North-facing room
#DCBF8ENorth light is cooler and softer, so the gold wall will look more muted and slightly greyer. It stays warm, but it reads calmer than it does in sunlight.
18th-century Spanish painting · art-to-room palette
The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda) Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette is taken from the browns, olives and golds of Luis Meléndez's ca. 1772 still life, The Afternoon Meal (La Merienda), held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its warm, earthy range suits rooms that should feel calm, grounded and a little old-fashioned.
Quick answer
Put the lightened gold #FFCE79 on the walls. Use the muted olive #929460 for a main piece or large furniture, the dark olive #555027 for an accent such as a door or built-in, and the ochre #BF8741 in cushions, rugs or curtains. Save the near-black #271E15 for small details.
- Artist
- Luis Meléndez
- Date
- ca. 1772
- Movement
- 18th-century Spanish painting
- Collection
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 67
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.
Deep warm black
Dark olive brown
Deep grey green
Muted sage olive
Burnished ochre tan
Light golden ochre
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Deep warm black#271E15 |
|
1 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Dark olive brown#555027 |
|
8 | One bold piece |
Deep grey green#5D675B |
|
13 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Muted sage olive#929460 |
|
28 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Burnished ochre tan#BF8741 |
|
29 | One small textile |
Light golden ochre#E4A941 |
|
45 | 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.
This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#FFCE79).
How the lightest tone 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
#FFD388Strong south light makes the gold wall look bright and warm, and it can feel close to yellow at midday. Balance it with the olive and dark tones so the room does not feel washed out.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2A762Warm evening bulbs push the gold toward amber and deepen the olive and brown tones. This is the room's most cozy version, and the dark accents will look richer.
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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Burnished ochre tan in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Light golden ochre
Muted sage olive
Dark 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 darkest color?
The near-black #271E15 is very dark, with a light reflectance value of 1, so it absorbs most of the light that hits it. Use it on a single feature such as a cabinet, a door or a narrow alcove, not on every wall of a small room.
What trim color works with this scheme?
Choose a trim that is lighter than the wall and warm in tone, so it sits with the gold rather than against it. A creamy off-white is a safer choice than a bright, cool white, which can make the gold look yellow.
How should I test these colors before I commit?
Paint a large sample board or a sheet of primed paper and move it around the room. Look at it in morning light, midday sun and under your evening lamps, because each one changes the warm and green undertones.
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.