Steel Symphony 1 vs Dix Blue
Steel Symphony 1 (Dulux) and Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. These are both blue-greys, so the question isn't which hue to choose — it's where within blue-grey to land. The 24-point LRV gap — 41 for Dix Blue vs 17 for Steel Symphony 1 — means Dix Blue will open up a space more effectively. Both share a cool character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. A ΔE of 25.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Symphony 1 vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Steel Symphony 1 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 Steel Symphony 1.
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 Steel Symphony 1 would.
Color Details
Steel Symphony 1 vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Symphony 1 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 Steel Symphony 1 comparisons
See how Steel Symphony 1 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 69 vs 17, Ammonite is decisively the brighter choice.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Steel Symphony 1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 6), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 52 vs 17, Purbeck Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 30 vs 17, Evergreen Fog is decisively the brighter choice.
Mizzle reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 17, Agreeable Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
Accessible Beige reflects far more light (LRV 58 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Denim Drift reads slightly lighter (LRV 27 vs 17), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 43 vs 17, French Gray is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 17 vs 4, Steel Symphony 1 is decisively the brighter choice.
Tranquil Dawn reflects far more light (LRV 55 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Steel Symphony 1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Hardwick White reflects far more light (LRV 44 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 17, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (21 vs 17) makes Artichoke the marginally brighter of the two.
Balboa Mist reflects far more light (LRV 66 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
At LRV 51 vs 17, Pigeon is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Symphony 1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steel Symphony 1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 8), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Skimming Stone reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
Steel Symphony 1 reads slightly lighter (LRV 17 vs 12), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Saybrook Sage reflects far more light (LRV 45 vs 17), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 1 encloses it.
At LRV 31 vs 17, Pale Green is decisively the brighter choice.
A 10-point LRV gap (17 vs 7) makes Steel Symphony 1 the marginally brighter of the two.