Gray Heron vs Iron Ore
Where Gray Heron belongs to PPG's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. Gray Heron (LRV 28) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 22 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 31.6, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Gray Heron vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Gray Heron 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 Gray Heron will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Gray Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Gray Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Gray Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Gray Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Home Office
The test for a home office color isn't how it looks in a quick glance — it's whether it still feels right after a full day of work. Gray Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Gray Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Gray Heron returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Gray Heron reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Gray Heron will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Gray Heron vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Gray Heron 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 Gray Heron comparisons
See how Gray Heron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 28, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 28, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 28), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 28, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
With LRVs of 28 and 27, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 43 vs 28, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 4, Gray Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
Gray Heron reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 28, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (28 vs 21) makes Gray Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 28, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Heron reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Gray Heron reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 28, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Gray Heron reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 28), opening up a space where Gray Heron encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (31 vs 28) makes Pale Green the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 28 vs 7, Gray Heron is decisively the brighter choice.