19th-century British painting · art-to-room palette

Landscape (The Lock) Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is a set of warm browns, ochres, and golds taken from a landscape painting, running from near-black to pale cream. It suits rooms that want warmth and depth, such as a living room, study, or dining room with wood furniture.

Quick answer

Use the pale cream on the walls and the golden tan on large pieces or soft furnishings. Place the walnut and ochre browns in wood and textiles, and keep the darkest browns for a single accent wall, door, or built-in.

Artist: John Constable
Date: c. 1820–25
Movement: 19th-century British painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 87

Landscape (The Lock) by John Constable — John Constable, *Landscape (The Lock)*, c. 1820–25. The Art Institute of Chicago, open access. The bar shows each color's measured share of the canvas.

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.

Dark umber brown

#351F14 · 32.5% · LRV 2

Dark russet brown

#492D1B · 32.4% · LRV 3

Walnut brown

#6A4A2F · 22.9% · LRV 8

Warm ochre brown

#856B3F · 9% · LRV 16

Golden wheat tan

#D9B474 · 2% · LRV 49

Soft butter cream

#FFEFC2 · 1.1% · LRV 87

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.

Landscape (The Lock) reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Dark umber brown is strongest — Dark umber brown

Detail of the painting where Dark russet brown is strongest — Dark russet brown

Detail of the painting where Walnut brown is strongest — Walnut brown

Detail of the painting where Warm ochre brown is strongest — Warm ochre brown

Detail of the painting where Golden wheat tan is strongest — Golden wheat tan

Detail of the painting where Soft butter cream is strongest — Soft butter cream

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
Dark umber brown `#351F14`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2838 Polished Mahogany Similar Behr S-G-760 Chocolate Coco Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark russet brown `#492D1B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Close Behr 770B-7 Chocolate Sparkle Similar	3	One bold piece
Walnut brown `#6A4A2F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown Near-identical Behr BXC-65 Outback Brown Very close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar	8	One small textile
Warm ochre brown `#856B3F`	Behr 290F-6 Warm Earth Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6139 Mossy Gold Close Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	16	Wood and frames
Golden wheat tan `#D9B474`	Behr UL180-22 Egyptian Temple Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9026 Tarnished Trumpet Very close Valspar 3004-5C Afternoon Stroll Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Very close	49	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft butter cream `#FFEFC2`	Behr 330A-2 Frosted Lemon Near-identical Valspar 3004-2C Coconut Cream Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6686 Lemon Chiffon Very close Farrow & Ball No. 71 Pale Hound Close	87	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 soft butter 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.

North-facing room#DCD5BD

In north light the cream wall (LRV 87) stays light but can look slightly cool and flat. The warm yellow undertone helps offset that, so the room still feels inviting.

South-facing room#FFEDC1

Strong south light makes the cream wall look bright and warm, and it reflects a lot of light into the room. The darker browns will look richer, and the golden tan will look more saturated.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2BA8C

Under warm evening bulbs the cream wall shifts toward soft yellow and feels cozy. The browns deepen, so the room will read more intimate after dark.

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.

Walls

Bed, sofa, island

Bold piece

Wood takes Warm ochre brown and the rug border takes Walnut brown in every combination.

Mood board

Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.

Soft butter cream

Golden wheat tan

Dark russet brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Save this palette

A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.

Save to Pinterest Download card

Guides that use colors from this painting

Dark Paint Colors for Rooms, Measured From Paintings Dark

More palettes like this

Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs Briton Riviere, 1876

Beata Beatrix Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1871–72

Whalers Joseph Mallord William Turner, ca. 1845

FAQ

Can I use the darkest brown on all four walls?

It is better to limit the darkest brown to one accent wall or a smaller feature. At LRV 2 and 3, a full room in these shades will feel very enclosed unless the space gets plenty of daylight.

What trim color works with the cream wall?

The golden tan or a lighter cream from the same palette works well for trim and doors. Keep the trim slightly different from the wall so the edges still read clearly.

Are these colors the exact paint shades?

The colors were measured from the painting image, so they show the tones as they appear on screen. The paint matches listed on each page are the closest commercial shades measured, not exact copies, so sample them on your own walls before buying.

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.