Cotton vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Cotton belongs to the beige-greige family and Iron Ore to the grey family. Cotton (LRV 83) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 78 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Cotton 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 64.8, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cotton vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Cotton 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.
Color Details
Cotton vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cotton 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 comparisons
See how Cotton stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
