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

By the Seashore Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette takes its colors from Renoir's 1883 oil painting By the Seashore, held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is built on soft sage, muted teal and deep forest tones, with a warm cream for light surfaces, so it suits rooms where you want a calm, earthy scheme.

Quick answer

Use the soft sage gray on the main walls and the warm cream on the ceiling or trim for lift. Bring in the muted teal as an accent, the mossy green on textiles, and the dusky olive on wood.

Artist: Auguste Renoir
Date: 1883
Movement: 19th-century French painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 74

By the Seashore by Auguste Renoir — Auguste Renoir, *By the Seashore*, 1883. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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

#A4A393 · 30.2% · LRV 36

Muted Teal Blue

#4A8987 · 18.9% · LRV 21

Deep Midnight Navy

#263D57 · 17.5% · LRV 4

Mossy Forest Green

#5A7358 · 16.8% · LRV 15

Dusky Olive Gold

#8B8244 · 9.3% · LRV 22

Warm Cream White

#E7E0C8 · 7.3% · LRV 75

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.

By the Seashore 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 Muted Teal Blue is strongest — Muted Teal Blue

Detail of the painting where Deep Midnight Navy is strongest — Deep Midnight Navy

Detail of the painting where Mossy Forest Green is strongest — Mossy Forest Green

Detail of the painting where Dusky Olive Gold is strongest — Dusky Olive Gold

Detail of the painting where Warm Cream White is strongest — Warm Cream White

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 `#A4A393`	Behr HDC-NT-01 Woodland Sage Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 25 Pigeon Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2821 Downing Stone Very close Valspar 6002-2A Tornado Watch Very close	36	Bed, sofa, curtains
Muted Teal Blue `#4A8987`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6480 Lagoon Very close Valspar 5006-8C Fish Story Close Behr HDC-FL13-12 Taos Turquoise Close Farrow & Ball No. 288 Vardo Similar	21	One bold piece
Deep Midnight Navy `#263D57`	Behr 570F-7 Midnight Dream Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9176 Dress Blues Very close Valspar 4010-4 Indigo Streamer Similar Farrow & Ball No. 30 Hague Blue Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Mossy Forest Green `#5A7358`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6453 Cilantro Close Behr BXC-72 Evergreen Trail Close Valspar 5006-6C Alpine Top Close Farrow & Ball No. 34 Calke Green Similar	15	One small textile
Dusky Olive Gold `#8B8244`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6418 Rural Green Very close Behr PPU9-02 Lucky Bamboo Close Valspar 6005-6C Green Jalapeño Similar	22	Wood and frames
Warm Cream White `#E7E0C8`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6413 Restoration Ivory Near-identical Behr 1823 Antique White 1823 Near-identical Valspar 7003-2 Unforgettable Very close Farrow & Ball No. 1 Lime White Very close	75	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 warm cream 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#CCCBC0

In north light the warm cream wall will look cooler and a little grayer. Choose it for rooms that need brightness, since its light reflectance of 74 still bounces light well.

South-facing room#ECE1C6

Strong south light brings out the warm yellow in the cream and softens the sage. The wall will look brighter and more golden, so test a sample on a sunny afternoon before committing.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5B190

Under warm evening bulbs the cream and olive tones will look richer and more golden. The teal may read greener, and the sage will feel cozier.

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 Dusky Olive Gold and the rug border takes Mossy Forest Green in every combination.

Mood board

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

Warm Cream White

Soft Sage Gray

Muted Teal Blue

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

Classic Bedroom Colors Traditional style

Teal Color for Bedroom: Shades and Pairings from Paintings Teal · Bedroom

Gray Green Color: Shades for Interior Walls, Light to Dark Green-grey

More palettes like this

A River in a Meadow Théodore Rousseau, ca. 1840

Still Life with Apples and Pitcher Camille Pissarro, 1872

Madame Cézanne (Hortense Fiquet, 1850–1922) in a Red Dress Paul Cézanne, 1888–90

FAQ

Which color should I use on the main walls?

The soft sage gray has the largest share of the painting and a light reflectance of 36. It is a mid-tone, so it works well on the main walls of a living room or bedroom without making the space feel dark.

Can I use the deep navy in a small room?

The deep navy has a light reflectance of 4, so it reads very dark. In a small room, use it on one feature wall, a cabinet, or a door rather than on all four walls.

How do I keep the room from feeling too dark?

Pair the darker tones with the warm cream wall color, which has a light reflectance of 74. Keep the cream on the ceiling or the larger surfaces so the room still feels open.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 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.