Brillant blue vs Iron Ore
Where Brillant blue belongs to RAL Classic's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Brillant blue reads as blue, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Brillant blue (LRV 15) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 10 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 29.2, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Brillant blue vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Brillant blue 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.
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. Brillant blue 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 Brillant blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Brillant blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Brillant blue vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Brillant blue 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 Brillant blue comparisons
See how Brillant blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
