If you’ve been on the hunt for the perfect accent color for your home, then we can almost guarantee that you’ve come across Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams.
The brand is known for its high quality paint colors, and this charcoal color released by the company is no exception.
There are lots of things to think about when choosing the right accent color for your home, including its undertones, and in which rooms you’d like to place the paint.
This is especially important if you’re planning on choosing a darker color like Iron Ore.
Don’t worry though, because we’ve got you covered. Below we’ve compiled a list of all the different aspects you’ll need to take in consideration before going ahead and purchasing the color Iron Ore. Keep reading to find out more.
What Color Is Iron Ore By Sherwin Williams?
For those of you who are taking a look at the color for the first time, you may be inclined to think that Iron Ore is indeed black.
You wouldn’t be completely mistaken for thinking this, as it does belong to the black family of paint colors produced by the brand.
There is however, a distinctive difference between this paint color, and some of the other black variations on the market. The key difference is that Iron Ore has far more color gradients than a true black.
This means that in certain lighting conditions, Iron Ore can appear to be a dark gray rather than a black.
It all truly depends on what you’re pairing the color with. If you were, for example, to pair Iron Ore with a true white color, then it would take on a black appearance.
If however, you were to pair it with a beige, it could begin to look a bit more grayish.
What Are The Undertones Of Iron Ore By Sherwin Williams?
This is probably one of the most important questions regarding any accent paint color, but is something that many people neglect to consider.
If you want to find out whether Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams might be a good fit for your home, first you need to consider what the undertones of the paint color are.
As we mentioned briefly above, the chief undertones of Iron Ore are a rich, grayish color. In certain lighting, the color is more of a true charcoal than a black. It’s far more creamy looking than pure black paint shades.
Because it’s such a neutral color, it pairs incredibly well with a variety of different paint colors, as you can paint it alongside either warm or cool colors, and it’s guaranteed to work with both.
How Does Iron Ore By Sherwin Williams Compare To Other Paint Colors?
If you’re choosing a black color for your home, then it’s important that you choose the right shade in order to achieve the look that you’re going for.
There are so many different colors of black on the market today, that it can be difficult to know where to begin. Below, we’ve compared Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams with some other similar paint colors on the market.
Iron Ore And Peppercorn
First of all, let’s compare another black color produced by the brand Sherwin Williams. The color Peppercorn may initially seem incredibly similar to Iron Ore, but there are some key differences.
Iron Ore and Peppercorn appear to be so similar primarily because they have the same undertones to one another.
Upon closer inspection, you will however notice that Peppercorn is slightly lighter than Iron Ore, so if you’re looking for a lighter charcoal, perhaps this may be a better choice for you.
If we take a closer look at the reflective values, which can tell us more about the shade of the paint, Iron Ore has a reflective value of 6, and Peppercorn has a reflective value of 10.
This is quite a significant difference, and shows that Peppercorn is a great deal lighter than Iron Ore.
Iron Ore And Tricorn Black
Another black color that you’ll notice on the Sherwin Williams website that appears to be quite similar to Iron Ore, is Tricorn Black.
Tricorn Black is an incredibly popular color sold on the website, with many customers using it for accents within their homes.
On the reflective value scale, Tricorn Black ranks at 3, which makes it three shades darker than Sherwin Williams. Tricorn Black is far darker, but still not quite black, which is great if this is the look that you’re going for.
Tricorn Black, because of its darker shade, actually works really well when paired with grayish colors, this is because of the neutral base that the color boasts.
Iron Ore And Wrought Iron
Now let’s take a look at another black based paint color produced by another popular paint brand called Benjamin Moore.
Benjamin Moore have produced a paint color called Wrought Iron, which is only a few notches lighter than Iron Ore on the light reflective scale.
If you feel that Iron Ore is just a little too dark for your liking, consider this paint color instead.
Some Helpful Tips When Choosing Iron Ore By Sherwin Williams
If you’ve decided that you’d like to go ahead and choose Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams for your home, there are a few things that you should consider first before committing.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of some helpful tips that you should follow if you decide on Iron Ore as your black paint color of choice.
Buy A Sample
We would recommend purchasing a color sample for any paint color that you decide to use for your home, but with such a dark color such as Iron Ore, it’s especially important to do so.
Make sure that when you’re purchasing a paint sample, that you don’t buy a copied version from a different retailer, but one sold directly from their website. These will all be premixed to help you to achieve the perfect color you need for your home.
Check Out The Light Reflective Value
When you’re purchasing a new paint color, it’s always a good idea to find out the light reflective value. If you’re not familiar with this system, it’s a means of determining how light or dark a paint color is, based on a scaling system.
For example, black ranks 1 on the light reflective value, and white ranks at 100. You’ll be able to determine where your perfect paint color falls based on this gradient.
As we mentioned previously above, Iron Ore has a reflective value of 6, so use this as a reference point when comparing it to different charcoal or black shades.
Asses Your Light Situation
Another important thing you should always take care to do before painting one of your rooms a specific color, is assess the light situation.
As we previously mentioned, the undertone of a paint can come through in different lights, making it appear different.
For example, if you were to put Iron Ore in a well lit living room, with lots of windows streaming in sunlight, then it would probably appear more of a grayish, light black color.
If however, you were to put Iron Ore in a darker room, with artificial light, such as a study, it might appear to look like more of a true black.
It’s up to you which accents you’d like to bring out in the paint, and this will all be dependent on where you choose to use it.
This is why it’s so important to heed our earlier advice, and pick up a sample pot from their website, then you’ll be able to try it out in different rooms to see if it works.
Where Can I Put Iron Ore By Sherwin Williams?
If you’re looking for somewhere where you can put Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams in your home, we’ve got a few ideas.
Charcoal and black have been incredibly popular choices for homes in recent years, giving rooms an incredibly modern and stylish appearance. It can work well both in larger homes, and smaller apartment areas.
Some of the best choices for putting a charcoal black in your home are the bathroom, bedroom, living room, and kitchen.
As long as the area that you’re applying the paint on isn’t too dark, and is in an otherwise spacious and bright room, it can really make your walls pop. Choose rooms located in the western, south eastern, and eastern areas of your home for the best effect.
If you choose a room located in the northern portion of your home, you could risk it looking too dark and dowdy.
Make sure that after you’ve painted your wall the desired shade of black or charcoal, that you cover it with a semi gloss finish, in order to get the very best results.
Final Thoughts
Iron ore by Sherwin Williams is truly a versatile color. It can be used for a whole host of different rooms including the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
It works well as an accent color, and can be paired with both warm tones like beige, and cooler tones like pure white. Make sure that you purchase a sample from the website, as the color can appear different in contrasting light situations.
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