-N
Skimming Stone
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 68 vs 44, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.

Dix Blue
S 3000-N
Dix Blue
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Dix Blue
LRV 41
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

With LRVs of 44 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.

Calamine
S 3000-N
Calamine
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Calamine
LRV 68
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.

Treron
S 3000-N
Treron
S 3000-N
Farrow & Ball
Treron
LRV 25
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.

Vintage Vogue
S 3000-N
Vintage Vogue
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

At LRV 44 vs 12, S 3000-N is decisively the brighter choice.

Saybrook Sage
S 3000-N
Saybrook Sage
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 45 vs 44), so neither reads brighter in a room.

S 3000-N
Pale Green
S 3000-N
Pale Green
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44
RAL ClassicClassic
Pale Green
LRV 31

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.

Pine Needle
S 3000-N
Pine Needle
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.

S 3000-N
Cement grey
S 3000-N
Cement grey
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44
RAL ClassicClassic
Cement grey
LRV 24

S 3000-N reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.

Guilford Green
S 3000-N
Guilford Green
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.

Just Walnut
S 3000-N
Just Walnut
S 3000-N
NCS
S 3000-N
S 3000-N · LRV 44

Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 44), opening up a space where S 3000-N encloses it.