Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is a dark, deep, and bold charcoal gray paint color that almost nears “black”. It’s one of the best picks for any exteriors, cabinets, or front doors – due to the utmost versatility and timelessness. 

This neutral color is a fantastic option if you’re scared of the bold and dramatic look of black paint colors. In some cases, it does appear black – but without ‘overwhelming’ the space. And do you know how that is true?

The iron ore paint has a touch of gray and green/blue undertones that makes it soft and not quite harsh. Voila! Offering the best of both worlds.

This SW Iron Ore color review will help you determine if the paint color is the best option for your home and design style. We’ll discuss the various do’s and don’ts, iron ore color inspirations, how to use the color in your home, LRV, undertones, and much more!

What Color is Sherwin Williams Iron Ore?

Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams is a dark and bold charcoal gray paint color or a soft and subdued black paint color that looks fabulous as an ACCENT! This paint color can be beautifully used in smaller spaces as an ‘accent’ and a ‘base’ on all the surfaces in larger rooms. 

However, it’s not as easy to use this paint color as it may sound! 

The SW Iron Ore undertones are confusing and may catch a different vibe in different lighting conditions. And that’s why you must try this real-time SAMPLE of the paint color in your home.

Try this ready-to-order swatch in different rooms with different lighting conditions to determine how Sherwin Williams Iron Ore will truly feel in your home.

Click here to get a peel & stick sample of Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Does Sherwin Williams Iron Ore look Blue?

Iron Ore Sherwin Williams has the tendency to look blue in certain lighting conditions. This color also has the tendency to look green in certain lighting conditions and ‘black’ in some. Confusing much, right? Well, it all depends upon the incoming natural light and the existing architectural materials.

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore will definitely hold the potential to showcase a tiny tinge of ‘blue’ (specifically navy) in the north-facing rooms. Whereas it may look totally black in a room with little natural light and when paired with opposite clean whites and lighter tones of wood.

Is Iron Ore Gray or Brown?

Iron Ore paint is definitely a true charcoal gray paint color. It doesn’t have any specific color saturation and aligns with both the warm as well as cool-toned color palettes cohesively. As I mentioned earlier, it’s either soft black paint or dark and moody gray paint. Iron Ore – is assuredly NOT a brown paint color!

Is SW Iron Ore Black or Gray?

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is a dark charcoal gray paint color or a very soft tone of black paint color. It’s DEFINITELY not a true black due to the deep underlying gray/blue/green undertone base. Well, you must place a swatch of this paint against a true black color and you’d know. Long story short – if you’re looking for a black paint color not as bold and dramatic – choose to apply a fresh coat of SW Iron Ore.

Is Iron Ore Paint Warm or Cool?

Homeowners often confuse this color as a cool-toned paint – however, in my books, SW Iron Ore is definitely a blend of both. It’s not too cool and icy nor too warm and earthy! This neutral paint can beautifully work with both warm and cool-toned color palettes. Warm woods? Yes! Icy gray natural stone? Yes! And that is why I love to call this color versatile and timeless.

What Undertones Does SW Iron Ore Paint Have?

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is expected to have a tiny tinge of green undertone which plays quite subdued at all times. It’s hidden until your room faces a large front or back lawn when the color may come off dominant. Meanwhile, SW Iron Ore has great potential to showcase a ‘navy’ undertone – especially around the cool-toned color palette and cool-toned room furnishings. 

Else, with little or no natural light – expect the iron ore color to appear black! This is also true in case you have ample whites in the room.

Let’s see how this paint color behaves in different lighting conditions at different times of the day! 

• In the north-facing rooms, SW Iron Ore comes off as a bold, dark, and dramatic charcoal gray paint color with a tinge of ‘navy’ undertone.
• In the south-facing rooms, expect the SW Iron Ore to appear fresh and bold – neutral charcoal gray paint color. 
• In the east-facing rooms, the Iron Ore paint color will predominantly look bright in the mornings but almost “black” during the late afternoons and the evenings.
• In the west-facing rooms, the Iron Ore paint looks “black” in the mornings but a dark charcoal gray paint during afternoon and evenings. 

