Volcanic Ash vs Iron Ore
Volcanic Ash 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. At LRV 18 vs 6, Volcanic Ash will read as the brighter of the two — a 12-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 21.1, 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.
Volcanic Ash vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Volcanic Ash 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. Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash 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. Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash 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. Volcanic Ash 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. Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash 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. Volcanic Ash returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Volcanic Ash vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Volcanic Ash 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 Volcanic Ash comparisons
See how Volcanic Ash stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 18, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 18, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 18, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 18, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 18), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 18, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 18 vs 4, Volcanic Ash is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 18, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (21 vs 18) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 18, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 18, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
Volcanic Ash reads slightly lighter (LRV 18 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 18), opening up a space where Volcanic Ash encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 18, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (18 vs 7) makes Volcanic Ash the marginally brighter of the two.