For most of 2020 and 2021, home decor tended towards warm, cozy, and inviting. With many families spending more time at home, redesigning living spaces has become essential. Continuing the trend towards earthy tones, this year will see a lot of browns and darker palettes throughout the home. A return of rich browns like chocolate, terracotta, and burnt umber brings up the question – what do you pair it with?
Brown is not boring
One common complaint about brown is that it’s boring or otherwise plain and uninspiring. However, the key is in selecting the right pairing of colors to go with brown. Many of us have a particular brown in mind when we think of the color but there are so many tones and shades of the hue in nature. Think of the various shades of wood – from light bamboo to dark rosewood – and you’ll realize you have many options to choose from when you say brown.
Another trick to selecting the right pairing is to check whether you are using a warm brown or cool brown shade. Warm browns like terracotta, sienna work well with rusty orange, mustard yellow, and yellow-green. While cool browns pair wonderfully with light blues, mint, and grays.
So here are a few ways to decorate with brown that are certainly not boring or dated.
Warm earth tones are the new neutrals
Unless you have a lot of wood furniture in brown varying shades, you can swap out any neutral for warm earth tones. The correct shade of brown can work for any room instead of the standard white, gray, or beige if not better. You do need to be careful when using deep brown like chocolate as the room can end up looking like a cave. But for space with plenty of natural light or large windows, dark browns look sophisticated and luxurious.
Use brown as a subtle accent
Browns like terracotta or sienna can brighten up any room, depending on how they are used. Most traditional furniture like couches and dining tables come in varying shades of brown. You can select the same shade of brown as your furniture for subtle highlights throughout the area. Consider things like fabrics, cushions, frames for artwork on the walls, etc.
On the other hand, you can also mix in multiple shades of brown for an eclectic effect. If your big furniture pieces are light brown, then you can use rich browns for the window treatments and accent tables.
Perhaps the hardest part of using brown comes when selecting other colors that can work well with them. Brown doesn’t show up on any color well, so creating a good-looking palette feels difficult. However, since there are so many shades of brown from almost gray-brown to light shades like camel, you can always find one to work with your design idea.
So consider some of these palette ideas for various rooms in your home:
Brown color palette for bedrooms
Bedrooms are supposed to be relaxing spaces where you gear up for the day ahead and unwind in the evenings and at night. There are a few soft shades that will work with browns such as pastels, soft blues, and muted yellows. Powder blue and soft desaturated blue (mixed in with gray) creates a soothing effect when paired with a cool brown like raw umber.
Another color you might not think of when working with brown is a dusky rose. No, we’re not talking about light pink or bright fuchsia here. Dusty rose is a deep pastel shade of pink, often used in vintage-inspired designs. Light shades of brown don’t always have to go with white, dusky rose is also a great idea for master bedrooms.
Brown palette for kitchens
When it comes to kitchens, brown is practically a natural fit. You have so many places to use brown too from countertops, cabinets, trim, and backsplash. For a sophisticated kitchen, try combining deep and rich brown cabinets with the classic butcher block style countertops. Round out the elegant palette with matt black for the faucet and cabinet pulls/handles.
If you prefer a lighter palette, then think of espresso cabinets and metallic handles with white countertops for contrast. A classic farmhouse-style kitchen could use white cabinets paired with dark wood counters and seating.
Brown palette for bathrooms
Using brown in a bathroom instantly makes it feel warm and inviting. If your bathroom has plenty of natural light, consider pairing dark chocolate brown with cool gray accents (window treatments, towels, faucet, towel rod, etc). Throw in a few indoor plants that love humidity and you have a mini-spa.
For a minimalist bathroom, you can always opt for the classic combination of white or muted yellow with browns such as sienna or terracotta. You can use white walls with brown accents or go for medium brown walls with white trim everywhere.
