Paint colors for your home, inside and out
16th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette
This palette comes from a panel painting and runs from near-black through deep browns to a warm, pale gold. It suits a snug room such as a study, a reading corner or a dining room where you want a calm, enclosed feel.
Quick answer
Put the pale gold #FFD195 on the walls and the olive-green #A8A174 on a main piece such as a sofa or a built-in. Use the deep browns #986E41 and #59432E for wood and one accent, the tan #D7A56B for textiles, and keep the near-black #15110F for small, sharp details.
Measured from the image and ordered by how much of the canvas they cover. LRV is how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white.
Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.
The nearest color from each brand. “Near-identical” and “Very close” are hard to tell apart on a wall; with “Similar”, compare a sample with the painting. Brands with nothing close are left out.
| Painting color | Closest paints | LRV | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
Soft Near Black#15110F |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Deep Chestnut Brown#59432E |
|
6 | One bold piece |
Warm Walnut Brown#986E41 |
|
18 | Wood and frames |
Sandy Camel Tan#D7A56B |
|
42 | One small textile |
Pale Honey Gold#FFD195 |
|
69 | Main walls |
Muted Olive Khaki#A8A174 |
|
35 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.
The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.
#DCC19FNorth light is cool and will take some of the warmth out of the pale gold wall, so it may look a little flatter and more cream than gold. At LRV 69 it still bounces light well, which helps a north-facing room feel less dim.
#FFD69EStrong south light will bring out the yellow in the wall color, and it may read as a glowing butter tone. At LRV 69 it is light enough that a large wall could feel bright at midday, so test it near a big window first.
#D2A973Warm evening bulbs will push this wall toward amber and deepen the yellow undertone, which gives the room a cozy, candlelit feel. Choose bulbs with a soft white glow so the wall does not turn orange.
Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.
Wood takes Warm Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Sandy Camel Tan in every combination.
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
You can, but go carefully. The near-black has an LRV of 1 and the deep brown has an LRV of 6, so both soak up most of the light. They work best in a small room with good lamps, or on one wall or a built-in rather than on every surface.
The pale gold #FFD195 is the lightest color here at LRV 69, so it is the natural choice for walls. Save the deep red-orange brown #59432E for an accent such as a door, a bookcase or a single wall.
The walnut brown #986E41 suits wood furniture, floors or beams, and the tan #D7A56B suits curtains, rugs or throws. Bring home samples of each and hold them against the wall color in the room's own light.
Image: The Art Institute of Chicago, Public domain (CC0). Palette, posterized image, details and room views generated by Light & Pigment from that image. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
