20th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette

Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red Color Palette & Paint Colors

Mondrian's "Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red" gives a palette of pale grays and whites with a single hit of red. It suits a modern, quiet room where one strong color does the work.

Quick answer

Use #E6E8E3 on the walls, #B7B7B7 on the main furniture, #1D1417 in textiles and keep #CD4829 for one small accent.

Artist: Piet Mondrian
Date: 1935
Movement: 20th-century Dutch painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 80

Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red by Piet Mondrian — Piet Mondrian, *Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red*, 1935. 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.

Chalk Gray White

#DDDED8 · 55% · LRV 73

Pale Gray

#B7B7B7 · 25.5% · LRV 47

Cool White

#E6E8E3 · 10.1% · LRV 80

Near Black Plum

#1D1417 · 7.5% · LRV 1

Slate Gray

#665F60 · 1.4% · LRV 12

Poppy Red

#CD4829 · 0.5% · LRV 18

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.

Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Chalk Gray White is strongest — Chalk Gray White

Detail of the painting where Pale Gray is strongest — Pale Gray

Detail of the painting where Cool White is strongest — Cool White

Detail of the painting where Near Black Plum is strongest — Near Black Plum

Detail of the painting where Slate Gray is strongest — Slate Gray

Detail of the painting where Poppy Red is strongest — Poppy Red

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
Chalk Gray White `#DDDED8`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7666 Fleur de Sel Near-identical Behr N200-1 Moth Gray Near-identical Valspar 7006-18 Blizzard Fog Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 277 Dimpse Very close	73	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale Gray `#B7B7B7`	Behr HDC-MD-26 Sonic Silver Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7668 March Wind Very close Valspar 4004-1B Urban Sunrise Very close Farrow & Ball No. 88 Lamp Room Gray Close	47	Bed, sofa, curtains
Cool White `#E6E8E3`	Valspar 5007-1A Possibility Near-identical Behr BWC-21 Poetic Light Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 7007 Ceiling Bright White Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 269 Cabbage White Very close	80	Main walls
Near Black Plum `#1D1417`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7630 Raisin Similar Behr BNC-21 Double Espresso Similar	1	One small textile
Slate Gray `#665F60`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7082 Stunning Shade Very close Behr PPU17-19 Arabian Veil Very close Valspar 4001-2C Blackstrap Very close Farrow & Ball No. 244 London Clay Similar	12	Small accents, art, accessories
Poppy Red `#CD4829`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6881 Cayenne Close Behr UL120-18 Koi Close Valspar 2011-3 Vivid Orange Close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Similar	18	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 cool 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#CBD1D2

In north light, #E6E8E3 at LRV 80 stays clean and slightly cool, so add a warm lamp to keep the room from feeling bare.

South-facing room#ECE8DB

In strong south light, the wall color turns bright and crisp. The pale gray #B7B7B7 holds its tone and keeps the glare down.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C4B6A0

Under warm evening bulbs, the whites soften to cream, and the red #CD4829 glows. Keep it small so it does not dominate.

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 Near Black Plum in every combination.

Mood board

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

Cool White

Pale Gray

Poppy Red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Composition (No. 1) Gray-Red

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

Farmhouse Kitchen Color Palette from Six Paintings Farmhouse style

Hygge Color Scheme: Six Calm Colors from Paintings Scandinavian style

Classic House Color Combinations: Four Exterior Schemes House exterior · Traditional

House Paint Colors with a Red Roof: Four Schemes Terracotta tile roof

More palettes like this

Mother and Child Julius Gari Melchers, c. 1906

FAQ

How much red should I use with this palette?

Very little. The red covers 0.5% of the painting, so one cushion, a lamp or a single chair is enough.

What wall color comes from this painting?

The wall role is #E6E8E3, a very light neutral with an LRV of 80.

Can I use the near black on a wall?

It has an LRV of 1, so it is better as a rug, curtain or sofa than as a wall color.

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.