North-facing room
#C6C9BEIn north light the cream wall reads cooler, and its green undertone may look a little grayer. Pair it with warmer wood tones to keep the room from feeling flat.
19th-century Scandinavian painting · art-to-room palette
Study of Water and Plants Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette comes from Thomas Fearnley's 1837 oil study "Study of Water and Plants," held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It pairs a pale, slightly green cream with deep olive greens and browns, plus a warm rust accent, so it suits rooms that want a calm, earthy base with a few darker notes.
Quick answer
Use the pale cream #DDDDC3 on the walls, the mossy olive #787C46 for a large piece or cabinetry, and the near-black #342F1A on a door, trim, or one accent wall. Bring in the ochre wood tone for frames or floors, and add the rust #AF6938 through pillows, throws, or a rug.
- Artist
- Thomas Fearnley
- Date
- 1837
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 71
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.
Near-black olive brown
Dark bronze brown
Pale greenish cream
Mossy olive green
Dark ochre brown
Burnt sienna rust
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Near-black olive brown#342F1A |
|
3 | One bold piece |
Dark bronze brown#594B28 |
|
7 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Pale greenish cream#DDDDC3 |
|
71 | Main walls |
Mossy olive green#787C46 |
|
19 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Dark ochre brown#70592F |
|
11 | Wood and frames |
Burnt sienna rust#AF6938 |
|
20 | 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 pale greenish 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
#E4DFC2Strong south light makes the cream wall, at LRV 71, look bright and airy, and it may read warmer than in shade. The olive and near-black areas will look richer and more defined in this light.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#BFB08DUnder warm evening bulbs, the yellow undertones in the browns and ochre deepen and glow. The cream wall takes on a golden cast, so the room feels cozy and the rust accents stand out.
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 Dark ochre brown and the rug border takes Burnt sienna rust in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale greenish cream
Mossy olive green
Near-black olive brown
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 cream wall color?
Yes. At LRV 71 it is a light color that bounces light, so it works well in small or dimly lit rooms. Test a sample patch first, since the green undertone can shift with the light.
Is the near-black shade too dark for a small room?
It can be, if used on a full wall. At LRV 3 it reads very dark, so use it on one accent wall, a door, or trim to add depth without closing the room in.
How should I test these colors before buying?
Paint sample patches on large sheets of paper or foam board and move them around the room. Check them in morning light, midday sun, and evening lamps, since each light changes how these colors read.
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.