Steely Gaze vs Iron Ore
Steely Gaze (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 54-point LRV gap — 60 for Steely Gaze vs 6 for Iron Ore — means Steely Gaze will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 53.7 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.
Steely Gaze vs Iron Ore in Real Spaces
10 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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 Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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 Steely Gaze 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 Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze 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. Steely Gaze reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Iron Ore.
Color Details
Steely Gaze vs Iron Ore Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steely Gaze 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 Steely Gaze comparisons
See how Steely Gaze stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 9-point LRV gap (69 vs 60) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes Steely Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 60 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 43, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 4, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 60, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Steely Gaze encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Steely Gaze the marginally brighter of the two.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 41, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Steely Gaze reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Steely Gaze is decisively the brighter choice.