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

Woman Combing Her Hair Color Palette & Paint Colors

Woman Combing Her Hair gives a palette of soft sand, olive-gold, earthy red-brown and plum, with a small dash of deep blue. It suits a bedroom or dressing room that should feel warm and personal.

Quick answer

Paint the walls in the sand (LRV 62), use the gold and olive-brown on wood and the main chair, and bring in the red-brown and plum on bedding. Keep the blue for a single accent, such as a cushion.

Artist: Edgar Degas
Date: ca. 1888–90
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

Woman Combing Her Hair by Edgar Degas — Edgar Degas, *Woman Combing Her Hair*, ca. 1888–90. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.

Sandy Cream

#D5CFB4 · 25.4% · LRV 62

Olive Gold

#957B4C · 20.6% · LRV 21

Clay Brown

#7F5543 · 19.4% · LRV 11

Warm Straw

#CBB273 · 17.1% · LRV 46

Deep Plum

#523034 · 16.1% · LRV 4

Ink Blue

#3E4E7C · 1.4% · LRV 8

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.

Woman Combing Her Hair reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Sandy Cream is strongest — Sandy Cream

Detail of the painting where Olive Gold is strongest — Olive Gold

Detail of the painting where Clay Brown is strongest — Clay Brown

Detail of the painting where Warm Straw is strongest — Warm Straw

Detail of the painting where Deep Plum is strongest — Deep Plum

Detail of the painting where Ink Blue is strongest — Ink Blue

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
Sandy Cream `#D5CFB4`	Behr N300-3 Casual Khaki Near-identical Valspar 6004-3B Willow Wind Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 29 Acanthus Close Farrow & Ball No. 3 Off-White Close	62	Main walls
Olive Gold `#957B4C`	Behr S280-6 Hazel Very close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6405 Fervent Brass Close	21	Wood and frames
Clay Brown `#7F5543`	Behr QE-15 Iron Oxide Very close Valspar 2011-6 Cowboy Suede Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6068 Brevity Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	11	One bold piece
Warm Straw `#CBB273`	Behr S310-4 Perennial Gold Very close Valspar 3008-5B Dylan Velvet Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6401 Independent Gold Close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	46	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Plum `#523034`	Behr 190F-7 Mayan Red Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6020 Marooned Very close Valspar 1011-6 Ancient Burgundy Close Farrow & Ball No. 222 Brinjal Close	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Ink Blue `#3E4E7C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6971 Morning Glory Very close Valspar 4009-8 Classic Royal Blue Very close Behr MQ5-49 Expressionism Very close	8	One small textile

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 sandy 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#C0C0B3

North light cools the sandy cream a little, so it looks closer to putty. The straw and gold tones stay warm.

South-facing room#DED4B6

South light brightens the cream and makes the straw look golden. The clay and plum browns stay rich.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BAA885

Evening bulbs add warmth to the sand and gold, and the plum (LRV 4) almost disappears into shadow, which makes the blue stand out more.

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 Olive Gold and the rug border takes Ink Blue in every combination.

Mood board

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

Sandy Cream

Warm Straw

Clay 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

Maroon Color Palette for Exterior House Paint House exterior · Burgundy

Color Schemes for a Basement Family Room Dark room · Living room

Boho Room Paint Colors: A Warm Palette of Gold, Clay and Sand Boho style

More palettes like this

The Forest at Pontaubert Georges Seurat, 1881

Apples and Grapes Claude Monet, 1880

Rocks at Fontainebleau Paul Cézanne, 1890s

FAQ

How do I use the small amount of blue?

It covers only about 1 percent of the image, so use it the same way: one cushion, a vase or a framed print. At LRV 8 it is dark and will anchor a corner.

Can the plum color go on a wall?

It is very dark at LRV 4, so it works best on one wall in a large room. In a small room use it for a headboard or curtains.

What is the best base for the ceiling?

The sandy cream at LRV 62 is a soft, warm option, though a lighter white will give a brighter ceiling.

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.