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

The Home of the Heron Color Palette & Paint Colors

George Inness painted The Home of the Heron in 1893, and The Art Institute of Chicago holds it. Its glowing browns and one peach highlight make a palette for a warm living room, a library or a dining room with candlelight.

Quick answer

Put the peach #DD9B67 or the pale glow #FFBF7F on the walls, use the mid brown #97663C for main furniture, and reserve #2D2018 for the darkest accents.

Artist: George Inness
Date: 1893
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 60

The Home of the Heron by George Inness — George Inness, *The Home of the Heron*, 1893. 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.

Heron Marsh Brown

#774F2F · 31.5% · LRV 10

Burnt Sienna Glow

#97663C · 30.2% · LRV 16

Dark Walnut

#4F371F · 23.9% · LRV 5

Espresso Shadow

#2D2018 · 6.7% · LRV 2

Soft Apricot

#DD9B67 · 6.5% · LRV 40

Pale Sunset Cream

#FFBF7F · 1.3% · LRV 60

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 Home of the Heron reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Heron Marsh Brown is strongest — Heron Marsh Brown

Detail of the painting where Burnt Sienna Glow is strongest — Burnt Sienna Glow

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

Detail of the painting where Espresso Shadow is strongest — Espresso Shadow

Detail of the painting where Soft Apricot is strongest — Soft Apricot

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

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
Heron Marsh Brown `#774F2F`	Behr S240-7 Leather Work Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Very close Valspar 3010-8 Cowboy Hat Similar	10	Wood and frames
Burnt Sienna Glow `#97663C`	Behr MQ2-6 Gilded Glamour Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 45 Antiquarian Brown Very close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Very close	16	One bold piece
Dark Walnut `#4F371F`	Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Similar	5	One small textile
Espresso Shadow `#2D2018`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Similar Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Apricot `#DD9B67`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6360 Folksy Gold Very close Valspar 3001-3B Toffee Cream Very close Behr 280D-4 Caramel Sundae Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	40	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale Sunset Cream `#FFBF7F`	Behr P240-4 Mango Tango Very close Valspar 2006-1C Orange Cream Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6654 Surprise Amber Close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	60	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 sunset 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#DCB691

In a north-facing room the pale #FFBF7F has an LRV of 60 and adds the sunlight the room lacks, though it can look a little orange next to cool daylight.

South-facing room#FFC88D

In strong south light the apricot #DD9B67, with an LRV of 40, reads more saturated, so test it on a large board before committing to every wall.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D29F66

Under warm evening bulbs the whole palette merges into amber, and the brown tones #774F2F and #97663C look rich and layered.

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 Heron Marsh Brown and the rug border takes Dark Walnut in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Sunset Cream

Soft Apricot

Burnt Sienna Glow

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

Nursery Paint Colors and Wall Color Schemes Nursery

More palettes like this

Miss Schaum Jacob Eichholtz, 1808–10

York Harbor, Coast of Maine Martin Johnson Heade, 1877

Icebound John Henry Twachtman, c. 1889

FAQ

Can I use the bright #FFBF7F on all four walls?

You can in a room with little daylight, but it is a strong color. In a bright room, try it on one wall or on the ceiling and keep the other walls quieter.

What goes with these warm browns for contrast?

The painting has no cool colors, so add them yourself with a neutral gray rug or white linen. Keep any cool accent small so the palette stays unified.

Which brown suits kitchen cabinets?

The deep #774F2F, with an LRV of 10, reads as a dark wood tone. Pair it with a lighter wall such as the apricot #DD9B67 to keep the room from feeling heavy.

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.