Living room colour schemes from 12 famous paintings

Hammershøi’s greys, Whistler’s violet and rose, Caillebotte’s summer greens and Van Gogh’s Zouave: twelve famous paintings, each a living room colour scheme you can borrow.

The great painters were the first colour consultants. Every masterpiece is a palette someone tested for years, and many of them were painted in or for rooms people lived in. Borrow one and the hard decisions are made.

Here are twelve famous paintings, each a living room colour scheme, in three groups: calm and quiet, fresh blues and greens, and rich and bold. Take the main colour for the walls, the second for the sofa or curtains, and let the picture itself hang as the key.

Calm and quiet

Soft neutrals and muted pastels for restful living rooms.

1. Interior of Courtyard, Strandgade 30

Tall courtyard walls with many paned windows, one open to the pale light.

Vilhelm Hammershøi, Interior of Courtyard, Strandgade 30, 1899. Oil on canvas. Städel Museum, Frankfurt.

Vilhelm Hammershøi painted the courtyard of his own building in Copenhagen in 1899; his grey interiors still guide designers today.

Putty, dove grey and soot.

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2. Moorish Buildings in Sunlight

Bright white walls and deep doorways in strong southern sun.

John Singer Sargent, Moorish Buildings in Sunlight, 1879–80. Oil on wood. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

John Singer Sargent painted this study on his travels in Spain and Morocco in 1879–80.

Chalk white, sand and sky blue.

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3. Mrs. Potter Palmer

Bertha Palmer stands in a shimmering white gown with a fan, against a dark ground.

Anders Zorn, Mrs. Potter Palmer, 1893. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

Anders Zorn painted the great Chicago collector in 1893, the year of the Chicago World’s Fair.

Ivory, bronze and olive.

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4. Violet and Rose: La Belle de Jour

A woman stands in profile in soft light, holding a fan.

James McNeill Whistler, Violet and Rose: La Belle de Jour, c. 1885. Oil on wood panel. Harvard Art Museums.

James McNeill Whistler painted this small panel around 1885 and named it, like music, after its colours.

Violet, rose and teal.

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Fresh blues and greens

Light, airy schemes for sunny living rooms.

5. Villa at Trouville

A steep roofed villa nestles in green summer trees above the sea.

Gustave Caillebotte, Villa at Trouville, 1882. Oil on canvas.

Gustave Caillebotte painted this view on the Normandy coast in 1882.

Leaf green, sea mist blue and rose.

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Create your portrait in this style

6. The Red Kerchief

Through a snowy window, a woman in a red hood hurries past outside.

Claude Monet, The Red Kerchief, c. 1868–73. Oil on fabric. Cleveland Museum of Art.

Claude Monet painted his wife Camille passing the window at Louveciennes around 1868–73.

Snow white, slate grey and red.

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7. Two Dancers Entering the Stage

Two dancers wait in the wings in the glow of the footlights.

Edgar Degas, Two Dancers Entering the Stage, c. 1877-1878. Pastel over monotype. Harvard Art Museums.

Edgar Degas made this pastel over a monotype around 1877–78, at the height of his ballet years.

Powder blue, cobalt and warm gold.

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8. Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens")

Children and their nurses rest in dappled shade in a Paris park.

Édouard Vuillard, Under the Trees (from "The Public Gardens"), 1894. Distemper on fabric. Cleveland Museum of Art.

Édouard Vuillard painted this panel in 1894 as part of The Public Gardens, a set of decorations for a Paris home.

Moss green, sand and walnut.

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Rich and bold

Deep colour for cosy, characterful living rooms.

9. Interior from the Artist's Childhood Home in Strandgade

Sunlight pours through a bay window draped in red, onto a green armchair and a wall of pictures.

Peder Severin Krøyer, Interior from the Artist's Childhood Home in Strandgade, 1872. Oil on canvas.

Peder Severin Krøyer painted his childhood home in Copenhagen in 1872, when he was about twenty.

Crimson, sage and honey.

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10. The Zouave

A young French soldier in a blue, red and gold uniform sits before a green door.

Vincent van Gogh, The Zouave, 1888. Reed pen, ink and watercolour. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Vincent van Gogh drew this Zouave in Arles in June 1888, in reed pen and watercolour.

Cobalt, poppy red and spring green.

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11. Woman in Front of a Still Life by Cezanne

A woman in a dark dress sits before a still life by Cézanne.

Paul Gauguin, Woman in Front of a Still Life by Cezanne, 1890. Oil on linen canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

Paul Gauguin painted this in 1890; the still life behind her was one he owned and treasured.

Forest green, plum and rose.

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12. Rembrandt's Daughter

A young woman reads a letter in a pool of golden light.

J. M. W. Turner, Rembrandt's Daughter, 1827. Oil on canvas. Harvard Art Museums.

J. M. W. Turner painted this tribute to Rembrandt in 1827.

Navy, gold and crimson.

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Most living room schemes need three things: a main colour, a supporting colour and a small accent. Every painting here gives you all three. For more, see living room wall art, large wall art for the living room and interior colour schemes from the old masters.

Questions

How do I choose a living room colour scheme?

Start with a painting you love: take its largest colour for the walls, its second for the sofa or curtains and its brightest for small accents.

What are calming colours for a living room?

Soft greys, putty, sage, dusty rose and pale blue, like the Hammershøi and Whistler schemes here.

What colours make a living room feel warm?

Ochre, terracotta, deep red, olive and gold, especially with wood and lamplight.

Can art set the colour scheme of a room?

Yes. Many designers choose the art first and build the room around it.