Iron Ore vs Storm Cloud
Iron Ore and Storm Cloud come from the same Sherwin-Williams collection. Hue-wise, Iron Ore belongs to the grey family and Storm Cloud to the blue-grey family. The 17-point LRV gap — 23 for Storm Cloud vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Storm Cloud 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 27.3 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.
Iron Ore vs Storm Cloud in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Iron Ore and Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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 Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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 Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud 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. Storm Cloud reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Storm Cloud returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Iron Ore vs Storm Cloud Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Iron Ore on one side and Storm Cloud 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.