Note: If your room faces a lush front or back lawn, the green undertone in the paint color is quite likely to pop! Pairing this color with a true black will result in a ‘charcoal gray’ tone.

SW Iron Ore LRV

Light Reflectance Value or LRV is an important aspect to consider when choosing the best neutral paint color for your home. This value determines how light or dark the paint color is – on a scale of 0-100. Hence, the lighter the paint color, the greater the LRV is! 

For Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, the LRV is only 6 which makes the neutral paint color a couple of shades lighter than a true black. In general, a true black paint would sit at 0 and SW Tricorn Black has an LRV of 3! So, we know that this paint is definitely a dark charcoal gray color.

What Color is One Shade Darker than Iron Ore?

Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black is one shade darker than Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams. And the difference is considerably low since the LRV of Tricorn Black sits somewhere at 3. So, if you’re looking to make a bold statement in your home without overwhelming the look of the “black” – choose Iron Ore to paint your walls, cabinets, doors, and exteriors. Two colors that are slightly darker than SW Iron Ore are –

• Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black
• Sherwin Williams Caviar

What Color is One Shade Lighter than Iron Ore?

Sherwin Williams Peppercorn is one shade lighter than SW Iron Ore. With an LRV of 10, this bold charcoal gray feels somehow lighter and softer than Iron Ore paint. This versatile ‘gray’ paint color is equally a bliss for warm as well as cool-toned color palettes. Just like Iron Ore, SW Peppercorn stands strong against the crisp or warm white paint colors. Two colors that are slightly lighter than SW Iron Ore are –

• Sherwin Williams Peppercorn
• Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Does Iron Ore Go with Agreeable Gray?

Absolutely yes. SW Iron Ore goes with SW Agreeable Gray as a bold and dramatic accent paint color. Well, if you’d like your walls in Agreeable Gray – consider the Iron Ore paint for the door and window frames, accent wall, and furniture frames. On the contrary, SW Iron Ore on the exterior walls will beautifully complement SW Agreeable Gray on the entryway door and shutters.

Does Pure White Go with Iron Ore?

Sherwin Williams Pure White pairs beautifully with Iron Ore as a base for the ceiling, trims, baseboards, and crown molding. If you have a flair for traditional or modern farmhouse design style – choose the Pure White paint color to exhibit the utmost sense of contrast. Also, note that this clean white color will further make your SW Iron Ore walls look bold and dark.

Does Iron Ore Go with Accessible Beige?

The combination of SW Iron Ore and Accessible Beige is truly made in heaven! Paint your walls in Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige, trims and ceiling in SW Pure White, and door/window frames in SW Iron Ore for a timeless and contrasting appeal. So, definitely, a yes – Iron Ore does go with Accessible Beige!

Can I Use SW Iron Ore Paint For the Whole House?

SW Iron Ore can be used as an accent on either one or two rooms of your home. Don’t overdo the color and paint it in every room or accent of your home. Feel free to even mix and merge the accent of Iron Ore color on the walls, bathroom vanity, kitchen cabinet, and doors for a cohesive appeal. For instance, paint the kitchen cabinets, one of the bathroom’s vanity, the home office, and the entryway door in SW Iron Ore so the whole home appears united and cohesive. 

I generally like to use a singular dark gray/black paint color for all the window frames and glass door frames of a house. SW Iron Ore is an ideal example.

How to Use SW Iron Ore Paint?

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore can be used as a strong ACCENT for any space in your home. Well, there are two ways to make the most use! First and foremost, you can choose to paint an accent of a room in this color or even consider painting all the walls. If you have a smaller room with restricted incoming natural light – consider painting the accent wall only. Else, in the case of larger rooms with ample entering natural light – this color can exhibit a modern or contemporary appeal when painted on all the walls.

Secondly, this color works wonderfully on the glass door and window frames as well. Along with SW Tricorn Black and SW Caviar that look equally crisp and flawless. Here’s a well-curated pre-made color palette that I have created for SW Iron Ore on Etsy! It enlists all the exact colors that pair with Iron Ore color including how and where to use them in your whole house color palette. I have included 7 color palettes (with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore and complementary hues) along with how to use each of those paint colors in various areas of your home. You’ll also get the detailed MATERIAL and FABRIC palette with each of SW Iron Ore color palettes! Another bonus is PAINT PLANNER and a detailed guide on paint sheens for various areas of your home.

