North-facing room
#DCD9C7In north light, the cream wall will look cooler and slightly grayer. Its warm yellow undertone still shows, but less than in other light.
19th-century Scandinavian painting · art-to-room palette
Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette runs from warm cream to near-black, with a large share of deep neutral gray. It suits rooms that need a calm, grounded base with a few warm highlights.
Quick answer
Use the pale cream #FFF5D2 on the walls and the soft sand #DAC0A7 on a large piece of furniture or one wall. Bring in the walnut wood tone for floors or case pieces, and use the dark umber as a door or trim accent. Keep the near-black for rugs or upholstery.
- Artist
- Johan Christian Dahl
- Date
- 1846
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 91
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.
Deep neutral stone gray
Near-black deep ink
Dark warm umber
Soft warm sand
Deep warm walnut
Pale warm 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Deep neutral stone gray#676463 |
|
13 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Near-black deep ink#18110F |
|
1 | One small textile |
Dark warm umber#3A2921 |
|
3 | One bold piece |
Soft warm sand#DAC0A7 |
|
55 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Deep warm walnut#7B563C |
|
11 | Wood and frames |
Pale warm cream#FFF5D2 |
|
91 | 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 pale warm 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
#FFF2CEIn strong south light, the cream wall will look bright and may appear very light against the sand tones. Keep the wall color in the same family as the sand to avoid a harsh contrast.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2BD96Under warm evening bulbs, the cream and sand will look golden and soft. The dark umber and walnut will look richer and more saturated.
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 Deep warm walnut and the rug border takes Near-black deep ink in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale warm cream
Soft warm sand
Dark warm umber
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
Can I paint a whole room in the darkest color?
The near-black works best on a smaller area, such as a rug, upholstery or a single accent piece. Covering a full room in it will make the space feel very dark, since its LRV is 1.
Which color should I use on the walls of a small, dim room?
Use the pale warm cream #FFF5D2 on the walls. Its LRV of 91 reflects a lot of light, which helps a small or dim room feel more open.
Do I need the same kind of light as the painting to use these colors?
No. The colors are measured from the painting, but the room light will change how they look. Test a sample on your wall at different times of day before you commit.
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.