Merino Wool vs Dix Blue
Where Merino Wool belongs to Behr's range, Dix Blue is a Farrow & Ball color. Hue-wise, Merino Wool belongs to the beige-greige family and Dix Blue to the blue-grey family. Merino Wool (LRV 55) reflects noticeably more light than Dix Blue (LRV 41), a difference of 14 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Merino Wool runs red while Dix Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 17.9, the contrast is hard to miss. These aren't variations on a theme — they're two different answers to the same question. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Merino Wool vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Merino Wool and Dix Blue in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. Merino Wool reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Color Details
Merino Wool vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Merino Wool on one side and Dix Blue on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Merino Wool comparisons
See how Merino Wool stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Merino Wool encloses it.
At LRV 69 vs 55, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
Merino Wool reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 55 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 55 vs 30, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 55 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
A 6-point LRV gap (60 vs 55) makes Agreeable Gray the marginally brighter of the two.
Accessible Beige reads slightly lighter (LRV 58 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Merino Wool reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (55 vs 43) makes Merino Wool the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 55 vs 4, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 55 and 55, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Merino Wool reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Merino Wool reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 44), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 84 vs 55, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 21, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 55), opening up a space where Merino Wool encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 55), opening up a space where Merino Wool encloses it.
Merino Wool reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 55), opening up a space where Merino Wool encloses it.
At LRV 68 vs 55, Calamine is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 25, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
Merino Wool reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Merino Wool reads slightly lighter (LRV 55 vs 45), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 7, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 55 vs 24, Merino Wool is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 57 vs 55), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 72 vs 55, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.