In The Buff vs Iron Ore
In The Buff is a PPG color while Iron Ore comes from Sherwin-Williams. In The Buff reads as beige-greige, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. At LRV 60 vs 6, In The Buff will read as the brighter of the two — a 54-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 54.3, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
In The Buff vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing In The Buff 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. In The Buff returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that In The Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that In The Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. In The Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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 In The Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. The LRV gap is large enough that In The Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. In The Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Patio
Patio colors are seen under changing outdoor light throughout the day — morning, midday, and golden hour each reveal different qualities. In The Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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 In The Buff will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
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. In The Buff returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
In The Buff vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see In The Buff 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 In The Buff comparisons
See how In The Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 60, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
In The Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 60 and 60, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 58), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 60 vs 27, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 5-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes In The Buff the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 13, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 44, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where In The Buff encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (66 vs 60) makes Balboa Mist the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 74 vs 60, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 60, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
A 8-point LRV gap (68 vs 60) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Calamine reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 12, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 45, In The Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
In The Buff reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
With LRVs of 60 and 57, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 60), opening up a space where In The Buff encloses it.