Here’s where you can download the palette – Sherwin Williams IRON ORE

Where to Use SW Iron Ore Paint?

Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams can be used as an ACCENT in any corner of your home. To name a few, here’s a list of ways to creatively use SW Iron Ore in your home!

• Living and Dining Room Accent Walls
• Kitchen Cabinets
• Laundry or Foyer Cabinets
• Home Office Walls
• Interior Glass Door Frames
• Window Frames
• Built-in Cabinets
• Fireplace Surround
• Bathroom Vanity
• Exterior Walls
• Entryway Door (Interior and Exterior)
• Wall Paneling

Where Color Looks Good with Iron Ore?

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore can be beautifully complemented with shades of creamy white, beige, taupe, greige, sage greens, terracotta/rust, and neutral grays. As I said, this paint color is quite versatile and can cohesively blend into both warm as well as cool-toned color palettes. Well, if you’re looking to pair with the exact Sherwin Williams’ colors, here’s a list to have an eye on!

Well, here’s a list of Sherwin Williams creamy whites and cool whites that go with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore –

1. Sherwin Williams Alabaster
2. Sherwin Williams Greek Villa
3. Sherwin Williams Creamy
4. Sherwin Williams Snowbound
5. Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White 
6. Sherwin Williams Nebulous White

Moving on, here’s a list of Sherwin Williams Greens that go with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore – 

1. Sherwin Williams Liveable Green
2. Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
3. Sherwin Williams Clary Sage

Taupe, beige, and greige paint colors work amazingly well with SW Iron Ore! Here’s a list to have an eye on – 

1. Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige
2. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
3. Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
4. Sherwin Williams Alpaca
5. Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray

Here’s a list of Sherwin Williams Neutral gray paint colors that go with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore –

1. Sherwin Williams Cityscape
2. Sherwin Williams Tinsmith
3. Sherwin Williams Big Chill

What Trim Colors Go with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore?

When looking for trim paint colors for Sherwin Williams Iron Ore, choose whites with a neutral base. The sneaky blue, green, or gray undertones can further bring the undertones of Iron Ore color to notice. Hence, definitely a no-no! So, choose from the following colors to make a unique appeal in your room.

• Sherwin Williams Pure White

Sherwin Williams Pure White is a great trim color option for Sherwin Williams Iron Ore. This neutral clean white color has a soft and subtle look with a lack of undertones. It will further make the bold Iron Ore color look dark and dramatic. Use this combination for transitional, traditional, and modern farmhouse interior design styles.

• Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

On the contrary, SW High Reflective White is quite a clean, crisp, and neutral version for the trim paint color with SW Iron Ore. It’s a great fit for formal setups where this bright white will make your trims, ceiling, and crown molding protrude. This white color has an LRV of 93.

• Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace

BM Chantilly Lace is another clean and bright white paint that works wonderfully with Sherwin Williams Iron Ore paint color. In the case of traditional, classical, and modern farmhouse design styles – this trim color will never disappoint you! 

• Behr Ultra Pure White

Lightest and cleanest of them all, Behr Ultra Pure White is clean and bright white paint that makes the ceilings appear higher and your dull corners brighter. A must-recommend for SW Iron Ore paint color! 

• Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Of course yes! Sherwin Williams Iron Ore can be used on the trims, ceiling, and walls of a room for a modern contemporary and glam look. This bold and dramatic look of the room must be supplemented with ample and ample natural light.

Can I paint the walls, ceiling, and trims in SW Iron Ore? Well, Yes! 

Where to Use Sherwin Williams Iron Ore in Homes?

Like I said, Sherwin Williams Iron Ore can be used in any corner of your home! You just have to use it creatively to let this color shine high and bright. Here’s a list of real-time inspirations of SW Iron Ore to take ideas from.

Iron Ore Exterior Paint House

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