Celtic Forest 3 vs Hardwick White
Celtic Forest 3 (Dulux) and Hardwick White (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Celtic Forest 3 reads as beige-greige, while Hardwick White reads as greige-grey — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 8-point LRV gap — 52 for Celtic Forest 3 vs 44 for Hardwick White — means Celtic Forest 3 will open up a space more effectively. Both share a warm character, which means they'll respond to light and surrounding materials in similar ways. ΔE 8.5 means they're clearly different, but not dramatically so — they'd pair well in the same room. Below you'll find 6 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Celtic Forest 3 vs Hardwick White in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Celtic Forest 3 and Hardwick White 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. Celtic Forest 3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
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. Celtic Forest 3 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. Celtic Forest 3 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
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. Celtic Forest 3 returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The LRV gap is large enough that Celtic Forest 3 will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Hardwick White would.
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. Celtic Forest 3 reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Hardwick White.
Color Details
Celtic Forest 3 vs Hardwick White Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Celtic Forest 3 on one side and Hardwick White 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 Celtic Forest 3 comparisons
See how Celtic Forest 3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
At LRV 83 vs 52, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Celtic Forest 3 encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 6, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
With LRVs of 52 and 52, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 30), opening up a space where Evergreen Fog encloses it.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 52 vs 52), so neither reads brighter in a room.
Agreeable Gray reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
A 6-point LRV gap (58 vs 52) makes Accessible Beige the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 27, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
Celtic Forest 3 reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 43), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 4), opening up a space where Naval encloses it.
A 3-point LRV gap (55 vs 52) makes Tranquil Dawn the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 52 vs 13, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
Pure White reflects far more light (LRV 84 vs 52), opening up a space where Celtic Forest 3 encloses it.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 21), opening up a space where Artichoke encloses it.
At LRV 66 vs 52, Balboa Mist is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 74 vs 52, Shoji White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 83 vs 52, Snowbound is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 68 vs 52, Skimming Stone is decisively the brighter choice.
Celtic Forest 3 reads slightly lighter (LRV 52 vs 41), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Calamine reflects far more light (LRV 68 vs 52), opening up a space where Celtic Forest 3 encloses it.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 25), opening up a space where Treron encloses it.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
A 7-point LRV gap (52 vs 45) makes Celtic Forest 3 the marginally brighter of the two.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 31), opening up a space where Pale Green encloses it.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 7), opening up a space where Pine Needle encloses it.
Celtic Forest 3 reflects far more light (LRV 52 vs 24), opening up a space where Cement grey encloses it.
Guilford Green reads slightly lighter (LRV 57 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Just Walnut reflects far more light (LRV 72 vs 52), opening up a space where Celtic Forest 3 encloses it.