Celestial Blue (101) is Little Greene's soft, dusky blue: airy and calm, with enough grey in it to feel grown-up rather than bright. Little Greene took it from a rare colour card dating from 1807, where it appears as a softer, more muted take on Sky Blue. It works beautifully inside and out, and it now comes in a family of tones, from a barely-there pale to a deep, rich blue, so you can use it at whatever depth suits the room.
It is a lovely colour for anyone who wants blue without coldness: gentle in a bedroom, fresh in a kitchen and quietly elegant on the outside of a house.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Celestial Blue (101), Marine Blue (95)
What colour is Celestial Blue?
Celestial Blue is a muted, greyed blue with a soft, slightly powdery quality. Little Greene place it among their Regency colours, as the shade comes from that 1807 colour card, and it has the calm restraint you might expect from a colour of that period. It is noticeably softer than its source, Sky Blue (103), which is why it sits so comfortably in modern rooms too.
Its grey content keeps it soft and restful, and like every Little Greene colour it shifts with the light through the day, so look at a sample morning and evening before you decide.
One colour, several depths
Little Greene have extended Celestial Blue into graduating tones, so you can use lighter and deeper versions of the same colour together. The family includes:
- Celestial Blue - Pale (364), the lightest, a whisper of blue for ceilings or a soft wall colour.
- Celestial Blue (101), the original.
- Celestial Blue - Mid (365), a little deeper.
- Celestial Blue - Deep (366), the richest of the scale.
Little Greene suggest using the paler tones together in one scheme and adding deeper hues as you go. A simple approach is Pale on the ceiling, Celestial Blue on the walls and Mid or Deep on the woodwork, which gives a room depth while keeping it calm. It also works well as a colour drench, as our article on why colour drenching works explains.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colour Used: Perpetual Blue (348)
Colours that go with Celestial Blue
Little Greene suggest several partners:
- Whites. Slaked Lime (105) and Wood Ash (229), both soft whites that sit gently beside the blue.
- Neutrals. French Grey - Mid (162) and Portland Stone (77).
- Coordinating blues. Perpetual Blue (348) and Celestial Blue - Mid.
- A contrasting accent. Bronze Red (15), a warm red that brings the scheme to life.
- Darks. Basalt (221), or Rome (367), a dark blue Little Greene suggest for contrast.
Celestial Blue outside
Little Greene recommend Celestial Blue for the outside of a house as well as the inside, and it makes a gentle, welcoming colour for weatherboarding, doors, windows and garden buildings. Paired with a clean white such as Loft White (222), it has a fresh, coastal feel.
Outside, use Intelligent Exterior Eggshell for wood and metal, or Intelligent Masonry Paint for rendered and brick walls. Paint on a dry day when the temperature is at least 8°C for exterior eggshell, or 5°C for masonry paint.
Photo Credit: Little Greene; Colours Used: Celestial Blue (101), Loft White (222)
Which finish to choose inside
- Sitting rooms and bedrooms. Absolute Matt Emulsion, Little Greene's flat, chalky finish.
- Kitchens, hallways and busier rooms. Intelligent Matt Emulsion, which is tougher and washable.
- Bathrooms, woodwork, kitchen units and furniture. Intelligent Eggshell, self-priming on most surfaces with a light key.
Questions we are often asked
Is Celestial Blue a duck egg blue?
It is close. Celestial Blue is a soft, greyed blue; the palest tone, Celestial Blue - Pale, is closest to a classic duck egg.
Is Celestial Blue a cold colour?
Not really. Its grey content softens it, so it feels calm rather than chilly. As with any blue, sample it in your own light first.
What is the difference between Celestial Blue and Sky Blue?
Celestial Blue is a toned-down relation of Sky Blue, so it is softer and more muted.
