Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10: Paint Color Review

Dark colors will always have a place in our homes, even if it’s just on cabinets or accents. And that’s why it’s important to pick the best ones for your decor. One such color is Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron 2124-10.

If you’ve ever researched black or dark paint colors to use, Wrought Iron must have featured in more than one result. It is one of Benjamin Moore’s best-selling paint colors and for good reason. And if the color is on your radar, you’ve made the right choice.

Let’s see what Wrought Iron has to offer, including its undertone, LRV, possible color palettes, and how best to use it. I’m excited to reveal its beauty and get you to love it as much as I do.

When to Choose Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron

You may be wondering, “What is there to love about such a dark color?” The truth is that Wrought Iron looks great on just about anything and in any room as long as you use it minimally. I’ll get to that in a bit, but here are some ideas on using the paint color well.

New island color

Islands and cabinets in kitchens love dark colors, especially if the walls are white or another light color. Black is versatile, which is why Wrought Iron is one of the best colors to use on the island, even if the cabinets are light-colored.

Living room accent

Feature walls or accents in your living room can use a bit of love. If you’re bold, Wrought Iron can make a difference in the room, accentuating other colors because of its peculiar shade. You can even use it on a portion of the ceiling if the rest of the room is a light-neutral scheme.

Bathroom redesign

As with the kitchen island, Wrought Iron can make a bright and light-themed bathroom look amazing if used on the vanity. It’s a touch of versatility that draws attention.

Outdoor decor

Because it’s dark, Wrought Iron loves color, so using it on your front door or window frames outside the house brings out its true beauty.

These ideas are only the beginning of what you can do with Wrought Iron. And like I said, there’s a reason it’s popular, even among interior designers and experts. Let’s dive further into this color to see what else it has to offer.

What Color Is Wrought Iron?

The name is not strange; wrought iron is a type of soft iron alloy, ductile and fibrous, with minimal carbon content, about 0.05%. It is made from a semi-fused and pure iron mass with inclusions of slag that make it look like it has ‘grain’ like wood.

The grain is usually obvious when the iron is bent or twisted to make furniture, gates, handrails, fences, and other items.

The color is typically a soft black unless painted, which is where the paint color gets its name. Here’s a quick look at what a typical wrought iron looks like to give you an idea:

Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron 2124-10 is a soft black paint color that reminds you of deep charcoal. It is malleable, so you can use it anywhere, even in bedrooms and nurseries.

A Snapshot of the Specifications of Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron

Let’s explore various aspects and characteristics of Wrought Iron that make it unique. These characteristics also apply to all paint colors, but they are different for each color. These include the LRV and undertone.

	Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
RGB	73, 74, 75
LRV	8.17
Undertone	Gray, blue
HEX Code	#494A4B

 

The LRV of Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron

LRV means light reflectance value and refers to how much light any color reflects in or throws back into a room. The measurement is on a scale of 0 to 100, 0 being for the darkest color and 100 being for the brightest color.

In other words, pure white has an LRV of 100, while pure black has an LRV of 0. But paint colors use a slightly different scale, 2.5 to 94, because there are no true white or black paint colors.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron has an LRV of 8.17, which is pretty close to the darkest end of the scale. This means the paint color is truly dark and reflects only a little light. Therefore, use it with a lot of lighting, particularly natural light.

The Undertone of Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron

Undertones are significant to how you can use any paint color, regardless of how dark it is. Every paint color has an undertone; some simply show it quicker than others. Wrought Iron has gray and navy blue undertones, and these colors soften it, keeping it from being a jarring black.

This is the elegant Wrought Iron as it should be, without any visible undertones.

You can see the color on the island looks like navy blue instead of black, and that’s Wrought Irn showing its blue undertone.

Here, Wrought Iron looks more like a charcoal paint color than a soft black or navy blue.

How Does Lighting Affect Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron?

Every paint color can take on a different look or appearance when exposed to certain lighting conditions. Wrought Iron can reveal more of its undertones if the lighting is right. In this next photo, the warm natural lighting keeps Wrought Iron in its true state: a soft black.

Direct sunlight does wonders to paint colors, but it’s also ideal for the decor that you check how the chosen color appears under other lighting conditions. When the lighting is cool or not very warm, like a north-facing or east-facing room, Wrought Iron may look darker than usual.

In warm artificial lighting, Wrought Iron looks dark, smooth, and slightly blue.

In cooler light, the color looks somber and dark without losing its softness.

How Does Wrought Iron Feel in a Room?

It’s a regal and sophisticated color, without the harshness attributed to black or other dark colors. It makes a room feel complete and elegant and doesn’t overwhelm other colors. You may want to use it as a whole-room color, but it depends on your style.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron: Warm or Cool?

Wrought Iron is a warm color, although it has gray and blue in it. However, it’s not overly warm, which means it is a balanced color. Its undertones make it easy to pair with blues, greens, yellows, browns, whites, grays, and just about any other color in various shades.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Color Strip: Lighter to Darker Exploration

If you find that Wrought Iron is not the exact shade you want, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve carefully picked other colors, from light to dark, in the same color strip to give you options.

• Benjamin Moore Bunny Gray 2124-50
• Benjamin Moore Thundercloud Gray 2124-40
• Benjamin Moore Deep Silver 2124-30
• Benjamin Moore Trout Gray 2124-20
• Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron 2124-10

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Complementary Color

Every color has another color that complements it, which is the color directly opposite it on the color wheel. Complementary colors bring out the vibrance in each other, which may make them look jarring at first but only prove they can work well together.

Wrought Iron is a neutral paint color for the most part, so it typically should not appear on the color wheel. However, the other colors in Wrought Iron make it less of a true gray, which means you can find its complementary color.

