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

A Holiday Color Palette & Paint Colors

Soft sea-green and sage greens sit against a sandy tan and a pale green-cream. The palette suits a calm sitting room, bathroom or bedroom.

Quick answer

Put the pale cream-green #D8D6BA on the walls and the aqua-green #7AADA7 on the main furniture or curtains. Use the ochre #C08C51 for small accents.

Artist: Edward Henry Potthast
Date: c. 1915
Movement: 20th-century American painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 66

A Holiday by Edward Henry Potthast — Edward Henry Potthast, *A Holiday*, c. 1915. 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.

Sea sage

#749994 · 36.8% · LRV 29

Sand taupe

#A7937C · 27.9% · LRV 31

Soft aqua green

#7AADA7 · 15.8% · LRV 37

Pale green cream

#D8D6BA · 13.5% · LRV 66

Honey ochre

#C08C51 · 4.7% · LRV 31

Straw gold

#D5BC66 · 1.3% · LRV 51

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.

A Holiday reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Sea sage is strongest — Sea sage

Detail of the painting where Sand taupe is strongest — Sand taupe

Detail of the painting where Soft aqua green is strongest — Soft aqua green

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

Detail of the painting where Honey ochre is strongest — Honey ochre

Detail of the painting where Straw gold is strongest — Straw gold

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
Sea sage `#749994`	Valspar 5003-6A Water's Edge Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 20 Peacock Plume Very close Behr 730F-5 Nature Retreat Very close Farrow & Ball No. 85 Oval Room Blue Similar	29	Small accents, art, accessories
Sand taupe `#A7937C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2827 Colonial Revival Stone Near-identical Behr PPU7-05 Pure Earth Very close Valspar 3004-9C River Oak Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Close	31	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft aqua green `#7AADA7`	Behr BNC-18 Aqua Gray Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6486 Reflecting Pool Close Valspar 5002-5C Turquoise Porcelain Close Farrow & Ball No. 214 Arsenic Similar	37	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale green cream `#D8D6BA`	Valspar 6006-3B Lunar Tide Near-identical Behr PPU9-17 Pale Cucumber Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6421 Celery Very close Farrow & Ball No. 206 Green Ground Close	66	Main walls
Honey ochre `#C08C51`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6390 Bosc Pear Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Very close Behr UL150-1 Golden Leaf Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	31	One bold piece
Straw gold `#D5BC66`	Behr M320-5 Dried Chamomile Very close Valspar 6008-6B Greek Tapenade Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9030 Limón Fresco Close Farrow & Ball No. 223 Babouche Similar	51	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 cream 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#C2C5B7

North light adds a cool cast, so the pale #D8D6BA (LRV 66) can read slightly gray-green; the warm tan #A7937C balances it.

South-facing room#E1DABB

In strong south light the greens look fresher and lighter, and #D8D6BA stays soft rather than glaring.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BCAB88

Warm evening bulbs pull the greens toward yellow, so they feel mellow and the tan and ochre look richer.

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 Straw gold in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale green cream

Soft aqua green

Honey ochre

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

Farmhouse Kitchen Color Palette from Six Paintings Farmhouse style

More palettes like this

Landscape with Two Poplars Vasily Kandinsky, 1912

Christ on the Cross Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri), ca. 1615–20

Landscape with Tournament and Hunters Jan van Scorel, 1519–20

FAQ

Which color should be the main wall color?

The pale #D8D6BA has the highest LRV at 66, so it is the easiest choice for walls. The mid-tone greens at LRV 29 to 37 suit a feature wall.

Do the two greens clash?

They share a green undertone and sit close in LRV (29 and 37), so they read as shades of one color. The sandy #A7937C keeps them from feeling cold.

Where does the gold #D5BC66 fit?

It covers only 1.3% of the painting, so use it sparingly in a pillow, a vase or a brass fixture.

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.