Dix Blue vs Festoon Aqua
Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) and Festoon Aqua (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Dix Blue reads as blue-grey, while Festoon Aqua reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 5-point LRV gap — 46 for Festoon Aqua vs 41 for Dix Blue — means Festoon Aqua 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. ΔE 4.2 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Dix Blue vs Festoon Aqua in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Dix Blue and Festoon Aqua 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
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. Festoon Aqua reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Front Door
On a front door, the color is both the first and last thing you see — a context where even a modest tonal difference reads clearly. Festoon Aqua reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Kitchen Cabinets
Cabinet color is always seen in context — against countertops, backsplash, and hardware — which amplifies undertone differences that might disappear on a plain wall. Festoon Aqua has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Dix Blue vs Festoon Aqua Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Dix Blue on one side and Festoon Aqua 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 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.
Dix Blue reflects far more light (LRV 41 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reflects far more light (LRV 57 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 41), opening up a space where Dix Blue encloses it.