Celtic Forest 3 vs Hicks' Blue
Celtic Forest 3 (Dulux) and Hicks' Blue (Little Greene) come from different manufacturers. Celtic Forest 3 reads as beige-greige, while Hicks' Blue reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. Celtic Forest 3 has an LRV of 52. Where Celtic Forest 3 leans warm, Hicks' Blue reads blue — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 47.8 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.
Celtic Forest 3 vs Hicks' Blue in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Celtic Forest 3 and Hicks' 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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. At this scale, the choice between them becomes clear in a way that a swatch alone can't communicate.
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. The distinction reads clearly at room scale, making the choice between them concrete.
Color Details
Celtic Forest 3 vs Hicks' Blue Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Celtic Forest 3 on one side and Hicks' 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 Celtic Forest 3 comparisons
See how Celtic Forest 3 stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
Ammonite reflects far more light (LRV 69 vs 52), opening up a space where Celtic Forest 3 encloses it.
At LRV 83 vs 52, White Dove is decisively the brighter choice.
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.
A 8-point LRV gap (52 vs 44) makes Celtic Forest 3 the marginally brighter of the two.
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.
With LRVs of 52 and 51, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
At LRV 52 vs 12, Celtic Forest 3 is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 52 vs 8, 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.
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.