Graphite vs Iron Ore
Graphite is a Cloverdale Paint color while Iron Ore comes from Sherwin-Williams. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. At LRV 19 vs 6, Graphite will read as the brighter of the two — a 14-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. At ΔE 22.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Graphite vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Graphite 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Graphite returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Graphite will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Kitchen
Kitchen lighting tends to be bright and directional, which sharpens contrast and makes undertone differences more apparent. The LRV gap is large enough that Graphite will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Dining Room
Dining room light is typically the warmest in the house, which shifts both colors toward the red end of the spectrum compared to daylight. Graphite reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Graphite vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Graphite 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 Graphite comparisons
See how Graphite stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 19, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (30 vs 19) makes Evergreen Fog the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 19, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 19), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 19, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 19, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
Graphite reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Graphite reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
Graphite reads slightly lighter (LRV 19 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 19), opening up a space where Graphite encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 19, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 19 vs 7, Graphite is decisively the brighter choice.