Paint colors for your home, inside and out
19th-century painting · art-to-room palette
This palette is a family of soft, grayed greens taken from Whistler's 1872 nocturne, running from a pale pistachio-tinted white to a deep sage gray. It suits calm rooms such as bedrooms, studies and bathrooms, where you want color that stays quiet.
Quick answer
Use the very light green (#E6EBD9) on the walls, the light sage (#B7BCB1) for the main surfaces like cabinetry or a large piece of furniture, and the mid-tone gray green (#9A9E93) as an accent such as a door or built-in shelving. Keep the pale #D0D5CA for curtains, bedding and rugs, and the deepest gray green (#8C8F85) for small touches.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Mist Sage Gray#9A9E93 |
|
33 | One bold piece |
Pale Lichen Green#B7BCB1 |
|
49 | Bed, sofa, curtains |
Deep Sage Gray#8C8F85 |
|
27 | Small accents, art, accessories |
Soft Celadon Linen#D0D5CA |
|
65 | One small textile |
Pistachio Cream White#E6EBD9 |
|
81 | 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.
#CBD3CBThe wall color #E6EBD9 (LRV 81) will look cooler and a bit grayer in north light, but it still bounces plenty of light, so a north-facing room feels open rather than dim. Pair it with warm wood or cream trim to keep the green from turning chilly.
#ECEAD3In strong south light, #E6EBD9 will read as a fresh, pale green-white and its green undertone will show more clearly. It will not glare at LRV 81, but test a large sample if you want the green to stay subtle.
#C4B89AUnder warm evening bulbs, the green in #E6EBD9 softens toward a creamy, yellowish white. Choose bulbs around 2700K for a cozy glow, and expect the walls to look warmer than they do by day.
Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.
Wood takes a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Soft Celadon Linen 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 5 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
The lightest one, #E6EBD9 with an LRV of 81, is the wall color in this scheme. It reflects light well and gives the other greens a soft backdrop.
Keep #9A9E93 (LRV 33) and #8C8F85 (LRV 27) to accents like a door, shelving or a few pieces of furniture. Both are mid-tones, so a little goes a long way against the light walls.
The pale #D0D5CA (LRV 65) works well for curtains, bedding and rugs. It sits between the wall and the main sage, so it ties the room together without adding contrast.
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.
