North-facing room
#CACAC3North light is cooler and softer, so the cream wall will look calmer and a little grayer than it does in warm light. Its warm yellow undertone helps keep it from feeling cold.
16th-century Dutch painting · art-to-room palette
Adoration of the Magi Color Palette & Paint Colors
This palette is taken from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi" (c. 1519, The Art Institute of Chicago), an oil on panel. It moves from deep green-black and walnut brown to sage, cream, rust, and gold, so it suits rooms that want warmth with a grounded, earthy base.
Quick answer
Use the cream #E4DECD on the walls, the sage #81846F on a main piece such as a sofa or cabinet, and the walnut #543B20 on floors or wood furniture. Add the rust #A84F3C and ochre #D6A640 in pillows, art, or textiles, and keep the deep spruce #192D27 for one anchoring surface.
- Artist
- Jan van Scorel
- Date
- c. 1519
- Movement
- 16th-century Dutch painting
- Collection
- The Art Institute of Chicago
- Image license
- Public domain (CC0)
- Wall color LRV
- 73
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.
Deep spruce black
Dark walnut brown
Muted sage gray
Warm oat cream
Brick rust red
Soft ochre gold
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Deep spruce black#192D27 |
|
2 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Dark walnut brown#543B20 |
|
5 | Wood and frames |
Muted sage gray#81846F |
|
22 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Warm oat cream#E4DECD |
|
73 | Main walls |
Brick rust red#A84F3C |
|
14 | One bold piece |
Soft ochre gold#D6A640 |
|
42 | 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 warm oat 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.
South-facing room
#EAE0CAStrong south light brings out the warm yellow in the cream wall and makes it look brighter. The sage and rust will also look more saturated, so test a sample on the wall before committing.
Evening, warm lamps (2700K)
#C3B093Warm evening bulbs push the cream and ochre toward gold and make the room feel close and cozy. The sage and spruce will look darker and greener, which suits a quiet reading corner.
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 Dark walnut brown and the rug border takes Soft ochre gold in every combination.
Mood board
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
Warm oat cream
Muted sage gray
Brick rust red
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
Can I paint a whole room in the deep spruce black?
This color has an LRV of 2, so it absorbs nearly all light and reads very dark. Use it on one wall, a built-in, or a door rather than all four walls, especially in a small or dim room.
Which color works best for trim and doors?
The warm cream #E4DECD works well on trim because it stays close to the wall color without disappearing into it. The walnut brown can also suit trim in a room with plenty of natural light.
How do I know these colors will look right in my home?
The closest commercial matches were measured from the painting, not from your room. Buy a sample, paint a large patch on two walls, and check it in morning, midday, and evening light before you choose.
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.