Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron vs. Cheating Heart: Paint Color Review
The two best, darkest blues on the market
Are you looking for a striking, navy blue-inspired paint color? You’ve come to the right place, as I’ve got the blue hues for you.
But before you go slappin’ paint on your walls, cabinets, or any paintable surface (bodies included), you need to learn about these two colors to see which is best for your project or if there might be a better option based on what you learn.
WHAT TYPE OF COLORS ARE CHEATING HEART & WROUGHT IRON?
Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart are navy blue-inspired colors.
Why ‘inspired’?
Well, some navy blues are obvious in their intentions – they’re blue (we’ll talk about some shortly). Cheating Heart and Wrought Iron wink at navy, like giving a ‘swipe right’ on Tinder without going on a date.
That’s right. If you’re looking for a more legit shade of navy blue, you won’t find it in this blog post – or you will when we make comparisons shortly, but that’s not really what this blog post is about.
Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart built-ins with Sherwin Williams Pure White
WHAT ARE THEIR LRVS?
Wrought Iron has an LRV of 8.17, which makes it a dark paint color that nods pretty hard at the black world. In fact, you could call Wrought Iron a soft black with blue undertones.
As for Cheating Heart, it has a similar depth with its LRV of 8.79. However, it has more color or ‘chroma’ than Wrought Iron, making it look lighter and less black in many situations.
Wrought Iron is the perfect choice for this lovely home with painted brick (Romabio) and a bright teal front door…
If you have a bright room or if your cabinets or walls get a hit of light here and there, it will be easier to see the blue of these colors rise. This increase in color happens more so in Cheating Heart than in Wrought Iron. However, if you have a dark room, both Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart will look blackish – they need light to come to life.
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Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron with pink-toned brick
Not sure what LRV is? It could save your paint-lovin’ life – read all about it HERE.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron | The Best White Quartz Countertops
WHAT ARE THEIR UNDERTONES?
Not all blues are created equal. And while there are variations in depth and intensity, one big defining factor between blues is their UNDERTONES. Blue tends to lean blue-green or blue-violet. Sure, the odd one reads more or less neutral, but they aren’t as common.
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Wrought Iron is a blue-violet. However, to call it a ‘color’ is a stretch, as its dark charcoal-gray (blackish) base cuts its color back considerably. Cheating Heart is also a blue-violet but is more committed to blue than Wrought Iron and less purple.
Long story short, of the two, Cheating Heart looks more like blue.
If you have some natural or artificial light, both of these colors have the potential to look like muted navy blues (Cheating Heart, more so than Wrought Iron), depending on your perception.
Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart
Made with two coats of REAL PAINT – 1 DAY delivery!
Get your SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK SAMPLE of both colors!
WHAT’S THE BEST WHITE TRIM OR CABINET COLOR WITH THEM?
When it comes to Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart, there aren’t many whites you can’t do. While I wouldn’t go too creamy-yellow, a soft, warm white can complement their cool tone while still providing contrast. On the other hand, if you prefer a crisp, clean look, a brighter white will do a better job.
Benjamin Moore White Dove trim and walls | Graystone board and batten
Here’s a short list of my favorite whites with these two shades…
- Sherwin Williams Pure White
- Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
- Sherwin Williams Extra White
- Sherwin Williams High Reflective White
ARE CHEATING HEART & WROUGHT IRON GOOD CABINET COLORS?
Whether you’re painting your kitchen cabinets, island, bathroom vanity, or built-in cabinets, HECK TO THE YES! Of course, they must suit the surrounding finishes, but as long as they do, they’re beautiful choices.
My next Online Color Consulting client was tired of her cherry red, stained maple cabinets…
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Wrought Iron provided the perfect update without being as harsh and sharp as black. It also looks pretty rad with the black and white checkerboard tile floor!
This next cabinet is topped with an affordable laminate countertop and finished with Cheating Heart…
Of the two, I refer to Cheating Heart more than Wrought Iron because the blue shows up more to the party, especially if the kitchen isn’t SUPER well-lit.
ARE THEY GOOD EXTERIOR COLORS?
As far as shutters, front doors, and garage doors go, Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart can be stunning choices for the exterior of your home. They accent a home’s exterior finishes (brick, stone, roof, or siding color) without overwhelming them with too much color as some navy blues can.
