Celtic Forest 3 vs RAL 520-2
Celtic Forest 3 (Dulux) and RAL 520-2 (RAL Effect) come from different manufacturers. Celtic Forest 3 reads as beige-greige, while RAL 520-2 reads as pink — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 7-point LRV gap — 59 for RAL 520-2 vs 52 for Celtic Forest 3 — means RAL 520-2 will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 31.7 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 RAL 520-2 in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Celtic Forest 3 and RAL 520-2 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. RAL 520-2 reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
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. RAL 520-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Kitchen
Kitchens often have the harshest, most revealing light in the house — under-cabinet LEDs and overhead fixtures that strip away subtlety. RAL 520-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
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. RAL 520-2 has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Color Details
Celtic Forest 3 vs RAL 520-2 Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Celtic Forest 3 on one side and RAL 520-2 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.
