Lead Gray vs Dix Blue
Lead Gray is a Benjamin Moore color while Dix Blue comes from Farrow & Ball. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. At LRV 41 vs 9, Dix Blue will read as the brighter of the two — a 32-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Lead Gray's blue character against Dix Blue's cool — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 38.2, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 5 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Lead Gray vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
5 real rooms side by side. Seeing Lead Gray 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lead Gray would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lead Gray would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Lead Gray vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lead Gray 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 Lead Gray comparisons
See how Lead Gray stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 9, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 9, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 9, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
Denim Drift reflects far more light (LRV 27 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
At LRV 43 vs 9, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 9, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
With LRVs of 12 and 9, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 9), opening up a space where Lead Gray encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 9, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 9 vs 7), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 24 vs 9, Cement grey is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 57 vs 9, Guilford Green is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 9, Just Walnut is decisively the brighter choice.