Celtic Forest 3 vs Upward
Celtic Forest 3 (Dulux) and Upward (Sherwin-Williams) come from different manufacturers. Celtic Forest 3 reads as beige-greige, while Upward reads as blue — two distinct hue families, not close cousins. The 5-point LRV gap — 57 for Upward vs 52 for Celtic Forest 3 — means Upward will open up a space more effectively. Where Celtic Forest 3 leans warm, Upward reads cool — a distinction that shifts noticeably depending on the light source and surrounding finishes. A ΔE of 19.7 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. 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 Upward in Real Spaces
6 real rooms side by side. Seeing Celtic Forest 3 and Upward 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. Upward 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. Upward 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. Upward 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. Upward has the edge in reflectance, which shows as a quiet sense of added space rather than an obvious contrast.
Mudroom
In a hardworking space like a mudroom, the depth and warmth of a color reads differently than in a quieter room. The brightness difference is modest but present — Upward gives the walls a little more lift.
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. Upward reads slightly lighter here — a subtle but real difference in how open the space feels.
Color Details
Celtic Forest 3 vs Upward Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Celtic Forest 3 on one side and Upward 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.
