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

The Herring Net Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Winslow Homer's The Herring Net (1885, The Art Institute of Chicago). It pairs a sandy tan and a pale putty with muddy greens and deep browns, and it suits a calm living room, entry or study.

Quick answer

Put the pale putty (#D5D2BA, LRV 64) on the walls and use the sandy tan (#AA947B) for a large sofa, rug or built-ins. Save the deep brown (#55442B) for an accent such as a door or shelving, the forest green (#39593D) for textiles, and the rust brown (#825238) for wood pieces.

Artist: Winslow Homer
Date: 1885
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 64

The Herring Net by Winslow Homer — Winslow Homer, *The Herring Net*, 1885. 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.

Sandy Driftwood Tan

#AA947B · 52.8% · LRV 31

Dark Walnut Brown

#55442B · 18.6% · LRV 6

Muted Grey Green

#747364 · 17.6% · LRV 17

Pale Putty Cream

#D5D2BA · 8.2% · LRV 64

Deep Forest Green

#39593D · 2% · LRV 8

Rust Wood Brown

#825238 · 0.8% · LRV 11

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.

The Herring Net reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

Detail of the painting where Dark Walnut Brown is strongest — Dark Walnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Muted Grey Green is strongest — Muted Grey Green

Detail of the painting where Pale Putty Cream is strongest — Pale Putty Cream

Detail of the painting where Deep Forest Green is strongest — Deep Forest Green

Detail of the painting where Rust Wood Brown is strongest — Rust Wood Brown

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 Driftwood Tan `#AA947B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9116 Serengeti Grass Very close Behr MQ2-24 Golden Olive Very close Valspar 3004-9C River Oak Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	31	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark Walnut Brown `#55442B`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7034 Status Bronze Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar	6	One bold piece
Muted Grey Green `#747364`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2851 Sage Green Light Very close Behr HDC-AC-20 Halls Of Ivy Very close Valspar 5008-2C Cosmopolitan Olive Close Farrow & Ball No. 47 Green Smoke Similar	17	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Putty Cream `#D5D2BA`	Behr HDC-SM14-9 Thin Mint Very close Valspar 6005-3A Olive White Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 29 Acanthus Very close Farrow & Ball No. 282 Shadow White Close	64	Main walls
Deep Forest Green `#39593D`	Behr BXC-33 Jolly Green Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6447 Evergreens Close Valspar 6009-6 Palace Green Close	8	One small textile
Rust Wood Brown `#825238`	Behr 240F-6 Sable Brown Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Close Valspar 2010-6 Burnt Caramel Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	11	Wood and frames

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 putty 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#C0C2B7

North light is cool and flat, so the pale putty wall (#D5D2BA, LRV 64) may look a little greyer and quieter than it does in the swatch. Its warm yellow undertone helps keep the room from feeling chilly.

South-facing room#DED6BB

Strong south light will bring out the warm yellow in the putty and make it glow. At LRV 64 it reflects plenty of light, so it should stay soft rather than harsh, but test a large sample before you commit.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BAAA88

Warm evening bulbs will push the putty toward cream and deepen the sandy tan and brown accents. The greens will look darker, so add a lamp near the green textiles if you want them to stay readable.

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 Rust Wood Brown and the rug border takes Deep Forest Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Putty Cream

Sandy Driftwood Tan

Dark Walnut 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

Bedroom Beige Color: Three Shades and What to Pair Them With Beige · Bedroom

Coastal Paint Colors: A Beach House Color Palette Coastal style

More palettes like this

The Advance-Guard, or The Military Sacrifice (The Ambush) Frederic Remington, 1890

Mrs. Benjamin Schaum (Anna Maria Heckensweiler) Jacob Eichholtz, 1808–10

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

FAQ

Which color from this palette works best on walls?

The pale putty (#D5D2BA, LRV 64) is the wall color here. It is the lightest of the six, so it reflects the most light and lets the darker colors work as furniture, trim and accents.

Can I use the sandy tan as a wall color too?

Yes, in a room with good light. The sandy tan (#AA947B, LRV 31) is a mid-tone, so it will feel cozier and absorb more light than the putty. It also covers over half of the painting, which makes it a natural main color for large pieces.

How much of the dark brown and green should I use?

Keep them small. The dark brown (#55442B, LRV 6) and forest green (#39593D, LRV 8) are very dark, so they work best on a door, a shelf, pillows or a throw. The rust brown (#825238, LRV 11) fits wood furniture or frames.

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.