Houseplant vs Iron Ore
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Houseplant reads as green-yellow, while Iron Ore reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Houseplant (LRV 14) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean neutral, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 34.0, 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.
Houseplant vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Houseplant 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 Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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. Houseplant 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 Houseplant will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Houseplant vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Houseplant 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 Houseplant comparisons
See how Houseplant stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 14, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 14, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 14, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 14, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 14, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (14 vs 4) makes Houseplant the marginally brighter of the two.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
With LRVs of 14 and 13, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 14, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (21 vs 14) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 14, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Houseplant reads slightly lighter (LRV 14 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 41 vs 14, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 14 and 12, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 14), opening up a space where Houseplant encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 14, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (14 vs 7) makes Houseplant the marginally brighter of the two.