17th-century Spanish painting · art-to-room palette

Kitchen Scene Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from the dark, earthy browns of Velázquez's Kitchen Scene, with one pale green-white to lift it. It suits a snug dining room, a kitchen with wood cabinets, or a reading corner where you want the walls to feel calm and settled.

Quick answer

Use the pale #FBFCE1 on the walls, and #B09F71 for the main furniture or large upholstery. Keep #897951 for wood, #5F5337 for textiles, and #3A3220 for an accent such as a door, built-in, or trim.

Artist: Diego Velázquez
Date: 1618–20
Movement: 17th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 96

Kitchen Scene by Diego Velázquez — Diego Velázquez, *Kitchen Scene*, 1618–20. 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.

Smoked Umber Brown

#3A3220 · 46.8% · LRV 3

Dark Peat Brown

#463C2B · 35.8% · LRV 5

Deep Olive Brown

#5F5337 · 10.3% · LRV 9

Antique Oak Tan

#897951 · 3.3% · LRV 20

Soft Khaki Gold

#B09F71 · 2.5% · LRV 35

Pale Lime Cream

#FBFCE1 · 1.4% · LRV 96

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.

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

Detail of the painting where Smoked Umber Brown is strongest — Smoked Umber Brown

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

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

Detail of the painting where Antique Oak Tan is strongest — Antique Oak Tan

Detail of the painting where Soft Khaki Gold is strongest — Soft Khaki Gold

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

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
Smoked Umber Brown `#3A3220`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	3	One bold piece
Dark Peat Brown `#463C2B`	Behr S-H-710 Dried Leaf Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove Close Valspar 6009-3 Montana Moss Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Olive Brown `#5F5337`	Behr 700D-7 South Kingston Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7735 Palm Leaf Close Valspar 6010-4 Amazon Silt Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	9	One small textile
Antique Oak Tan `#897951`	Behr N300-6 Archaeological Site Very close Valspar 6008-4C Valencia Moss Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7734 Olive Grove Close Farrow & Ball No. 40 Mouse's Back Similar	20	Wood and frames
Soft Khaki Gold `#B09F71`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7733 Bamboo Shoot Very close Behr QE-36 Golden Sage Very close Valspar 6007-4A Gold Infusion Close Farrow & Ball No. 75 Ball Green Similar	35	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale Lime Cream `#FBFCE1`	Behr P300-1 Lemon White Near-identical Valspar 7003-22 Gilded Endive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6420 Queen Anne's Lace Close Farrow & Ball No. 2010 James White Similar	96	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 pale lime 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#D9DED0

North light is cool and flat, and the green undertone in #FBFCE1 will read a little greener and cooler. At LRV 96 it still bounces plenty of light, so it keeps a north-facing room from feeling dim.

South-facing room#FCF7DA

Strong south light will push #FBFCE1 toward a clean, bright off-white, and the green may look faint. At LRV 96 it can feel very bright on a big sunny wall, so test it beside your trim before you commit.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CFC19E

Warm evening bulbs will soften the green and make #FBFCE1 look creamier and more yellow. The dark browns and the tan will look richer, so the room will feel cozy without adding more lamps.

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 Antique Oak Tan and the rug border takes Deep Olive Brown in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Lime Cream

Soft Khaki Gold

Smoked Umber Brown

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

North Facing Living Room Paint Colors North-facing · Living room

Basement Paint Colors for Dark Rooms: Light Creams and Deep Shades Dark room

More palettes like this

Don Gaspar de Guzmán (1587–1645), Count-Duke of Olivares Juan Bautista Martínez del Mazo, ca. 1636 or later

Philip IV (1605–1665), King of Spain Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez), probably 1624

Pietà Juan de Valdés Leal, ca. 1657–60

FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the dark browns from this palette?

You can, but #3A3220 has an LRV of 3 and #463C2B has an LRV of 5, so they absorb almost all light. They work best in a small room, or on one wall or a set of built-ins, with lamps for evening.

How do I keep the pale wall color from feeling cold next to so much brown?

Bring in the warm tones through wood, textiles, and furniture. Wood in #897951 and a main piece in #B09F71 sit close to the wall color in warmth and give the green-white a softer setting.

Which colors should go on the largest areas?

Put the light #FBFCE1 on most of the wall space, since its LRV of 96 keeps the room bright. Use the mid-tones, #B09F71 at LRV 35 and #897951 at LRV 20, for the larger furnishings, and keep the darkest browns for smaller areas.

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.