Dix Blue vs Downing Slate
Dix Blue is a Farrow & Ball color while Downing Slate comes from Sherwin-Williams. Both sit in the blue-grey family, which is useful context if you're narrowing within a single hue direction. At LRV 41 vs 21, Dix Blue will read as the brighter of the two — a 20-point gap that matters most in north-facing or low-light rooms. The tonal difference — Dix Blue's cool character against Downing Slate's neutral — becomes most visible against white trim or in morning light. At ΔE 19.4, these are genuinely distinct colors — a strong contrast if used together, or a meaningful choice between two different directions. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dix Blue vs Downing Slate in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Dix Blue and Downing Slate 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
Living rooms test a color across a full range of conditions — morning sun, afternoon shade, and evening lamp light all shift how both of these read. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Bedroom
Bedroom walls are often seen under warm artificial light, a context that shifts both colors from how they look on a chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.
Bathroom
Bathrooms amplify color — the enclosed space and reflective surfaces make what reads subtle elsewhere feel more present here. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.
House
At full exterior scale, the difference between these two colors becomes much easier to judge than from a small chip. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.
Front Door
Front doors are seen in isolation against the rest of the facade, which makes them a high-stakes surface where even subtle differences matter. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen Cabinets
On cabinetry, undertone and temperature become more pronounced against countertops and hardware. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Downing Slate would.
Color Details
Dix Blue vs Downing Slate Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dix Blue on one side and Downing Slate 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.
