Zen Retreat vs Dix Blue
Zen Retreat (Cloverdale Paint) and Dix Blue (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Zen Retreat belongs to the grey family and Dix Blue to the blue-grey family. The 28-point LRV gap — 41 for Dix Blue vs 13 for Zen Retreat — means Dix Blue will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 29.0 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Zen Retreat vs Dix Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Zen Retreat 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. Dix Blue reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Zen Retreat.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Dix Blue will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Zen Retreat would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Dix Blue returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Zen Retreat vs Dix Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Zen Retreat 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 Zen Retreat comparisons
See how Zen Retreat stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 13, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (13 vs 6) makes Zen Retreat the marginally brighter of the two.
Purbeck Stone reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Evergreen Fog reflects far more light (LRV 30 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Mizzle is decisively the brighter choice.
Agreeable Gray reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
At LRV 58 vs 13, Accessible Beige is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 27 vs 13, Denim Drift is decisively the brighter choice.
French Gray reflects far more light (LRV 43 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Zen Retreat reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 4), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 55 vs 13, Tranquil Dawn is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 13), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 44 vs 13, Hardwick White is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Artichoke reads slightly lighter (LRV 21 vs 13), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 66 vs 13, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 13, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 13, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
Pigeon reflects far more light (LRV 51 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
A 5-point LRV gap (13 vs 8) makes Zen Retreat the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 68 vs 13, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 13 vs 12), so neither reads brighter in a room.
At LRV 45 vs 13, Saybrook Sage is decisively the brighter choice.
Pale Green reflects far more light (LRV 31 vs 13), opening up a space where Zen Retreat encloses it.
Zen Retreat reads slightly lighter (LRV 13 vs 7), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.