Cotton Candy vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Cotton Candy reads as pink-red, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Cotton Candy (LRV 77) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 72 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Cotton Candy 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 62.6, 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.
Cotton Candy vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cotton Candy 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 Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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. Cotton Candy 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 Cotton Candy will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Cotton Candy vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cotton Candy 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 Cotton Candy comparisons
See how Cotton Candy stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 9-point LRV gap (77 vs 69) makes Cotton Candy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 52, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 30, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 52), opening up a space where Mizzle encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 60, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 43, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 4, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
A 7-point LRV gap (84 vs 77) makes Pure White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 21, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Candy reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cotton Candy reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 74), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 77), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Cotton Candy reads slightly lighter (LRV 77 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 77 vs 41, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (77 vs 68) makes Cotton Candy the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 77 vs 25, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Cotton Candy reflects far more light (LRV 77 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 77 vs 31, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 7, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 24, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 77 vs 57, Cotton Candy is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (77 vs 72) makes Cotton Candy the marginally brighter of the two.