Iron Ore vs Surf Green
Both from Sherwin-Williams's palette. Hue-wise, Iron Ore belongs to the grey family and Surf Green to the blue-green family. Surf Green (LRV 21) reflects noticeably more light than Iron Ore (LRV 6), a difference of 16 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Iron Ore runs neutral while Surf Green is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 30.0, 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 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Iron Ore vs Surf Green in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Iron Ore and Surf Green in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
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 Surf Green will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Color Details
Iron Ore vs Surf Green Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Iron Ore on one side and Surf Green 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.
