Are you looking for a deep, dramatic paint color to add to your home? Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams (SW 7069) might be the perfect color! This near-black charcoal has been a favorite for interiors and exteriors over the last few years for good reason. It’s versatile, modern, and pairs well with a wide range of coordinating colors and finishes.
In this post, I’ll share with you everything you need to know about Sherwin Williams Iron Ore: its undertones, where to use it, coordinating colors, and real-life examples of Iron Ore!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, you can find more information in my disclosures here.
What color is Iron Ore?
Iron Ore is a cool and deep charcoal. Even though Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams is not a black paint color, it can be perceived as a soft black depending on the setting. You can see the difference when you compare Iron Ore to black:
What is the LRV of Iron Ore?
LRV measures the percentage of light a paint color reflects. It’s measured on a scale from zero (absolute black and absorbing all light and heat) to one hundred (pure white and reflecting all light).
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore has an LRV of 6. In the paint world, and LRV doesn’t really exist and the darkest color options come in at around 2.5. That means that Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams is a pretty dark color.
It’s recommended to use Iron Ore sparingly in well-lit spaces or on exteriors.
I have some beautiful examples of it below!
What undertones does Iron Ore have?
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore has slightly green undertones depending on the lighting, surrounding elements and the paint sheen.
What paint colors go well with Iron Ore?
You can combine Iron Ore with a lot of different colors, here are some great coordinating options recommended by Sherwin Williams:
- Nebulous White (SW 7063)
- Extra White (SW 7006)
- Cityscape (SW 7067)
Here are a few other coordinating colors for Iron Ore:
- Pure White (SW 7005)
- Alabaster (SW 7008)
- Agreeable Gray (SW 7029)
- Accessible Beige (SW 7036)
- Coral Clay (SW 9005)
- Pottery Urn (SW 7715)
You can order easy peel & stick paint samples here if you’d like to try any of them.
Iron Ore also pairs beautifully with medium to dark wood tones. Examples are wood trim on the exterior of your house or furniture and home decor.
Where to use Iron Ore
Iron Ore is a popular option for a lot of different spaces such as:
- Exteriors like modern farmhouse siding and garage doors
- Accent walls in dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms
- Kitchen cabinets and built ins in offices or mudrooms
- Doors and trim
I’ll share some beautiful examples of each of these below!
What’s the best white trim color with Iron Ore?
The best white trim colors for Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams are Extra White or Pure White.
Extra White will give you a nice crisp and high-contrast trim, while Pure White would be a more balanced option:
Pure White is a great neutral paint color. It has very few undertones so it goes well with a lot of different colors. I used it on our painted kitchen cabinets and our shiplap barn door!
You can order peel & stick samples of each of these white paint colors here!
Iron Ore real life examples
I find it so helpful to see paint colors used in real life! Here are the most beautiful examples of Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams:
Iron Ore interiors
Let’s start with some examples of Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams used on interiors:
Iron Ore kitchen cabinets
Take a look at this beautiful kitchen! I think the Iron Ore kitchen cabinets go so well with the wood accents throughout, the backsplash and the neutral countertop in this kitchen:
Iron Ore kitchen island and cabinets
Here is another example of Iron Ore kitchen cabinets! I love the dark cabinets combined with the unique roman shade and pendants above the big kitchen island:
Iron Ore cabinets in a scullery
This picture stopped me right in my tracks. Isn’t this scullery gorgeous? The Iron Ore cabinets combined with the unique backsplash that goes all the way to the ceiling and the dark counters along with the wood floors create such a beautiful space:
Iron Ore powder room
Take a look at this beautiful powder room! I love that the walls and door are both painted Iron Ore:
Iron Ore mudroom
Another great space to consider Iron Ore for is a mudroom. I love how this mudroom combines the tall Iron Ore cabinets with a wooden bench and checkered floors. The baskets and pillows at the perfect amount of warmth. It’s such a beautiful space!
Iron Ore office built ins
Take a look at these beautiful Iron Ore built ins! You can see here that depending on the light, Iron Ore can appear lighter and more charcoal than black. I love how these built ins look:
Did you notice that in all of these interior examples the rest of the surroundings had a neutral paint color?
Iron Ore exteriors
Here are some examples of Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams used on exterior paint projects:
Iron Ore cottage on a hilltop
This modern cottage with its Iron Ore siding turned out amazing! I love the combination of the dark siding with the wood on the outside and the black windows:
You can even stay at this modern cottage!
Iron Ore cabin
This cabin is another great example of how you can combine Iron Ore with wood accents. Doesn’t this cottage look so cozy and beautiful?
Note how much lighter Iron Ore looks here based on the lighting and surroundings!
Colors that compare to Iron Ore
There are a few other similar colors you may want to consider in addition to Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams. These colors are often compared to Iron Ore:
- Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black (SW 6258): Tricorn Black is as close to a true, neutral black with no undertones as it gets. When you compare Iron Ore vs Tricorn Black, Iron Ore is softer and less stark. Tricorn Black has an LRV slightly below 3, which also makes it darker than Iron Ore.
- Sherwin Williams Peppercorn (SW 7674): Peppercorn is a dark gray. When you compare Iron Ore vs Peppercorn, Peppercorn tends to show slightly lighter with an LRV of 10. It’s also less vivid than Iron Ore.
- Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10: When you compare Iron Ore vs Wrought Iron, they are very similar. However, Wrought Iron is slightly lighter at an LRV of a little over 8 and also has blue/purple undertones as opposed to the greenish undertones of Iron Ore. It’s a great color to sample if you’re already considering Iron Ore!
If you want to take a look at these colors in your own space, you can order peel & stick samples of each of these paint colors here!
Will you try Iron Ore in your home?
I hope you found this paint color review of Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams helpful! Iron Ore Sherwin Williams is a great choice if you’re looking for a bold and rich, charcoal-black.
Let me know in the comments if you end up using it in your home!
Tina
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