Paint colors for your home, inside and out
19th-century French painting · art-to-room palette
This palette comes from Constant Troyon's Unfinished Study of Sheep, c. 1850, at The Art Institute of Chicago. It is a warm family of earthy browns, ochres and soft golds, and it suits living rooms, studies and dining rooms where you want a settled, low-contrast feel.
Quick answer
Use the light gold #D4B980 (LRV 50) on the walls and the mid-tone #A88D56 as the main color in larger furnishings. Keep the deep browns #7D5E32 for wood and #584828 for one accent, with #C69351 in textiles.
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.
Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.
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 Umber Brown#584828 |
|
7 | One bold piece |
Dark Walnut Brown#7D5E32 |
|
13 | Wood and frames |
Muted Straw Gold#A88D56 |
|
28 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Burnt Sand Orange#B27F46 |
|
25 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Warm Honey Ochre#C69351 |
|
34 | One small textile |
Pale Wheat Gold#D4B980 |
|
50 | 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.
The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.
#C0B292North light is cool and flat, so the pale wheat gold #D4B980 (LRV 50) will look a little grayer and quieter than the swatch. It still reads as a soft, sandy wall, but it will not bounce much light, so keep the trim and ceiling lighter to stop the room feeling heavy.
#DDC38EStrong south light brings out the yellow in #D4B980 and makes it look warmer and brighter. At LRV 50 it should stay comfortable rather than glaring, and it is a good choice for a sunny room where you want a gentle glow.
#BA9B66Warm evening bulbs add even more yellow, so the wall will turn deeper and more golden. The dark browns #584828 (LRV 7) and #7D5E32 (LRV 13) will nearly merge in low light, so add a lamp or two near them to keep their shape visible.
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 Warm Honey Ochre in every combination.
Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.
A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
The light gold #D4B980 (LRV 50) is the only one here that works across all four walls. The others are mid-tone to very dark, with LRVs from 7 to 33, so they suit furniture, textiles and a single accent wall.
Limit #584828 (LRV 7) to one accent, such as a built-in, a door or a single wall behind a sofa. Pair it with the light gold on the other walls so the room still has plenty of reflected light.
The walnut brown #7D5E32 (LRV 13) suits wood tones like floors, tables and frames. The honey ochre #C69351 (LRV 33) works well in cushions, curtains and throws, where it adds warmth without taking over.
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.
