Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Burgundy · colors from 2 paintings
Maroon looks best with a few quiet partners. The painters here placed deep red-browns next to a muted blue, a warm peach and near-black browns, which gives a room that feels rich and still easy to live in.
Quick answer
Paint the walls warm peach #E0B897 and use maroon #88453B for the sofa or an accent wall. Add the soft blue #798F9B in curtains and keep #3F281B for wood.
A deep red-orange at LRV 10, strong enough for a sofa, an accent wall or a door. It comes from Portrait of a Woman by Piero del Pollaiuolo.
From Portrait of a Woman, Piero del Pollaiuolo (Piero di Jacopo Benci)
A deep red-brown at LRV 10 that feels softer than the first maroon. Use it in textiles or a headboard; it comes from Lute Player by Valentin de Boulogne.
From Lute Player, Valentin de Boulogne
A very dark neutral at LRV 1 for thin details such as frames, lamp bases and metal. It sits beside the red in Lute Player by Valentin de Boulogne.
From Lute Player, Valentin de Boulogne
A mid-tone cool blue at LRV 26 that balances the heat of maroon in curtains or a rug. It comes from Portrait of a Woman by Piero del Pollaiuolo.
From Portrait of a Woman, Piero del Pollaiuolo (Piero di Jacopo Benci)
A light warm color at LRV 52, the best wall choice in this group. It was measured from Portrait of a Woman by Piero del Pollaiuolo.
From Portrait of a Woman, Piero del Pollaiuolo (Piero di Jacopo Benci)
A very dark brown at LRV 3 for wood furniture, a door or shelving. It comes from Lute Player by Valentin de Boulogne.
From Lute Player, Valentin de Boulogne
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quiet Slate Blue | ||||
| Warm Peach Sand |
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 Portrait of a Woman.
The painting gives a clear answer: warm peach. #E0B897 has an LRV of 52, so it reflects a fair amount of light, and its red-orange undertone sits comfortably next to a deep maroon.
If you prefer a cleaner look, choose a lighter version of the same peach. Avoid cool bright white on the walls, because it makes maroon look heavy and cuts the warmth out of the room.
If you want maroon on the walls themselves, #88453B works best in a room with good daylight. At LRV 10 it absorbs most light, so use it on one wall or in a dining room where you mainly sit in the evening.
The muted wine brown #71504D is a calmer option for a whole bedroom.
Blue is the surprising partner. The slate blue #798F9B appears in the same painting as the maroon, and it cools the scheme without competing. Use it in curtains, a rug or an armchair.
The near-black colors, #151513 and #3F281B, work as outlines. Think of them as the dark edges of a room: window frames, picture frames, a coffee table or iron hardware.
Warm woods suit maroon well. Oak, walnut and cherry all share its red-brown family.
Keep the number of strong colors low. A good rule is one maroon, one blue and one dark neutral in each room, with the peach as the background for all of them.
Deep red-browns lose detail in low light. In a north-facing room, #88453B can look almost brown, so give the room plenty of lamp light and keep walls light.
In south light, maroon looks more red and the undertone is clearer. A large amount of it can feel intense, so a sofa or one wall is usually enough.
Under warm evening bulbs, maroon glows. This is the time it looks richest, and the peach #E0B897 turns soft and golden.
Blue behaves the opposite way. #798F9B can look gray at night, so it is best in rooms you also use in the daytime. If you only use the room at night, choose a warmer accent instead.
Dark colors show the biggest difference between a small chip and a finished wall. Paint a large sample of at least two feet square, and look at it at different times of day.
Put the sample next to your floor and your largest piece of furniture. Maroon can shift toward pink or brown depending on what sits near it.
The nearest paint matches in the data are close to the measured colors, for example Sherwin-Williams SW 6334 Flower Pot for #88453B and SW 6359 Sociable for #E0B897. Treat them as starting points.
For dark walls, use a primer tinted gray or a similar deep shade, so you need fewer coats. Look at the sample again after it dries, because dark paint changes as it dries.
Warm peach on the walls, slate blue in textiles and a dark brown in wood furniture. This is the pairing seen in the paintings.
A warm light color like #E0B897, a muted blue like #798F9B and near-black browns. Avoid cool bright whites.
It can be calm if you use it on one wall or in bedding. At an LRV of 10, it absorbs light, so keep the other walls lighter.
Yes. The soft slate blue #798F9B appears with the maroon in the same painting and cools the room.
A soft warm white, or a very pale version of the peach. It keeps the ceiling from looking harsh against deep walls.
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.
Painting images: 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.