It is a shade pretty similar to Wrought Iron but looks a little like dark brown. Benjamin Moore’s Nightfall 1596 is close to this color, but you can also try Sherwin Williams Rock Bottom SW 7062 for something different.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Coordinating Colors

Wrought Iron has several coordinating colors, including Wedgewood Gray, White Ice, and Jack O’Lantern. These colors pair well with Wrought Iron in a seamless and flowing fashion, creating a pleasing appearance in any decor or color scheme.

• Benjamin Moore Wedgewood Gray HC-146: A beautiful blend of blue and gray with a little green for versatility, making it a perfect complement to Wrought Iron.
• Benjamin Moore White Ice OC-58: A bright white paint color with just a hint of blue for a bit of color, making it ideal for the trim when you use Wrought Iron.
• Benjamin Moore Jack O’Lantern 2156-30: A bright pumpkin color that adds a sparkle to the room when you use Wrought Iron.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Color Palettes

The following are some color palettes that work well with Wrought Iron. You can always remove and replace colors to fit the particular color scheme you have in mind.

Contrasting Color Palette

• White Cloud 2159-70: This paint color has beige undertones, making it warm and ideal for the trim if the walls are Wrought Iron.
• Whitestone 2134-60: A light gray paint color with a blue undertone that adds fresh crispiness to the decor because of its similarities to Wrought Iron.
• Light Pistachio 2034-60: An unusually bright green paint color toned down by the gray tones in it making it perfect for Wrought Iron to bring a splash of color.

Monochromatic Color Palette

• Deep Silver 2124-30: A relatively dark gray paint color with the barest hint of blue that matches it with Wrought Iron.
• Thundercloud Gray 2124-40: A much lighter shade of Wrought Iron that adds a little brightness to the decor without being too bright.
• Bunny Gray 2124-50: A soft gray paint color with a blue undertone that makes it cool and mellow, ideal for pairing with the dark Wrought Iron.

Coordinating Color Palette

• Wedgewood Gray HC-146: A beautiful blend of blue and gray with a little green for versatility, making it a perfect complement to Wrought Iron.
• White Ice OC-58: A bright white paint color with just a hint of blue for a bit of color, making it ideal for the trim when you use Wrought Iron.
• Jack O’Lantern 2156-30: A bright pumpkin color that adds a sparkle to the room when you use Wrought Iron.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron vs Similar Colors

Let’s compare Wrought Iron to similar colors and see how it holds up. They may offer other alternatives for dark colors if you want options.

BM Raccoon Fur vs BM Wrought Iron

Raccoon Fur is only a smidge lighter than Wrought Iron, with an LRV of 8.28. Both paint colors have the same navy undertone, which makes them interchangeable.

BM Graphite vs BM Wrought Iron

Graphite is one of the darkest shades of gray, with an LRV of 7.59, making it darker than Wrought Iron.

BM Cheating Heart vs BM Wrought Iron

With its blue undertone and similar LRV, Cheating Heart bears a startling resemblance to Wrought Iron.

BM Midnight Oil vs BM Wrought Iron

Midnight Oil is supposed to be blue, but a healthy dose of black makes it a black paint color. It has a lower LRV than Wrought Iron, making it darker.

Sherwin Williams Paint Color Equivalent to BM Wrought Iron

There’s no exact equivalent to Wrought Iron from Sherwin Williams, but there are colors that come close. While many say Iron Ore SW 7069 is the equivalent, Rock Bottom 7062 bears a closer resemblance.

Where Can You Use Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron?

The versatility of this paint color means you can use it anywhere. However, it is best to use it only minimally instead of as a whole-room color unless you are adventurous or love that dark and mysterious decor style.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron as a Ceiling Color

As mentioned, Wrought Iron works best as a feature or accent color, like in this room where it is used on the ceiling and trim.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on a Door

On the entrance door, the paint color looks bright and great on it. The color pops even better because of the light neutrals around it.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in a Living Room

The paint color on accents changes the whole decor, adding a spicy and elegant look to it.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on Window Frames

With the rest of the room looking bright, the black window frames are just that dramatic splash it needs.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on Kitchen Cabinets

Dark colors will always be trendy on cabinets, whether in the kitchen or bathroom.

Best Ceiling Color for Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Walls

White or light gray works, but you’ve already seen that Wrought Iron looks great as the wall and ceiling color.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on a Porch

Check out this porch floor to see how beautifully Wrought Iron can work anywhere, especially outside the house.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in a Bedroom

The accent wall makes a sharp contrast with the rest of the room.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in a Powder Room

The paint color looks soft and more like charcoal than black on the shiplap in this powder room.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in a Bathroom

This bathroom looks classy with the combination of white and Wrought Iron.

Best Trim Color for Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron Walls

White is your best option because of the sharp contrast and depth of the wall color. Try BM Chantilly Lace, Oxford White, or White Ice.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron in a Home Office

This room is family-friendly; everyone can use it. Still, it’s stylish because of the colors.

Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron on Exterior Walls

Here, Wrought Iron walls are complemented by Sherwin Williams Shoji White trims.

Conclusion

When you want a soft black that doesn’t overwhelm the decor but still brings drama, Benjamin Moore’s Wrought Iron is the ideal choice. It has navy blue and gray undertones that soften it, but with an LRV of 8.17, it’s a pretty dark color.

Use it anywhere you like as long as you don’t overdo it. The photos above should inspire you on how to use Wrought Iron. Because of its dark shade, this paint color loves a lot of light, so keep it in mind when decorating.

My examples of color palettes for Wrought Iron should get you started but don’t hesitate to ask questions to make the most of the color. Let me know your thoughts and experience with Wrought Iron in the comments section. Happy painting!