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

Bar-room Scene Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from warm browns, tans, and honey-toned golds, taken from a painting of a tavern interior. It suits rooms that want a cozy, lived-in feel, especially where warmth matters more than crispness.

Quick answer

Use the palest cream #FFEBB9 on the main walls and the sand beige #DABB9A on built-ins or a second wall. Add the apricot gold #E8BA84 through textiles, and bring in the deep walnut #6B4E39 for wood trim, a door, or furniture. Keep the honey tan #B18C64 for one accent wall or large pieces.

Artist: William Sidney Mount
Date: 1835
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 84

Bar-room Scene by William Sidney Mount — William Sidney Mount, *Bar-room Scene*, 1835. 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.

Warm Mid Brown

#967859 · 38.6% · LRV 21

Honey Camel Tan

#B18C64 · 26.7% · LRV 29

Soft Apricot Gold

#E8BA84 · 16.3% · LRV 54

Deep Walnut Brown

#6B4E39 · 15% · LRV 9

Pale Sand Beige

#DABB9A · 2.8% · LRV 53

Creamy Pale Yellow

#FFEBB9 · 0.7% · LRV 84

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.

Bar-room Scene reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Warm Mid Brown is strongest — Warm Mid Brown

Detail of the painting where Honey Camel Tan is strongest — Honey Camel Tan

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Walnut Brown is strongest — Deep Walnut Brown

Detail of the painting where Pale Sand Beige is strongest — Pale Sand Beige

Detail of the painting where Creamy Pale Yellow is strongest — Creamy Pale Yellow

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
Warm Mid Brown `#967859`	Valspar 3002-9B Mocha Syrup Very close Behr BXC-08 Safari Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6124 Cardboard Very close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	21	Small accents, art, accessories
Honey Camel Tan `#B18C64`	Behr MQ2-15 Baguette Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6123 Baguette Very close Valspar 3003-7C Corner Café Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	29	One bold piece
Soft Apricot Gold `#E8BA84`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9012 Polvo de Oro Near-identical Valspar 3001-5C Spun Gold Very close Behr HDC-CL-18 Cellini Gold Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	54	One small textile
Deep Walnut Brown `#6B4E39`	Behr BXC-65 Outback Brown Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 2807 Rookwood Medium Brown Very close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	Wood and frames
Pale Sand Beige `#DABB9A`	Behr S260-3 Dusty Gold Near-identical Valspar 3002-8A Sun Tan Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6114 Bagel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 213 Savage Ground Close	53	Bed, sofa, curtains
Creamy Pale Yellow `#FFEBB9`	Behr P270-2 September Morning Near-identical Valspar 3005-2B Summer Wish Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9015 They call it Mellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 67 Farrow's Cream Close	84	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 creamy pale yellow 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#DCD3B6

North light is cool and soft, so warm yellows can look duller here. The cream #FFEBB9 keeps its warmth but may read a little grey at certain times of day. Test it in the room before you commit.

South-facing room#FFEABA

Strong south light brightens every color in this palette. The cream #FFEBB9, with its LRV of 84, can look close to white and may feel glaring in a sunny room. The sand #DABB9A is a softer choice for a wall that gets full sun.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D2B887

Warm evening bulbs push these colors toward gold and amber. The cream and apricot shades look especially rich, and the brown tones deepen into a cozy glow. Paint samples should be checked under your own lamps.

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 Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Soft Apricot Gold in every combination.

Mood board

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

Creamy Pale Yellow

Pale Sand Beige

Honey Camel Tan

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

Pastel Paint Colors for Rooms Pastel

Yellow Kitchen Walls: Shades Measured From Paintings Yellow · Kitchen

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FAQ

Which color should I use on the walls?

The cream #FFEBB9 is the lightest color here, with an LRV of 84, so it bounces the most light. For a warmer and more subdued wall, use the sand beige #DABB9A, which has an LRV of 53.

Can I use the deep brown on a whole room?

The walnut #6B4E39 has an LRV of 9, so it reads very dark and can make a small room feel closed in. It works best on trim, a door, a bookcase, or one wall in a large room with plenty of light.

How do I balance these colors in one room?

Let the lightest color cover the largest surfaces and use the darker tones in smaller amounts. Ask a painter or store to match your samples to a current product before buying, since the colors here were measured from a painting and are not official paint formulas.

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.