Cedar Key vs Dix Blue
Cedar Key (Benjamin Moore) and Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Cedar Key reads as beige-greige, while Dix Blue reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 20-point LRV gap — 61 for Cedar Key vs 41 for Dix Blue — means Cedar Key will open up a space more effectively. Where Cedar Key leans red, Dix Blue reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 18.4 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Cedar Key vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Cedar Key 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.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Cedar Key reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Cedar Key returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Cedar Key vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Cedar Key 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 Cedar Key comparisons
See how Cedar Key stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 61), opening up a space where Cedar Key encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (61 vs 52) makes Cedar Key the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 61 vs 30, Cedar Key is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 61 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Cedar Key reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cedar Key reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 61 vs 43, Cedar Key is decisively the brighter choice.
Cedar Key reads slightly lighter (LRV 61 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cedar Key reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 61, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 61), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 61), opening up a space where Cedar Key encloses it.
Cedar Key reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 61), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Cedar Key reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Cedar Key reflects far more light (LRV 61 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 61 vs 31, Cedar Key is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 7, Cedar Key is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 61 vs 24, Cedar Key is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (61 vs 57) makes Cedar Key the marginally brighter of the two.
A 11-point LRV gap (72 vs 61) makes Just Walnut the marginally brighter of the two.