Hazel Gaze vs Iron Ore
Hazel Gaze and Iron Ore come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hazel Gaze reads as green-grey, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 45-point LRV gap — 51 for Hazel Gaze vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Hazel Gaze will open up a space more effectively. Both share a neutral character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 48.6 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 10 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Hazel Gaze vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hazel Gaze 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
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Hazel Gaze reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Hazel Gaze returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Hazel Gaze returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Hazel Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Hazel Gaze returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Home Office
Home office walls matter more than most — you're looking at them all day, and a color that reads fine at first can become tiring over time. Hazel Gaze returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Hazel Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Hazel Gaze will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
House
A full exterior is the most demanding test for a paint color — scale and outdoor light both amplify differences that seem small on a swatch. Hazel Gaze returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Hazel Gaze reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Hazel Gaze vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hazel Gaze 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 Hazel Gaze comparisons
See how Hazel Gaze stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 51, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 51), opening up a space where Hazel Gaze encloses it.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 51), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 7-point LRV gap (58 vs 51) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 27, Hazel Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Hazel Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 4-point LRV gap (55 vs 51) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 51 vs 13, Hazel Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (51 vs 44) makes Hazel Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 51), opening up a space where Hazel Gaze encloses it.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 51, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 51, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 51, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Hazel Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 51, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Hazel Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 51), opening up a space where Hazel Gaze encloses it.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 12, Hazel Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (51 vs 45) makes Hazel Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Hazel Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 51), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 51), opening up a space where Hazel Gaze encloses it.