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

The Red Room, Etretat Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Félix Edouard Vallotton's 1899 painting The Red Room, Etretat, held by The Art Institute of Chicago. It is built on deep browns and reds with one soft blush wall tone, which suits rooms that want warmth and a calm, enclosed feel.

Quick answer

Paint the walls in the light blush pink, #DFAFBB, which reflects enough light to keep the room open. Use the mid ochre brown, #977143, for a main piece of furniture, the brick red for one accent, and the darker rust brown for textiles such as curtains or a rug.

Artist: Félix Edouard Vallotton
Date: 1899
Movement: 19th-century Swiss painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 50

The Red Room, Etretat by Félix Edouard Vallotton — Félix Edouard Vallotton, *The Red Room, Etretat*, 1899. 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.

Deep olive black

#252316 · 31% · LRV 2

Burnt umber brown

#4B2A1C · 27.2% · LRV 3

Dark rust brown

#6F2A1E · 18.1% · LRV 5

Deep brick red

#982B22 · 10.3% · LRV 9

Warm ochre brown

#977143 · 8.6% · LRV 19

Soft blush pink

#DFAFBB · 4.8% · LRV 50

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.

The Red Room, Etretat reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep olive black is strongest — Deep olive black

Detail of the painting where Burnt umber brown is strongest — Burnt umber brown

Detail of the painting where Dark rust brown is strongest — Dark rust brown

Detail of the painting where Deep brick red is strongest — Deep brick red

Detail of the painting where Warm ochre brown is strongest — Warm ochre brown

Detail of the painting where Soft blush pink is strongest — Soft blush pink

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 olive black `#252316`	Behr S-H-780 Thorny Branch Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Burnt umber brown `#4B2A1C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Close Behr S-G-770 Wild Horse Similar	3	Small accents, art, accessories
Dark rust brown `#6F2A1E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7593 Rustic Red Close Behr S160-7 Red Chipotle Similar Valspar 1011-4 Posh Red Similar	5	One small textile
Deep brick red `#982B22`	Behr 200D-7 Rodeo Red Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 57 Chinese Red Close Valspar 1011-3 Quite Red Similar Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar	9	One bold piece
Warm ochre brown `#977143`	Behr 260F-6 Smokey Topaz Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 2824 Renwick Golden Oak Very close Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Close	19	Bed, sofa, curtains
Soft blush pink `#DFAFBB`	Behr S160-2 Pink Quartz Very close Valspar 1008-4B Sweety Pie Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6583 In the Pink Close Farrow & Ball No. 278 Nancy's Blushes Close	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.

How soft blush pink 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#C7ACB8

In north light the blush wall tends to look cooler and quieter, with more gray in it. Pair it with warm wood or brass to keep it from feeling flat.

South-facing room#E6BBBC

Strong south light brings out the pink and makes the wall look brighter and more open. The deep reds and browns will look richer, so use them in smaller amounts.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C09688

Warm evening bulbs push the blush toward peach and rose and make the room feel closer and more intimate. The dark browns will look deeper, which suits a reading corner or dining room.

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 Dark rust brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft blush pink

Warm ochre brown

Deep brick red

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

Blush Paint: Shades of Pink for Interior Walls Blush pink

Black Color for a Bedroom: Three Shades and What to Pair With Them Black · Bedroom

Victorian House Colors: A Six-Color Interior Palette Victorian style

Mid Century Color Palette for Your Home Mid-century modern style

More palettes like this

The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten) Ferdinand Hodler, 1896

FAQ

Can I use these dark shades on a whole room?

You can, but the darkest tones, #252316 and #4B2A1C, have a light reflectance value of 2 and 3. A full room in these shades will feel very enclosed. Use them on one wall, trim, a cabinet or a few objects instead.

Which color should I pick if I want the room to feel bright?

Keep the blush pink, #DFAFBB, as the main wall color. Its light reflectance value of 50 bounces more light than the other shades. Limit the deep reds and browns to furniture, textiles and accents.

How do I match these colors to paint at a store?

Each color on this page was measured from the painting, and the paint names listed on its page are the closest commercial matches we measured. Bring a sample to the store and check it in your own room before you buy, since lighting changes how every color looks.

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.