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Brands · answered by Fini

What's the closest Dulux match to Little Greene Bone China Blue?

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Quick answer

The closest Dulux match to Little Greene Bone China Blue is Steel Parade at ΔE 2.6 — a very close hit. River Valley is the runner-up at ΔE 3.4.

If you want a Dulux stand-in for Little Greene Bone China Blue, go for Dulux Steel Parade. It lands at ΔE 2.6 from the original, which is genuinely close — close enough that most people wouldn't clock the difference once it's up on a wall. Steel Parade carries an LRV of 47.3, so it sits comfortably in that mid-tone bracket: enough light bouncing back to keep a room feeling open, but with proper presence rather than washing out.

The runner-up is Dulux River Valley at ΔE 3.4, with an LRV of 43.1. That's a slightly bigger gap — you'd notice it side by side — and it reads a touch deeper and moodier. Worth a sample pot if you're after a cosier, more grounded version of the same blue, but if you're chasing a true match, Steel Parade is the one.

Now, the honest bit. Bone China Blue is a soft, slightly chalky powder blue, and Little Greene's pigment depth is part of why people love it. A ΔE of 2.6 is a strong match on paper, but the two paints won't behave identically in changing light — Little Greene's colours tend to shift more gracefully through the day thanks to their pigment load. In a north-facing room especially, Steel Parade may feel a little flatter and cooler. South-facing or well-lit spaces close the gap considerably.

So my advice: order sample pots of both Steel Parade and River Valley, paint them onto a couple of A4 boards (not straight onto the wall — you want to move them around), and check them morning and evening against your existing trim and floor. If the match has to be spot-on and the budget allows, the real Bone China Blue is the safer call. But if Dulux is your spec, Steel Parade does the job properly.

Colours from the answer

LRV 46.7
Little Greene
Bone China Blue
LRV 47.3
Dulux
Steel Parade
LRV 43.1
Dulux
River Valley

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