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

Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Claude Monet's 1900 painting Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather, held by The Art Institute of Chicago. It is a set of soft grays, blue-grays and muted greens, with one very light warm white.

Quick answer

Use the pale warm white #E3E2D8 on the main walls and the pale cool blue #B0C4C9 as a main color on larger surfaces. Use the deep slate blue #728B8E as an accent on one wall, a built-in or trim, and bring in the muted teal green #799C94 through textiles such as curtains, cushions or a throw.

Artist: Claude Monet
Date: 1900
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather by Claude Monet — Claude Monet, *Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather*, 1900. 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 sage gray

#BEC0B0 · 22.4% · LRV 52

Dusty blue gray

#8FA2A4 · 21.7% · LRV 34

Pale green white

#E3E2D8 · 20.6% · LRV 76

Deep slate blue

#728B8E · 17.2% · LRV 24

Pale cool blue

#B0C4C9 · 14.2% · LRV 53

Muted teal green

#799C94 · 3.9% · LRV 30

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.

Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft sage gray is strongest — Soft sage gray

Detail of the painting where Dusty blue gray is strongest — Dusty blue gray

Detail of the painting where Pale green white is strongest — Pale green white

Detail of the painting where Deep slate blue is strongest — Deep slate blue

Detail of the painting where Pale cool blue is strongest — Pale cool blue

Detail of the painting where Muted teal green is strongest — Muted teal green

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 sage gray `#BEC0B0`	Farrow & Ball No. 266 Mizzle Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6191 Contented Very close Behr 730C-3 Castle Path Very close Valspar 6005-3B Brown Buzz Close	52	Small accents, art, accessories
Dusty blue gray `#8FA2A4`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9134 Delft Very close Behr N520-4 Cool Ashes Very close Valspar 5001-4A Café Blue Very close Farrow & Ball No. 85 Oval Room Blue Close	34	Small accents, art, accessories
Pale green white `#E3E2D8`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6182 Ethereal White Near-identical Behr HDC-NT-24 Glacier Valley Near-identical Valspar 7006-12 Salute Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 252 Pavilion Blue Very close	76	Main walls
Deep slate blue `#728B8E`	Behr PPU13-06 Polaris Blue Near-identical Valspar 5001-4B Northern Juniper Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6221 Moody Blue Very close Farrow & Ball No. 86 Stone Blue Similar	24	One bold piece
Pale cool blue `#B0C4C9`	Behr N510-3 Stargazer Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9055 Billowy Breeze Very close Farrow & Ball No. 27 Parma Gray Close Valspar 5001-5B High Noon Close	53	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted teal green `#799C94`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6472 Composed Very close Valspar 5003-6A Water's Edge Close Behr 730F-5 Nature Retreat Close Farrow & Ball No. 85 Oval Room Blue Similar	30	One small textile

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 green 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#C9CCCA

In north light the pale warm white #E3E2D8 will look cooler and more gray. Its LRV of 76 still keeps the room bright, so it works well as a wall color in a room that gets little direct sun.

South-facing room#E9E3D2

Strong south light lifts the pale tones and can make #E3E2D8 look nearly white. The deep slate #728B8E holds its depth in bright sun, so it is a good choice for an accent wall that gets the most light.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C2B399

Under warm evening bulbs the greens and blues tend to look grayer and a little softer. The pale warm white will take on a cream tone, so check the wall next to the lamps before you commit.

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 Muted teal green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale green white

Pale cool blue

Deep slate blue

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Waterloo Bridge, Gray Weather

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

Basement Bedroom Paint Colors for Rooms With Little Light Dark room · Bedroom

Brown Roof House Colors: Four Exterior Schemes That Work Brown roof

West Facing Bedroom Colors That Balance Evening Light West-facing · Bedroom

More palettes like this

A Village in a Valley Théodore Rousseau, late 1820s

Madame Léon Clapisson Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1883

Jesus Mocked by the Soldiers Édouard Manet, 1865

FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls of a small room?

Use the pale warm white #E3E2D8 on the walls. Its LRV of 76 reflects a lot of light, which helps a small room feel open. Keep the deeper slate for a single accent surface.

Can I paint a whole room in the deep slate blue?

The deep slate blue #728B8E has an LRV of 24, so a full room in this color will feel dark and enclosed. It works best on one wall, on built-ins or on a door. Pair it with the pale cool blue or the pale warm white so the room keeps some light.

What trim color works with this palette?

A crisp white trim pairs well with the pale warm white walls and keeps the room looking clean. If the walls are the pale cool blue, the trim can be the same pale warm white for a softer look.

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.