Cast Iron vs Hidden Trail
Both are Sherwin-Williams colors. Hue-wise, Cast Iron belongs to the grey family and Hidden Trail to the greige-grey family. With LRVs of 13 and 10, they'll behave almost identically in terms of how much light they reflect back into a room. The tonal difference — Cast Iron's neutral character against Hidden Trail's warm — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 4.7, the difference is perceptible but not dramatic — the two can work harmoniously in the same space. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cast Iron vs Hidden Trail in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Cast Iron and Hidden Trail are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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. Cast Iron reads more restrained here, while Hidden Trail adds a sense of enclosure and warmth.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The temperature contrast between Hidden Trail and Cast Iron is what sets these apart most in this context.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The temperature contrast between Hidden Trail and Cast Iron is what sets these apart most in this context.
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 temperature contrast between Hidden Trail and Cast Iron is what sets these apart most in this context.
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. Hidden Trail brings more warmth to the space, while Cast Iron keeps things cooler and crisper.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The temperature contrast between Hidden Trail and Cast Iron is what sets these apart most in this context.
Color Details
Cast Iron vs Hidden Trail Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cast Iron on one side and Hidden Trail 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 Cast Iron comparisons
See how Cast Iron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 4-point LRV gap (13 vs 8) makes Cast Iron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Cast Iron encloses it.