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

Woman at Her Toilette Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is taken from Berthe Morisot's "Woman at Her Toilette" (1875–80), oil on canvas at The Art Institute of Chicago. It suits rooms that want calm, earthy neutrals with one cool blue note.

Quick answer

Use the lightest warm stone on the walls and the soft neutral grey on large surfaces such as a feature wall or cabinetry. Put the deep warm umber on wood trim or furniture, the muted taupe on accent pieces, and the muted slate blue in textiles.

Artist: Berthe Morisot
Date: 1875–80
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 55

Woman at Her Toilette by Berthe Morisot — Berthe Morisot, *Woman at Her Toilette*, 1875–80. 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 neutral grey

#B3AFAA · 38.8% · LRV 43

Muted warm taupe

#91816F · 24.8% · LRV 23

Pale warm stone

#CDC3B8 · 16.1% · LRV 56

Deep warm umber

#705F43 · 9.2% · LRV 12

Very dark olive-brown

#443F2B · 6.7% · LRV 5

Muted slate blue

#889BB0 · 4.4% · LRV 32

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.

Woman at Her Toilette reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Soft neutral grey is strongest — Soft neutral grey

Detail of the painting where Muted warm taupe is strongest — Muted warm taupe

Detail of the painting where Pale warm stone is strongest — Pale warm stone

Detail of the painting where Deep warm umber is strongest — Deep warm umber

Detail of the painting where Very dark olive-brown is strongest — Very dark olive-brown

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

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 neutral grey `#B3AFAA`	Behr 770B-4 Classic Very close Valspar 4003-1C Rocky Bluffs Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7643 Pussywillow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 88 Lamp Room Gray Close	43	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted warm taupe `#91816F`	Behr N190-5 Frontier Brown Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6151 Quiver Tan Very close Valspar 2008-9B Caramelized Onion Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	23	One bold piece
Pale warm stone `#CDC3B8`	Sherwin-Williams SW 54 Twilight Gray Very close Behr PPU5-08 Sculptor Clay Very close Farrow & Ball No. 229 Elephant's Breath Very close Valspar 2004-10B Sand Storm Very close	56	Main walls
Deep warm umber `#705F43`	Behr PPU7-02 Tree Swing Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro Close Valspar 6008-2C Prairie Foliage Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	12	Wood and frames
Very dark olive-brown `#443F2B`	Behr S-H-720 Volcanic Island Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Close Valspar 6010-3 Olive Suede Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted slate blue `#889BB0`	Behr PPU15-10 China Silk Near-identical Valspar 4005-3C Blissful Blue Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9072 Dried Lavender Very close Farrow & Ball No. 237 Cook's Blue Similar	32	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 warm stone 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#BCB9B6

North light is cool and dimmer, so the pale warm stone (LRV 55) will look softer and quieter. Its yellow undertone helps keep the room from feeling flat.

South-facing room#D8CBBA

Strong south light brings out the warm yellow undertone of the pale warm stone, so it will look brighter and warmer. The soft neutral grey will stay closer to its measured tone.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#B5A086

Warm evening bulbs push the yellow undertones forward, so the warm neutrals will look richer. The muted slate blue will look greyer and more subdued under these bulbs.

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 Deep warm umber and the rug border takes Muted slate blue in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale warm stone

Soft neutral grey

Muted warm taupe

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

Modern Kitchen Colors: A Palette Measured from Paintings Modern style

Grey Paint Colors for Bedroom Walls, Measured From Paintings Grey · Bedroom

Victorian House Colors: A Six-Color Interior Palette Victorian style

Modern Paint Colors for Interior Rooms Modern style

Farmhouse Paint Colors: A Palette Measured from Paintings Farmhouse style

More palettes like this

The Garden of the Tuileries on a Winter Afternoon Camille Pissarro, 1899

Alfred Sisley Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876

The Deer Gustave Courbet, ca. 1865

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the soft neutral grey?

It is the largest share of the painting, at an LRV of 43, so it reads as a mid-light neutral. It works best in rooms with good daylight. Test a sample on your own walls before committing, since paint will not match these measured values exactly.

Where should the deep warm umber go?

Use it on wood trim, doors, or a dining table, where its LRV of 12 gives strong contrast against lighter walls. Keep it to surfaces you want to read as anchors in the room.

How do I use the muted slate blue without making the room feel cold?

Keep it to textiles such as cushions, a throw, or a rug. Its cool blue undertone balances the warm neutrals, and at 4.4 percent of the painting it is meant as a small accent, not a main 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.