Carob Chip vs Iron Ore
Carob Chip is a PPG 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. With LRVs of 8 and 6, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. At ΔE 9.6, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Carob Chip vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Carob Chip and Iron Ore are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Home Office
In a home office, wall color sits in your peripheral vision for hours at a time, so temperature and undertone matter more than you might expect. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Mudroom
A mudroom color needs to hold up under the most casual scrutiny: a glance as you're coming and going, often in mixed or artificial light. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. Side by side like this, the difference is easy to read — which is exactly why seeing them in a real space is more useful than comparing chips.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
Color Details
Carob Chip vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Carob Chip 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 Carob Chip comparisons
See how Carob Chip stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 8, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 8, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 8, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 8, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 8, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (8 vs 4) makes Carob Chip the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
Bancha reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 21 vs 8, Artichoke is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 8, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Pewter Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 8 and 8, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 8, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Vintage Vogue reads slightly lighter (LRV 12 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 8), opening up a space where Carob Chip encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 8 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.