Dix Blue vs Ruby red
Where Dix Blue belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, Ruby red is a RAL Classic color. Dix Blue reads as blue-grey, while Ruby red reads as pink-red — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Dix Blue (LRV 41) reflects noticeably more light than Ruby red (LRV 9), a difference of 32 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. With a ΔE of 71.8, 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.
Dix Blue vs Ruby red in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dix Blue and Ruby red in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
House
Seen across an entire facade, subtle tonal differences become pronounced. What reads as nearly the same on a chip often reads as clearly different at scale. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Ruby red.
Front Door
A front door is a focal point — small color differences read clearly at this concentrated scale. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Ruby red would.
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 Ruby red.
Color Details
Dix Blue vs Ruby red Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dix Blue on one side and Ruby red 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 Dix Blue comparisons
See how Dix Blue stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
