Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Dark green · Bedroom · colors from 3 paintings
For bedroom walls, dark green works best when it is deep enough to feel calm and paired with one light color to keep the room from closing in. Here are three very dark greens measured from paintings, with LRV, closest paint matches and colors from the same paintings to pair with them.
Quick answer
Use #3A4B2C (LRV 6) on bedroom walls if you want the green to read as green. Use #192D27 or #1F261A (both LRV 2) for a near-black feature wall behind the bed.
The most visibly green of the three, with an LRV of 6, so it suits all four walls or a feature wall in a bedroom with some daylight. It was measured from Claude Monet's "On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt" (1868).
From On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt, Claude Monet
At LRV 2 with a green undertone, it reads almost black, which makes it a good choice for bedding, curtains or a wall behind the bed. It comes from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi" (c. 1519).
From Adoration of the Magi, Jan van Scorel
Also LRV 2, with a green undertone, it gives a deep, quiet backdrop for a feature wall in a room with good lamp light. It was measured from Jean Marc Nattier's "Portrait of a Woman" (1753).
From Portrait of a Woman, Jean Marc Nattier
At LRV 73 with a warm yellow undertone, it suits trim, the ceiling and any walls you leave unpainted, and it bounces light back into a dark green room. It comes from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi" (c. 1519).
From Adoration of the Magi, Jan van Scorel
A very dark, warm brown (LRV 5) for a bed frame, nightstands or a wood floor beside green walls. It was measured from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi" (c. 1519).
From Adoration of the Magi, Jan van Scorel
A mid-tone blue with a cool undertone and an LRV of 36, best kept for one bold piece such as an armchair or a throw. It comes from Claude Monet's "On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt" (1868).
From On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt, Claude Monet
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
| Color | Neutral daylight | North light | South light | Evening lamps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Parchment White | ||||
| Clear Cornflower Blue |
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt.
Start with how dark you want the room to feel. All three greens here are very dark, with LRV between 2 and 6. They differ mainly in how much green you can see.
The green from Claude Monet's "On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt" (1868) is #3A4B2C, LRV 6. It reads most clearly as green, so it suits a bedroom that gets some daylight. Closest paint matches measured: Sherwin-Williams SW 6447 Evergreens (close) and Behr 430F-7 Windsor Moss (very close).
The greens from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi" (#192D27) and Jean Marc Nattier's "Portrait of a Woman" (#1F261A) both sit at LRV 2, close to black. They work well as a feature wall behind the bed, where you want a cocoon. The van Scorel shade has Behr S-H-790 Black Suede as a close match. The Nattier shade has no close commercial match.
Dark green needs a lighter partner so the room does not turn into one block of shadow. For trim, the ceiling and any walls that are not green, try the warm off-white #E4DECD from Jan van Scorel's "Adoration of the Magi." At LRV 73 it reflects light back into the room. Near-identical paints: Sherwin-Williams SW 7011 Natural Choice, Behr N300-2 Canvas Luggage and Farrow & Ball No. 282 Shadow White.
For wood, use the dark warm brown #543B20 (LRV 5) on a bed frame, nightstands or a floor. Closest matches: Sherwin-Williams SW 6097 Sturdy Brown (close) and Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend (very close).
Add one bold piece in the cool blue #79A6DA from Monet's painting, such as an armchair or a throw. Its LRV of 36 lifts the room. Use #192D27 for bedding or curtains to deepen the walls. A light rug on a dark floor breaks up the darkness.
With LRV between 2 and 6, these greens take in nearly all the light that reaches them. The walls will not bounce daylight around the way a color above 60 does. Expect the room to feel enclosed, which many people want in a bedroom.
Daylight changes how much green you see. In a bright room, #3A4B2C shows its green undertone clearly. In a dim or north-facing room, all three can drift toward black. #192D27 and #1F261A share LRV 2, so in low light they can look alike.
Evening matters as much as morning, since a bedroom is used most at night. Warm bulbs make dark green look softer and more olive. Cooler bulbs show more of the green. Plan several light sources, such as bedside lamps and a wall sconce, so the walls glow rather than disappear.
Test before you buy gallons. Dark colors change a lot between a small chip and a full wall. Paint a sample board or a patch about two feet square, and use two coats so the color is true.
Put the sample on the wall you plan to paint, then move it to another wall. Look at it in morning light, at midday and at night under your bedside lamps. Those three views often disagree, and night is the one that counts most in a bedroom.
Hold the trim color, wood and fabric next to the sample. Check the warm off-white against the green at a door frame, and check the brown against your floor. The paint matches listed here are the closest ones measured, not exact copies, so compare them in your own room. Only the van Scorel green has a close match, Behr S-H-790 Black Suede. The Nattier green has none, so sample two or three dark olives and pick the nearest.
Yes, if you want a calm, enclosed room. These greens have LRV between 2 and 6, so they absorb light and suit a space used mostly for sleep. Add lamps and a light trim color to keep it comfortable.
A dark green accent wall behind the bed gives depth without making the whole room dark. Painting all four walls feels more wrapped and works best with decent daylight and a light ceiling. #3A4B2C is the easiest to live with on all walls.
A warm off-white such as #E4DECD (LRV 73) is a good choice for trim and ceiling. Near-identical paints are Sherwin-Williams SW 7011 Natural Choice, Behr N300-2 Canvas Luggage and Farrow & Ball No. 282 Shadow White.
Dark walls with LRV this low reflect very little light, so the room can feel more enclosed. Light bedding, a light ceiling and good lamp placement help balance it. Many people find that enclosed feeling suits a bedroom.
For #3A4B2C, Sherwin-Williams SW 6447 Evergreens is a close match and Behr 430F-7 Windsor Moss is very close. For #192D27, Behr S-H-790 Black Suede is a close match. #1F261A has no close commercial match.
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
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Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0). Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
