Ocean Air vs Dix Blue
Where Ocean Air belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Dix Blue is a Farrow & Ball color. Ocean Air reads as blue, while Dix Blue reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Ocean Air (LRV 72) reflects noticeably more light than Dix Blue (LRV 41), a difference of 31 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Ocean Air runs blue while Dix Blue is decidedly cool, which means they'll respond very differently to warm vs cool light sources. With a ΔE of 19.0, 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 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Ocean Air vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Ocean Air 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.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Ocean Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
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. Ocean Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Ocean Air reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Color Details
Ocean Air vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Ocean Air 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 Ocean Air comparisons
See how Ocean Air stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reads slightly lighter (LRV 83 vs 72), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 72 vs 52, Ocean Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 30, Ocean Air is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (72 vs 60) makes Ocean Air the marginally brighter of the two.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 58), opening up a space where Accessible Beige encloses it.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 43, Ocean Air is decisively the brighter choice.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 55), opening up a space where Tranquil Dawn encloses it.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 72, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
Ocean Air reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 66), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
With LRVs of 74 and 72, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Ocean Air reads slightly lighter (LRV 72 vs 68), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Ocean Air reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 72 vs 31, Ocean Air is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 72 vs 7, Ocean Air is decisively the brighter choice.