Buff vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Buff belongs to the beige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Buff (LRV 75) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 70 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Buff 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 63.2, 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 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Buff vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Buff 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 Buff 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. Buff 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. Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Buff returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Buff 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. Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Buff returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Patio
Outside, paint color competes with sky, landscaping, and direct sun — all of which shift how both of these read compared to an indoor chip. Buff returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Buff reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Buff vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Buff 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 Buff comparisons
See how Buff stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 75), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 75 vs 52, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 30, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 60, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (84 vs 75) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 75 and 74, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Buff reads slightly lighter (LRV 75 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Buff reflects far more light (LRV 75 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 75 vs 31, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 24, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 75 vs 57, Buff is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (75 vs 72) makes Buff the marginally brighter of the two.