RAL 320-3 vs Iron Ore
Where RAL 320-3 belongs to RAL Effect's range, Iron Ore is a Sherwin-Williams color. Hue-wise, RAL 320-3 belongs to the beige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. RAL 320-3 (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 50.7, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
RAL 320-3 vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing RAL 320-3 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 RAL 320-3 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. RAL 320-3 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. RAL 320-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. RAL 320-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
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. RAL 320-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 320-3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
RAL 320-3 vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see RAL 320-3 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 RAL 320-3 comparisons
See how RAL 320-3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 28, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.
With LRVs of 30 and 28, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 28, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 28 vs 27), so neither reads brighter in a room.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 28, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 28, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 28, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 28, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 12, RAL 320-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 28, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 28 vs 12, RAL 320-3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 28, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 31 vs 28), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
RAL 320-3 reflects far more light (LRV 28 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
RAL 320-3 reads slightly lighter (LRV 28 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 28), opening up a space where RAL 320-3 encloses it.