Cast Iron vs Champagne
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Cast Iron reads as grey, while Champagne reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Champagne (LRV 78) reflects noticeably more light than Cast Iron (LRV 13), a difference of 66 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Cast Iron runs neutral while Champagne is decidedly warm, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 49.4, 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 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cast Iron vs Champagne in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cast Iron and Champagne 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 Champagne will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Cast Iron would.
Kitchen
In a kitchen, colors are seen under bright task lighting that amplifies undertones — what reads neutral elsewhere can show its hand here. Champagne reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cast Iron.
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. Champagne reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cast Iron.
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. Champagne reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cast Iron.
Mudroom
Mudrooms are seen in passing, often under whatever light comes through the door — a context that favors colors with some depth. Champagne 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. Champagne reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Cast Iron.
Color Details
Cast Iron vs Champagne Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cast Iron on one side and Champagne 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.