Black Fox (SW 7020) vs Iron Ore (SW 7069)
Quick decision
- Lighter
- Black Fox, LRV 7 vs 6.
- Warmer
- Black Fox (Lab b* 4.7 vs 1.2). Black Fox reads warm charcoal; Iron Ore reads neutral gray.
- North rooms
- Black Fox keeps more brightness (L* 27.2 vs 24.4 in north light); Iron Ore drifts less gray (chroma drop 0.0 vs 4.2).
- Trim that works
- Natural White SW 9542, #ECEBE8, LRV 83: the Sherwin-Williams white closest in hue to both.
- Closeness
- deltaE 4.8, noticeably different. At 4.8, test both: on a full wall the difference will show.
See each color
Black Fox (SW 7020) is about as light as Iron Ore (SW 7069) and warmer: LRV 7 vs 6, deltaE 4.8 (noticeably different).
Side by side
| Measure | Black Fox | Iron Ore | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Sherwin-Williams | Sherwin-Williams | |
| Color code | SW 7020 | SW 7069 | |
| Hex | #4F4842 | #434341 | |
| RGB | 79, 72, 66 | 67, 67, 65 | |
| HSL | 28°, 9%, 28% | 60°, 2%, 26% | |
| LRV (light reflectance value) | 7 | 6 | +1 |
| Lab L* | 31.1 | 28.4 | +2.7 |
| Lab a* | 1.8 | -0.4 | +2.2 |
| Lab b* | 4.7 | 1.2 | +3.5 |
| Undertone | Warm | Warm Charcoal | |
| Temperature | neutral | neutral | |
| Color family | Brown | Black |
Same paint, two kinds of light
Black Fox (SW 7020), published as #4F4842
#414041
#5D5042
Iron Ore (SW 7069), published as #434341
#343B3F
#524B41
These swatches and the rooms above are a simulation, not a measurement. How the visualizer works
Which should you pick
Rules of thumb computed from the LRV and Lab values in the table above; no room test was done.
- Pick Black Fox (SW 7020) for a small room or a north-facing room, because it is 1 LRV points lighter (7 vs 6), so it bounces back more of the limited light
- Pick Iron Ore (SW 7069) for a south-facing room, because its Lab b* is 1.2 against 4.7, so it is the cooler of the two and offsets warm direct sun
- Pick Black Fox (SW 7020) to warm a north-facing room, because it is the warmer of the two (Lab b* 4.7), which counters cool indirect light
Closest matches to Black Fox in other brands
Closest matches to Iron Ore in other brands
Common questions
- Is Black Fox the same color as Iron Ore?
- They are noticeably different: a CIEDE2000 difference of 4.8. Most people can see the difference between Black Fox and Iron Ore side by side.
- Which is lighter, Black Fox or Iron Ore?
- Black Fox, with an LRV of 7 against 6.
Full pages
Related comparisons
Sources: LRV and hex as published by the manufacturer, via PaintDB (CC BY 4.0). Color differences are CIEDE2000 values computed by this site from the hex values (data snapshot 2026-10-01). Color names and codes belong to their manufacturers.