Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Pink · colors from 2 paintings
A pink room color combination works when the pink is muted and the partners are blue, green or navy. These colors come from two Renoir paintings, so the pairings are ones the painter put together himself.
Quick answer
Use the pale green (LRV 73) on the walls, the dusty rose on a sofa or headboard, and the navy as a bold piece. Add coral and the sage and slate tones in textiles.
A mid-tone pink with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 25, close to Sherwin-Williams Coral Clay. It suits a sofa or an accent wall. Measured from Renoir's Madame Léon Clapisson.
From Madame Léon Clapisson, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A mid-tone pink-red at LRV 25 with a gray softness. The nearest match is Behr Pink Granite. It works on walls in a quiet bedroom. Measured from Renoir's Young Woman Sewing.
From Young Woman Sewing, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A mid-tone cool blue at LRV 20 that calms the pinks. Use it on curtains or a chair. Measured from Madame Léon Clapisson.
From Madame Léon Clapisson, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A mid-tone green at LRV 26 with a soft gray cast. It sits well on cabinets or a rug next to pink. Measured from Madame Léon Clapisson.
From Madame Léon Clapisson, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A very dark cool blue at LRV 6, close to Sherwin-Williams Honorable Blue. Use it for a door, a bold piece or a pair of lamps. Measured from Young Woman Sewing.
From Young Woman Sewing, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
A very light green at LRV 73, a gentle wall color that makes pink look warmer. Measured from Renoir's Young Woman Sewing.
From Young Woman Sewing, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terracotta Pink | ||||
| Dusty Mauve | ||||
| Gray Sage | ||||
| Pale Mint |
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 Madame Léon Clapisson.
Both pinks here are mid-tones with an LRV of 25, so neither is a pale pastel. The terracotta pink (#C0736D) has a warm red-orange undertone and looks earthy. The dusty mauve (#9D8182) has a pink-red undertone with gray in it, and it looks quieter and more formal.
Choose the terracotta pink if you want a warm, lively room, especially one with wood floors and brass. Choose the dusty mauve for a calm bedroom or a study.
Because both are mid-tone, a whole room painted in either can feel deep. Many people paint one wall or use the pink on a sofa, bedding or an upholstered chair, and keep the walls light. The pale mint at LRV 73 is the lightest color here and gives the pinks some space.
The paintings give three families of partners: blue, green and navy. Slate blue (#6F7F89) is the softest of them. It cools a pink room without making it feel chilly, and it works well on curtains or a rug.
Gray sage (#8D8E79) is a muted green that sits comfortably beside terracotta pink, because the two are close to opposite on the color wheel but both dulled by gray. Use it on a cabinet, a plant pot or a throw.
Deep navy (#26427E) is the strongest contrast. At LRV 6 it works best in small doses: a door, lamps, a framed print. For trim, a soft white is the easiest choice. For the floor, light oak or a gray-beige rug suits the whole palette.
Mid-tone pinks change with the light more than whites do. In north light the dusty mauve looks grayer and the terracotta pink looks more brown. In south light both turn warmer and brighter.
The blues and greens also move. Slate blue turns almost gray in weak light and becomes clearer in sun. Gray sage can look a little yellow under warm bulbs.
In the evening, warm bulbs bring out the red in both pinks, so a pink room feels cozy after dark. If you prefer a calmer evening look, use the pale mint on the walls and keep the pink in fabrics, where it has less effect on the whole room. A matte finish on walls keeps these muted pinks soft.
Pink is easy to get wrong, so test generously. Paint a sample about two feet square on two different walls and live with it for at least two days. Look at it in the morning, at midday and by lamplight.
Place your fabrics, rug and wood tones next to it. A pink that looks right alone can look too orange or too purple beside a green sofa.
The closest paints measured are Sherwin-Williams Coral Clay for the terracotta pink, Behr Pink Granite for the dusty mauve, Sherwin-Williams Blustery Sky for the slate blue and Honorable Blue for the navy. These are approximate matches, so compare real chips. If two samples look close, choose the one with the less saturated undertone, since walls look stronger once they cover a whole room.
Blue and green are the easiest partners. Here slate blue, gray sage and deep navy all come from the same paintings as the pinks.
Yes. The deep navy (#26427E, LRV 6) gives strong contrast to the mid-tone pinks. Use it in small amounts, such as a door or lamp bases.
The pale mint (#DAE1CD, LRV 73) is a soft, light green that lets a pink sofa read clearly without clashing.
It has a pink-red undertone with gray in it, so it reads soft and slightly cool next to the terracotta pink.
Matte or flat. It keeps muted pinks soft and hides small wall flaws, and trim can use satin.
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 Art Institute of Chicago, 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.
