Smoke Grey vs Dix Blue
Where Smoke Grey belongs to Dulux's range, Dix Blue is a Farrow & Ball color. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. Dix Blue (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Smoke Grey (LRV 30), a difference of 11 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. Both lean cool, so they'll behave similarly in mixed or changing light conditions. With a ΔE of 13.1, 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.
Smoke Grey vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Smoke Grey 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
In a living room, color works across both daylight and evening light — the same wall can read very differently at noon and at 8pm. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Smoke Grey would.
Bedroom
The context that matters most in a bedroom is how a color reads under a bedside lamp at night, not under noon daylight. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoke Grey.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Smoke Grey.
Color Details
Smoke Grey vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Smoke Grey 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 Smoke Grey comparisons
See how Smoke Grey stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 30, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 30, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 30 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reads slightly lighter (LRV 30 vs 27), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 30, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 4, Smoke Grey is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 30, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 9-point LRV gap (30 vs 21) makes Smoke Grey the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 30, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Smoke Grey reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 30), opening up a space where Smoke Grey encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 31 vs 30), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 30 vs 7, Smoke Grey is decisively the brighter choice.