Steel Symphony 5 vs Dix Blue
Steel Symphony 5 (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 22-point LRV gap — 63 for Steel Symphony 5 vs 41 for Dix Blue — means Steel Symphony 5 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 14.8 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 1 real-room photo comparison where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Steel Symphony 5 vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
1 real room side by side. Seeing Steel Symphony 5 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. Steel Symphony 5 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Color Details
Steel Symphony 5 vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Steel Symphony 5 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 5 comparisons
See how Steel Symphony 5 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 63), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 5 encloses it.
A 6-point LRV gap (69 vs 63) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 11-point LRV gap (63 vs 52) makes Steel Symphony 5 the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 63 vs 30, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Symphony 5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 63 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Steel Symphony 5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 58), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 63 vs 43, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 4, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Symphony 5 reads slightly lighter (LRV 63 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 63, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 21, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 66 and 63, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Shoji White reads slightly lighter (LRV 74 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 63), opening up a space where Steel Symphony 5 encloses it.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 63), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 5-point LRV gap (68 vs 63) makes Calamine the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 63 vs 25, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Steel Symphony 5 reflects far more light (LRV 63 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 63 vs 31, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 7, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 63 vs 24, Steel Symphony 5 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 6-point LRV gap (63 vs 57) makes Steel Symphony 5 the marginally brighter of the two.
A 9-point LRV gap (72 vs 63) makes Just Walnut the marginally brighter of the two.