North-facing room
#DCDAC9North light flattens the dark olives, so add warm lamps. The cream (LRV 93) is bright enough to keep a ceiling from looking gray.
19th-century Scandinavian painting · art-to-room palette
The North Cape by Moonlight Color Palette & Paint Colors
The North Cape by Moonlight is mostly deep green-black and olive, with a muted gold and a small, bright cream. It suits a study, library or den with a quiet, enclosed mood.
Quick answer
Use the pale cream (LRV 93) for ceilings and trim, the muted gold for main furniture or a rug, and the olive tones for wood and curtains. Save the near-blacks for a single wall or built-in shelves.
- Artist
- Peder Balke
- Date
- 1848
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 93
The 6 colors in this painting
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.
Forest Black
Deep Olive
Soft Black
Muted Gold
Pale Straw
Moonlit Cream
Where each color lives in the painting
Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.
Closest paint colors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Forest Black#2D2F29 |
|
3 | One small textile |
Deep Olive#565344 |
|
9 | One bold piece |
Soft Black#181510 |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Muted Gold#988662 |
|
25 | Wood and frames |
Pale Straw#CCC09D |
|
53 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Moonlit Cream#FFF7D5 |
|
93 | Main walls |
Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.
How moonlit cream looks in your light
The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.
South-facing room
#FFF3D0Strong sun brings out the green in the forest black and the yellow in the muted gold. The darks look less heavy by day.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2BF97Under warm evening bulbs the olive and gold glow and the near-blacks recede, which makes the room feel enclosed in a cozy way.
Try the palette in a room
Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.
Wood takes Muted Gold and the rug border takes Forest Black in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Moonlit Cream
Pale Straw
Deep Olive
Save this palette
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Guides that use colors from this painting
More palettes like this
FAQ
Is the cream a good ceiling color?
Yes. An LRV of 93 is very bright, so it reflects a lot of light and helps balance the dark olive walls.
How do I keep a dark room from feeling heavy?
Use the dark olive on one or two walls, and add the pale straw (LRV 53) on a rug or bedding. Good lamps help more than any wall color.
What finish suits dark greens like these?
A matte or eggshell finish hides wall flaws and keeps the color deep. Use satin on trim so it can be wiped clean.
Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.