Willow vs Dix Blue
Where Willow belongs to Benjamin Moore's range, Dix Blue is a Farrow & Ball color. Willow reads as greige-grey, while Dix Blue reads as blue-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Dix Blue (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Willow (LRV 9), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Willow 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 38.2, 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 2 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Willow vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
2 real rooms side by side. Seeing Willow 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.
Dining Room
A dining room lit by a dimmed pendant or candles is one of the most forgiving environments for paint — warm light softens almost everything. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Willow.
Color Details
Willow vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Willow 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 Willow comparisons
See how Willow stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 9, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 9, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 9, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 9, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 9, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 9, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 9, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 68 vs 9, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 12 vs 9), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 9, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
With LRVs of 9 and 7, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Cement grey reflects far more light (LRV 24 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 9), opening up a space where Willow encloses it.