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.
