Hippopotamus vs Iron Ore
Hippopotamus (PPG) and Iron Ore (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. These are both greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within grey to land. The 34-point LRV gap — 40 for Hippopotamus vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Hippopotamus will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 40.9 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.
Hippopotamus vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Hippopotamus 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
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. Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus 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 Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus 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 Hippopotamus will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Iron Ore would.
Patio
Exterior colors look different in open light — both tend to read lighter outside than on an interior swatch, and shadows read more strongly. The LRV gap is large enough that Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus 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. Hippopotamus reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Hippopotamus vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Hippopotamus 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 Hippopotamus comparisons
See how Hippopotamus stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 40, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hippopotamus reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 12-point LRV gap (52 vs 40) makes Mizzle the marginally brighter of the two.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 40, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 27, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hippopotamus reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 40, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 13, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (44 vs 40) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 40), opening up a space where Hippopotamus encloses it.
Hippopotamus reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 40, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 40, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 40, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reads slightly lighter (LRV 51 vs 40), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 40 vs 8, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 40, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 41 and 40, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 40 vs 12, Hippopotamus is decisively the brighter choice.
A 5-point LRV gap (45 vs 40) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Hippopotamus reads slightly lighter (LRV 40 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hippopotamus reflects far more light (LRV 40 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.