Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain 2134-30: Paint Color Review

BENJAMIN MOORE IRON MOUNTAIN: an INTERESTING shade of gray (or IS it?)

When looking for the best dark paint color for your front door, exterior, trim or cabinets, you’ve probably come across Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain. More so than many of the other dark shades, Iron Mountain is a tough one to get a read on, which is why we’re taking a closer look at it via its very own color review…

BEFORE WE GET STARTED…

To show you RELATEABLE & REAL homes, I ONLY use photos from my Online Color Consulting clients. This means I don’t always have the quality photos I need or the RIGHT photos but have some SUPER helpful info to help you on your way!

What type of paint color is Iron Mountain? Is it warm or cool?

Iron Mountain is a WARM GRAY paint color with very subtle undertones, suited to walls, exteriors, cabinets and trim!

One reason why Iron Mountain confuses people is that if you look ABOVE it on its color strip (in the fan deck or in-store), you’ll see lighter shades of gray, like Gull Wing Gray and Whitestone. However, go UNDERNEATH Iron Mountain, and you’ll see super dark mahogany BROWN-inspired colors like Midsummer Night and Night Horizon!

While Iron Mountain tries to straddle both the warm and cool worlds, give it the right environment, and that wink of warm brown peeks through!

And here’s that warmth now…

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What’s the LRV of Iron Mountain?

Iron Mountain has an LRV of 9. And even though it’s often referred to as a ‘soft black paint color’, it’s too light to be that. Sure, it’s DARK, but it’s not so dark that it will act like black. Iron Mountain would need to be approx three+ LRV points lower to be black.

If you have a dark room, the LRV of Iron Mountain helps it rise a bit, stopping it from looking dark and sharp. However, with its LIMITED undertones/degree of color or chroma, don’t expect any screamin’ glory.

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What are Iron Mountain’s undertones?

Benjamin Moore’s Iron Mountain might look like a dark gray paint color, but a wee touch of brown is in there, giving Iron Mountain a very vague warmth. And while in the ODD light, you might catch a flash of violet undertone; it’s fractional at best.

What’s the best way to sample Iron Mountain?

Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out soon to grab paint samples – stop there! Please check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel-and-stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…

• samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1 DAY, depending on the location

• they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling

• if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room

Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE

What’s the best white paint color for my trim with Iron Mountain walls or siding?

Iron Mountain is reasonably flexible regarding its fave white paint colors, including Sherwin Williams Pure White and Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.

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Is Iron Mountain a good exterior paint color for my siding, stucco or brick?

Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain is a gorgeous exterior paint color (as shown earlier). Keep in mind that it could look WARMER than you expect, with that lovely brown rising to the occasion. Iron Mountain looks particularly nice up against black windows, whether they have white trim between them or not.

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Is Iron Mountain a popular color for kitchen cabinets?

While I wouldn’t paint an entire kitchen Iron Mountain, it’s an interesting choice for an island, especially with some of the older-style granite countertops that have colors like this in them. Long story short, no, Iron Mountain isn’t popular for cabinets, as there are far more popular colors for kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.

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Which paint colors are similar to Iron Mountain?

Sherwin William’s Peppercorn and Iron Mountain are very similar in their intentions. However, there are ALWAYS shifts in undertones, as no two colors are created equal! Sample and compare both to see which best suits your project.

Which paint colors look good with Iron Mountain?

If you’re wanting colors that go with Iron Mountain, it’s a BIT fussy due to its very subtle, passive warmth. Here are some ideas to get you started…

• soft and subtle warm whites or true whites
• avoid shades of blue-green, (as colors or undertones)
• try some subtle warm gray paint colors, but avoid obvious green undertones (lean into violet)
• fun and funky green paint colors can look wicked pretty with Iron Mountain (i.e. Iron Mountain siding, green front door)

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Not sure which paint color is best for YOUR home?

Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!

Chat soon,