Lava Lamp vs Dix Blue
Lava Lamp (Cloverdale Paint) and Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Lava Lamp belongs to the beige-pink family and Dix Blue to the blue-grey family. The 10-point LRV gap — 41 for Dix Blue vs 31 for Lava Lamp — means Dix Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 67.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Lava Lamp vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Lava Lamp 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. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Lava Lamp.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Lava Lamp would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. 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
Lava Lamp vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Lava Lamp 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 Lava Lamp comparisons
See how Lava Lamp stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 31, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Lava Lamp encloses it.
With LRVs of 31 and 30, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 31), opening up a space where Lava Lamp encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 31, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (31 vs 27) makes Lava Lamp the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 31), opening up a space where Lava Lamp encloses it.
At LRV 55 vs 31, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 44 vs 31, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 31), opening up a space where Lava Lamp encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 31, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 31, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Lava Lamp is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 8, Lava Lamp is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 31, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 31 vs 12, Lava Lamp is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 45 vs 31, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 31 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Lava Lamp reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.