Alabaster vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Alabaster belongs to the beige-greige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Alabaster (LRV 82) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 77 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Alabaster runs warm while Iron Ore is decidedly neutral, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 64.4, 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 8 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Alabaster vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
8 real rooms side by side. Seeing Alabaster 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 Alabaster 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. Alabaster 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. Alabaster 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. Alabaster 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. Alabaster 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. Alabaster 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 Alabaster 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. Alabaster reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Alabaster vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Alabaster 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 Alabaster comparisons
See how Alabaster stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
With LRVs of 83 and 82, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 82 vs 52, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 30, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 60, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 43, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 82), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 66), opening up a space where Balboa Mist encloses it.
Alabaster reads slightly lighter (LRV 82 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 68), opening up a space where Skimming Stone encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Alabaster reflects far more light (LRV 82 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 82 vs 31, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 7, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 24, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 82 vs 57, Alabaster is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (82 vs 72) makes Alabaster the marginally brighter of the two.