Cult favorite colors Alabaster and Iron Ore are popular for a reason, but is it too much of a good thing to use them together?
Here we will see inspiration from several rooms that show Alabaster and Iron Ore are a winning combination!
Alabaster and Iron Ore Undertones
Before we begin, I think it’s important to note that Iron Ore is not a black paint color, but rather a deep charcoal, and Alabaster is closer to an off white than a bright white.
Iron Ore most often appears as a charcoal with a slightly blue undertone, but it can range in appearance from a true gray to a slightly olivey color.
Alabaster most often appears as a neutral creamy white with a slight beige undertone, but it can range in appearance from true white to a slightly yellow off-white.
Alabaster and Iron Ore Together in Real Homes
If you are trying to choose a black and white color scheme, these two would not be the move. You could consider them as a softer alternative.
First up we have an Alabaster kitchen with Iron Ore on the hutch. Ashlea (@ashalaineeubanks) used Alabaster for both the walls and the other cabinets.
I just have this one photo and it’s not the crispest, so I ran it through an upgrading tool to improve the quality a little (that’s why it looks a little artificial):
Since Alabaster is the only white, you can see that it looks pretty white in this space! (More on that in my post about Alabaster’s undertones.)
In this next room the desk and cabinets are Iron Ore, and the walls and ceiling are a soft white that is close to Alabaster.
Stephanie (@frommhouselove) made this desk for a family member and the walls were already painted, so we can’t say for sure what the color is.
Here is Iron Ore on a kitchen wall with creamy white cabinets that look like Alabaster to me:
Now let’s take a look at a couple more kitchens, but this time I have adjusted the colors a little:
In this kitchen by @love.where.you.live.interiors the upper cabinets are Dover White, which is similar to Alabaster, but a little darker and creamier, so I have adjusted the top part of the photo to be a little lighter and more neutral.
(You can see a full comparison in my post Sherwin Williams Alabaster vs Dover White)
Here is another look where you can see the original color on the left side. This is very much how Alabaster and Iron Ore will look together.
And one more, where the lighting is very warm:
In this next kitchen the colors are actually Sherwin Williams Creamy and Cyberspace, which are pretty comparable to Alabaster and Iron Ore:
Because the lighting is so far from scientific, I actually think these photos look very close without being adjusted:
If you wanted to be picky, you might try imagining the contrast to be a tiny bit more from the upper cabinets to lower.
Here you can see that the lower cabinets are a little more blue than Iron Ore, but the uppers look about how Alabaster would look in artificial light (in my opinion):
Here is one more:
Finally let’s take a look at how Iron Ore and Alabaster will look on regular walls. Here we see the real deal Iron Ore with the creamy white of Benjamin Moore White Dove.
White Dove typically has a stronger peach undertone where Alabaster leans slightly more yellow, but you can see that for our purposes they are close enough:
Especially here in Tara’s house, the color is quite undertone-less. (If you do want to see how they compare, check out my post: Alabaster vs White Dove)
You can see that the color combination of Iron Ore and the creamy white o faux Alabaster works very well together!
Here we have a bathroom, where the white is actually White Dove as well (whomp whomp):
But again, it looks very close and is good enough in this context! The vanity is SW Dorian Gray.
I hope that this helped you decide if this combination is the right one for you! Personally I do like the combination and I think it works anywhere from walls to cabinets, and even for exteriors!
Not sure? You may also like these other posts: