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

New England Headlands Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Childe Hassam's 1899 oil painting New England Headlands, held at The Art Institute of Chicago. It pairs soft blue-grays and a warm off-white with sage and a deep slate blue, which suits rooms that need calm, airy walls with a few darker notes.

Quick answer

Use the warm off-white on the walls. Let the soft blue-gray carry the largest surfaces, such as a sofa or an accent wall, and add sage in textiles. Keep the deep slate blue for small accents like a cabinet, a lamp base, or a door.

Artist: Childe Hassam
Date: 1899
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

New England Headlands by Childe Hassam — Childe Hassam, *New England Headlands*, 1899. 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.

Soft Blue-Gray

#B5C5CC · 45.1% · LRV 54

Muted Sky Blue

#87B8C9 · 17.9% · LRV 44

Warm Off-White

#E6E2D0 · 15% · LRV 76

Sage Green

#9FAC7C · 12.3% · LRV 38

Warm Sandy Tan

#C4A980 · 5% · LRV 42

Deep Slate Blue

#6A7B99 · 4.8% · LRV 20

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.

New England Headlands reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft Blue-Gray is strongest — Soft Blue-Gray

Detail of the painting where Muted Sky Blue is strongest — Muted Sky Blue

Detail of the painting where Warm Off-White is strongest — Warm Off-White

Detail of the painting where Sage Green is strongest — Sage Green

Detail of the painting where Warm Sandy Tan is strongest — Warm Sandy Tan

Detail of the painting where Deep Slate Blue is strongest — Deep Slate 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
Soft Blue-Gray `#B5C5CC`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9145 Sleepy Hollow Very close Valspar 4008-3B Lighthouse Shadows Very close Farrow & Ball No. 27 Parma Gray Very close Behr PPU13-14 Ozone Very close	54	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted Sky Blue `#87B8C9`	Behr BNC-08 Sonata Blue Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6500 Open Seas Close Valspar 5003-7C Fresh Basin Close Farrow & Ball No. 210 Blue Ground Similar	44	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Off-White `#E6E2D0`	Behr N300-2 Canvas Luggage Near-identical Valspar 7006-15 Presidential White Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 2010 James White Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7563 Restful White Very close	76	Main walls
Sage Green `#9FAC7C`	Behr N340-4 Tent Green Close Valspar 6004-6A Brush Meadow Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9038 Cucuzza Verde Close Farrow & Ball No. 287 Yeabridge Green Close	38	One small textile
Warm Sandy Tan `#C4A980`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6122 Camelback Very close Behr MQ2-29 Cliff Ridge Very close Valspar 3005-9C Caraway Seed Very close Farrow & Ball No. 6 London Stone Similar	42	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Slate Blue `#6A7B99`	Behr N540-5 Infamous Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6536 Searching Blue Very close Valspar 4003-8B Bedtime Story Close Farrow & Ball No. 220 Pitch Blue Similar	20	One bold piece

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 warm off-white 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#CBCCC6

In north light the warm off-white can look a little cooler and grayer. It still reads light, with an LRV of 76, so it keeps the room bright.

South-facing room#ECE3CC

Strong south light makes the warm off-white look brighter and warmer. Its LRV of 76 can feel very bright in a room that already gets a lot of sun, so test a sample on a large board first.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C4B395

Under warm evening bulbs the yellow in the off-white becomes more noticeable. The blue-grays may look softer and a little grayer, which keeps the scheme calm 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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Sage Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Warm Off-White

Soft Blue-Gray

Deep Slate Blue

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

Sky Blue Color Combination for a Room Light blue

Light Grey Paint for Living Room: Three Shades and What to Pair Them With Light grey · Living room

Grey Kitchen Paint: Three Shades From Paintings and What to Pair With Them Grey · Kitchen

South Facing Bedroom Colors That Stay Cool in Strong Light South-facing · Bedroom

Cottage Color Scheme: Six Colors Measured From Paintings Cottage style

More palettes like this

A City Park William Merritt Chase, c. 1887

Man with a Pen Jonas Welch Holman, 1827–30

Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth) John Singer Sargent, 1897

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

Use the warm off-white, #E6E2D0, with an LRV of 76. It reads light and reflects light well, so it works in most rooms as a base for the other colors.

Can I paint a whole room in the soft blue-gray?

You can, but its LRV is 54, so the room will feel less bright than one painted in the off-white. It works best on one wall, a large piece of furniture, or in a room that gets plenty of daylight.

How do I use the deep slate blue without making the room feel dark?

Its LRV is 20, so keep it to small areas. Pair it with the warm off-white on the walls and add sage textiles to balance it.

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.