Dix Blue vs RAL 830-1
Where Dix Blue belongs to Farrow & Ball's range, RAL 830-1 is a RAL Effect color. Dix Blue reads as blue-grey, while RAL 830-1 reads as grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. RAL 830-1 (LRV 50) reflects noticeably more light than Dix Blue (LRV 41), a difference of 9 points that becomes especially apparent in rooms with limited natural light. The ΔE 9.9 gap is real but not dramatic — close enough to use together, distinct enough to matter as a choice. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dix Blue vs RAL 830-1 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Dix Blue and RAL 830-1 are close enough that the difference can be hard to judge from a chip alone — these photos show how each reads at scale, across different spaces and lighting conditions.
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 RAL 830-1 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Dix Blue would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the few spaces where you're genuinely enclosed by the paint color, which makes the choice between these two more consequential. RAL 830-1 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
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. RAL 830-1 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are constantly compared against adjacent materials, which means subtle differences between these two become much more visible. RAL 830-1 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Dix Blue.
Color Details
Dix Blue vs RAL 830-1 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dix Blue on one side and RAL 830-1 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.
At LRV 83 vs 41, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Purbeck Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 30), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 41, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 27, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 43 and 41, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 55 vs 41, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 44 vs 41), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 41, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 41, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 8, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 41, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 41 vs 12, Dix Blue is decisively the brighter choice.
A 4-point LRV gap (45 vs 41) makes Saybrook Sage the marginally brighter of the two.
Dix Blue reads slightly lighter (LRV 41 vs 31), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.