Grey Heron vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Grey Heron reads as greige-grey, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Grey Heron (LRV 65) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 59 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Grey Heron 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 56.0, 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.
Grey Heron vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Grey Heron 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 Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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. Grey Heron 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 Grey Heron will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Grey Heron vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Grey Heron 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 Grey Heron comparisons
See how Grey Heron stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 65, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reads slightly lighter (LRV 69 vs 65), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 52), opening up a space where Purbeck Stone encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 52, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (65 vs 58) makes Grey Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 27, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 43), opening up a space where French Gray encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 10-point LRV gap (65 vs 55) makes Grey Heron the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 65 vs 13, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 44, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 65), opening up a space where Grey Heron encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 66 vs 65), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 10-point LRV gap (74 vs 65) makes Shoji White the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 83 vs 65, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
A 3-point LRV gap (68 vs 65) makes Skimming Stone the marginally brighter of the two.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
With LRVs of 68 and 65, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 65 vs 12, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 65 vs 45, Grey Heron is decisively the brighter choice.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Grey Heron reflects far more light (LRV 65 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Grey Heron reads slightly lighter (LRV 65 vs 57), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 65), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.