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What's the closest Dulux match to Little Greene Pleat?

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Quick answer

The closest Dulux match to Little Greene Pleat is Neptune Seas, at ΔE 2.7 — very close but not a perfect twin. Midnight Garden is the next nearest at ΔE 4.2, which is a noticeable step away.

Your best bet in the Dulux range is Neptune Seas (LRV 17.1), which lands at ΔE 2.7 from Little Greene Pleat. That's into very-close territory — under 2.5 is where you'd struggle to tell two colours apart side by side, so 2.7 means there's a whisper of difference but nothing most people would clock once it's on the wall.

The other contender is Midnight Garden (LRV 21), but at ΔE 4.2 it's a genuine step away — lighter and reading differently enough that I wouldn't call it a match. If you're after the same mood, Midnight Garden sits in the right family, but it isn't a substitute for Pleat. Go with Neptune Seas.

Now the honest bit. Why match at all? Usually it's cost, or a decorator who's set up with Dulux and doesn't want to source Little Greene. Both are fair reasons. But understand what you're trading: a 2.7 ΔE shift plus the difference in finish and pigment behaviour between the two brands. Little Greene's deeper colours have a particular depth and a slightly chalky, light-absorbing quality that Dulux's standard emulsions don't quite replicate. On a rich mid-tone like Pleat, that character is half the appeal.

If this is for a feature wall or anywhere the colour is doing real work in the room, I'd buy the actual Pleat. If it's a utility space, a rental, or you're tin-blind on budget, Neptune Seas will do the job nicely.

Whatever you choose — test it in the actual room first. A 2.7 ΔE difference can look like nothing in the tin and then read warmer or cooler depending on your light. Get sample pots of both, paint two coats on lining paper or a board, and move it around the room across the day. North light especially will pull these deeper tones cooler. Decide on the wall, not on the chart.

Colours from the answer

LRV 17.6
Little Greene
Pleat
LRV 17.1
Dulux
Neptune Seas
LRV 21
Dulux
Midnight Garden

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