Cabernet vs Iron Ore
Cabernet (PPG) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Cabernet reads as pink, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 8-point LRV gap — 14 for Cabernet vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Cabernet will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 28.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cabernet vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cabernet 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. Cabernet reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. Cabernet returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Cabernet returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Cabernet will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. Cabernet returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Cabernet returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Cabernet will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Cabernet will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Cabernet returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Cabernet vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cabernet 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 Cabernet comparisons
See how Cabernet stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cabernet reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Cabernet encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Cabernet the marginally brighter of the two.