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

Icebound Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is drawn from John Henry Twachtman's 1889 oil painting Icebound, held by The Art Institute of Chicago. It moves from pale green-grey and soft sage to muted teal, deep blue-green, dark olive brown and a small note of warm peach.

Quick answer

Use the pale green cream #E2E3D8 on the walls and the muted blue teal #819F9F on a main piece such as a sofa, cabinet or large chair. Add the deep teal #3C7573 as an accent on a door, bookcase or cushion, with the dark olive brown #645D4E for wood and the warm peach #D0A486 for textiles.

Artist: John Henry Twachtman
Date: c. 1889
Movement: 19th-century painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

Icebound by John Henry Twachtman — John Henry Twachtman, *Icebound*, c. 1889. 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.

Pale Green Cream

#E2E3D8 · 35% · LRV 76

Misty Sage Grey

#C3D0C7 · 34.7% · LRV 61

Muted Blue Teal

#819F9F · 18.3% · LRV 32

Deep Teal Blue

#3C7573 · 6.5% · LRV 15

Dark Olive Brown

#645D4E · 3.7% · LRV 11

Warm Peach Clay

#D0A486 · 1.8% · LRV 42

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Pale Green Cream is strongest — Pale Green Cream

Detail of the painting where Misty Sage Grey is strongest — Misty Sage Grey

Detail of the painting where Muted Blue Teal is strongest — Muted Blue Teal

Detail of the painting where Deep Teal Blue is strongest — Deep Teal Blue

Detail of the painting where Dark Olive Brown is strongest — Dark Olive Brown

Detail of the painting where Warm Peach Clay is strongest — Warm Peach Clay

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
Pale Green Cream `#E2E3D8`	Farrow & Ball No. 252 Pavilion Blue Near-identical Valspar 7006-8 Divine Cream Very close Behr HDC-NT-24 Glacier Valley Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6182 Ethereal White Very close	76	Main walls
Misty Sage Grey `#C3D0C7`	Valspar 5003-3B Frosty Grass Near-identical Behr PPU11-13 Frosted Jade Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6211 Rainwashed Very close Farrow & Ball No. 236 Teresa's Green Very close	61	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted Blue Teal `#819F9F`	Behr 770F-4 Gray Area Very close Valspar 5002-4A Secluded Garden Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7611 Tranquil Aqua Close Farrow & Ball No. 85 Oval Room Blue Close	32	Bed, sofa, curtains
Deep Teal Blue `#3C7573`	Valspar 5007-8C Pine Forest Very close Behr 510F-6 Solitude Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6488 Grand Canal Close Farrow & Ball No. 288 Vardo Close	15	One bold piece
Dark Olive Brown `#645D4E`	Behr N220-6 Landmark Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7054 Suitable Brown Very close Valspar 6006-2C Roasted Sepia Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Close	11	Wood and frames
Warm Peach Clay `#D0A486`	Behr 260F-4 Sunset Beige Near-identical Valspar 2004-8A Vienna Beige Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9010 Windswept Canyon Close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	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 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#C9CDCA

In north light the pale green cream wall looks cooler and a little greyer. The sage and teal tones hold steady, so this is a good light for a calm, quiet room.

South-facing room#E8E4D2

Strong south light brings out the warmth in the pale green cream and makes it look brighter. The muted blue teal will look softer and less grey, and the deep teal will feel richer.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C1B399

Under warm evening bulbs the pale green cream takes on a slightly yellow cast, and the blue teal can look greener. Test the wall color under your own lamps before you commit to it.

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 Dark Olive Brown and the rug border takes Warm Peach Clay in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Green Cream

Muted Blue Teal

Deep 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

Beach Paint Colors for Living Room Coastal style

Gray and White House: Exterior Colors for Walls, Trim and Door House exterior · Grey

Green Exterior Paint Colors for Your House House exterior · Green

Modern Bedroom Colors and Color Combinations Modern style

Agreeable Gray Coordinating Colors: A Gray Palette From Paintings Grey

More palettes like this

Nocturne: Blue and Gold—Southampton Water James McNeill Whistler, 1872

Mrs. Reuben Allerton (Lois Atherton) Ammi Phillips, 1821–22

After the Bullfight Mary Cassatt, 1873

FAQ

Which color should I paint the walls?

Use the pale green cream #E2E3D8 on the walls. It has an LRV of 76, so it reads light and bounces light around the room. It also gives the darker colors in the scheme room to stand out.

Can I use the deep teal in a small room?

Yes, but keep it to one or two surfaces, such as a door or a built-in shelf. The deep teal #3C7573 has an LRV of 15, so covering all the walls in a small room will make it feel closed in.

Can I use the warm peach without the olive wood tones?

Yes. The warm peach #D0A486 works well on its own in cushions, throws or curtains. Pair it with the pale green cream or the misty sage to keep the room soft.

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.