Celtic Forest 3 vs S 0502-Y
Celtic Forest 3 (Dulux) and S 0502-Y (NCS) come from different manufacturers. Celtic Forest 3 reads as beige-greige, while S 0502-Y reads as beige — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 35-point LRV gap — 87 for S 0502-Y vs 52 for Celtic Forest 3 — means S 0502-Y 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. A ΔE of 20.5 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 3 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Celtic Forest 3 vs S 0502-Y in Real Spaces
3 real rooms side by side. Seeing Celtic Forest 3 and S 0502-Y 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. S 0502-Y reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than Celtic Forest 3.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. S 0502-Y 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 S 0502-Y will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than Celtic Forest 3 would.
Color Details
Celtic Forest 3 vs S 0502-Y Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Celtic Forest 3 on one side and S 0502-Y 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.
