North-facing room
#DCD5A6Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.
18th-century painting · art-to-room palette
Mary (Polly) Lawton Bringhurst Color Palette & Paint Colors
Six colors measured from Mary (Polly) Lawton Bringhurst by James Peale, with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.
Quick answer
Put Pale Yellow on most walls, use Light Green for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Yellow to one bold piece. Warm Olive suits floors, wood and frames, and Light Yellow works best in a single textile.
- Artist
- James Peale
- Date
- 1790
- Movement
- 18th-century painting
- Collection
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 85
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.
Muted Green
Light Green
Warm Olive
Light Yellow
Warm Yellow
Pale Yellow
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Muted Green#A2A294 |
|
36 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Light Green#AAAA9C |
|
40 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Warm Olive#797052 |
|
16 | Wood and frames |
Light Yellow#D5AC67 |
|
45 | One small textile |
Warm Yellow#B08342 |
|
26 | One bold piece |
Pale Yellow#FFEF9F |
|
86 | 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 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.
South-facing room
#FFEDA6Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#D2BA78Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.
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 Warm Olive and the rug border takes Light Yellow in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Pale Yellow
Light Green
Warm Yellow
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
What colors are in Mary (Polly) Lawton Bringhurst?
Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Muted Green (#A2A294, 54.7% of the canvas), Light Green (#AAAA9C, 23.3% of the canvas), Warm Olive (#797052, 14.7% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#D5AC67, 4% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B08342, 2.4% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFEF9F, 0.9% of the canvas).
Does this palette work in a small room?
Yes. The wall color reflects about 85% of the light that hits it (LRV 85), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.
Can I use this image on my own mood board?
The Art Institute of Chicago releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.
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.