Here’s Cheating Heart, looking to accent the soft brick and concrete ledge on this exterior…
As for this next home, the yellow and black weren’t doing anything for the gorgeous brick, as it was too harsh, and the yellow clashed with the brick and mortar…
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After, everything looks updated with a fresh new trim color and Wrought Iron shutters via my Online Color Consulting…
As for the siding on your home, Wrought Iron and Cheating Heart can look amazeballs if you’re going for a strong, striking look. Remember that dark colors absorb more sun and can fade out faster than lighter colors. Also, note that navy blue can appear a wink more on an exterior.
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Both colors are particularly gorgeous on front doors, as they create a focal point and impact without the sharpness of black.
Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart
WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO CHEATING HEART & WROUGHT IRON
These two are tough nuts, especially as they relate to similar shades in Sherwin Williams. Sadly, there aren’t any that are even close. As for Benjamin Moore’s line of paint, there are several worth sampling and comparing (and one GOOD Sherwin Williams one).
- Sherwin Williams Cyberspace has a beautiful navy blue approach. While it’s more blue than Cheating Heart and Wrought Iron, as far as ‘navy blue’ goes, it’s reasonably toned down. This is Sherwin William’s best shot at it.
- Benjamin Moore’s Deep Space is a stunner if you want a bit more blue without going over the top. It’s most similar to Cheating Heart.
- Benjamin Moore’s French Beret is just a TINY touch more lively than Cheating Heart and definitely more so than Wrought Iron.
- Benjamin Moore’s Raccoon Fur is similar to Wrought Iron but has more of a blue-violet, inky look.
- If you’re unsure if a blue undertone is what you want, check out Sherwin Williams Iron Ore – a soft black that leans slightly green rather than blue.
The 13 Best DARK Navy Blue Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Raccoon Fur as a striking accent wall
Sherwin Williams Cyberspace painted island with Pure White cabinets
WHAT COLORS LOOK GOOD IN A COLOR PALETTE?
You won’t find many limits when partnering with Wrought Iron or Cheating Heart with other paint colors, for example…
- Light, soft gray like Benjamin Moore Collingwood and Balboa Mist (violet undertones)
- Almost any shade of taupe, including lighter shades like Benjamin Moore Pale Oak.
- Muted warm grays and greiges with earthy green undertones like Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
- Tons of subtle, off-white paint colors
- They can look good in a palette with light to medium or even dark shades of green, but not necessarily in the same room.
And SO much more.
READ MORE
The Best Dark Blue & Green Paint Colors
The Best Dark Gray-Blue Paint Colors
The 13 Best DARK Navy Blue Paint Colors
Need help?
Check out my Online Paint Color Consulting – I’d love to help!
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN 2020, UPDATED IN 2025
I love BM Chelsea gray! I’m struggling with what color exterior light to use on it… black or bronze?
Kylie – Is it ok to use either of these dark shades to modernize a home office/library with casing and trims?
Great colors I’ve never explored! Thanks for the introduction! I love the trim color you chose to compliment the Wrought Iron shutters on the brick home. Can you share that color? Thanks!!
Oooo, I’m pretty sure that was Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray or Dorian Gray 🙂
Kylie – I haven’t been able to find a review from you, or anywhere else, on BM Gravel Gray. Thinking of it for a kitchen Island. I think it might be similar to BM Wrought Iron and Cheating heart, but wonder what differences. Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hey Ms. Sunshine! The BIG difference you’ll find with Gravel Gray is its saturation – it comes up more BLUE than the other two. So, if you want a bit more COLOR than Cheating Heart and Wrought Iron, Gravel Gray could do the trick!
Hi Kylie- I just had my siding done and having a hard time picking a front door color. The siding color is called Slate- like a dark blue/gray. Would cheating heart or wrought iron be a good choice for the front door? I have white trim and white garage doors that also face the front of the house. Do I paint the garage door the same as the front door? I’m torn! Please help 🙂
Oh boy, it would be tough to say without seeing your home and the exact nature of Slate! Off the TOP, I say yes, as long as these colors are a GOOD TWO TONES darker than your siding and the undertones overall jibe.