Iron Ore vs Mountain Pass
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Iron Ore belongs to the grey family and Mountain Pass to the blue-grey family. Mountain Pass (LRV 14) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 8 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 16.4, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Iron Ore vs Mountain Pass in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Iron Ore and Mountain Pass 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 brightness difference is modest but present — Mountain Pass gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Mountain Pass reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Iron Ore vs Mountain Pass Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Iron Ore on one side and Mountain Pass 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 Iron Ore comparisons
See how Iron Ore stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
