North Sea vs Dix Blue
North Sea (Cloverdale Paint) and Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, North Sea belongs to the blue family and Dix Blue to the blue-grey family. The 7-point LRV gap — 41 for Dix Blue vs 34 for North Sea — means Dix Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 14.0 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.
North Sea vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing North Sea 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 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The brightness difference is modest but present — Dix Blue gives the walls a little more lift.
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 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
North Sea vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see North Sea 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 North Sea comparisons
See how North Sea stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 34, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 34), opening up a space where North Sea encloses it.
North Sea reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 34), opening up a space where North Sea encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 34, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (34 vs 27) makes North Sea the marginally brighter of the two.
French Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 43 vs 34), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 34, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (44 vs 34) makes Hardwick White the marginally brighter of the two.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 34), opening up a space where North Sea encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 34, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 34, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 34 vs 12, North Sea is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 34, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 34 vs 12, North Sea is decisively the brighter choice.
A 11-point LRV gap (45 vs 34) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
With LRVs of 34 and 31, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
North Sea reflects far more light (LRV 34 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
North Sea reads slightly lighter (LRV 34 vs 24), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 34), opening up a space where North Sea encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 34), opening up a space where North Sea encloses it.