Aquacade 226 vs Iron Ore
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Aquacade 226 belongs to the green family and Iron Ore to the grey family. At LRV 84 vs 6, Aquacade 226 will read as the brighter of the two — a 79-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Aquacade 226's cool character against Iron Ore's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 65.5, 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.
Aquacade 226 vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Aquacade 226 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. Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 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. Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 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. Aquacade 226 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. Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 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. Aquacade 226 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Aquacade 226 vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Aquacade 226 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 Aquacade 226 comparisons
See how Aquacade 226 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 69), opening up a space where Ammonite encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 52, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 60), opening up a space where Agreeable Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 58, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 27, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 13, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 44, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 84 and 84, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 66, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (84 vs 74) makes Aquacade 226 the marginally brighter of the two.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 84 vs 83), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Pigeon encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 8, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 68, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 12, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 84 vs 45, Aquacade 226 is decisively the brighter choice.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Aquacade 226 reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.