While not everyone consciously decorates with brown, odds are, the shade plays a significant role in your home’s color palette . Look around your space, and you’ll likely encounter wood floors , natural finished wooden built-ins, tawny leather chairs in the living room, or a mid-century modern credenza. It’s likely that the warm-toned hue has more of a presence in your home than you initially realized.
Lately, there’s been a resurgence of neutral, minimalistic spaces that largely feature black, white, and gray, but this trend doesn’t mean that brown isn’t a great color to decorate with either. “Brown should not be overlooked for a home,” says designer Julia Newman Pedraza of Julia Adele Design . “Whether it’s the softer tones found in woods and tan variations or rich tones best seen in saturated paints and fabrics like velvet, brown can create the ultimate warm environment.”
So what’s the best way to accentuate and embrace the color brown in your home? Good news: This shade can look pretty amazing when paired with a variety of others, some of which are combinations that may surprise you. As Jennifer Jones of J Logan Interiors says, “I tend to think of brown as a good neutral, as it is very versatile and can go with any other color.” Take a look at these 10 stylish rooms that feature brown, all of which illustrate how nicely it plays with different colors.
1. Brown and Blue
“You find layers of brown in nature, from weathered cedar shingles to varieties of tree bark, and the best complementary colors also occur naturally in the sea and sky,” says designer Lisa Quina, principal at Barefoot Dwelling . “When we want to accentuate mixed warm woods in an interior, we introduce cool teals and deep blues with landscape paintings, pottery, and glassware. We also layer in plants with a variety of green leaves to add texture and contrast for an organic palette.” The Australian home above features a dining space comprised of browns and blues, and it’s easy to see why this pairing creates balance—the moody blue walls are matched in intensity by the golden woods.
2. Brown, Slate Blue, & Cream
“To me, there is nothing more beautiful than this easy, breezy bohemian color palette,” designer Danielle Chiprut says of combining brown with slate blue and cream. You can see these colors at play in the Cape Town home above, which pairs blue and cream peacock wallpapered walls with a brown wooden bookcase. “It is earthy, natural, and serene. The cool tones in the blue bring harmony and balance to the warmth in the brown, and the cream gives your eye a rest and brightens up the other two deep colors.”
Chiprut likes to accent this palette with handwoven baskets, homespun linens, and a pop of brass to dial in on that warm, homey look. She suggests using this tranquil trio in a bedroom for maximum relaxation.
3. Sandy Brown and Creamy White
“This soft, neutral color story is timeless, chic, and evokes a sense of calm and peace,” Chiprut notes.”Layering warm, sandy browns and creamy whites creates a casual, monochromatic palette that’s anything but bland.”
For Chiprut, the key to nailing this palette is using different tones and textures to create depth and visual interest throughout your design. “Make sure to include organic elements and natural materials for a truly relaxed, California-cool design aesthetic,” she says. Think faux sheepskins, chunky knit pillows, linen drapery, or even a statement woven wall hanging, as seen in this Australian space above.
4. Brown and Black
Don’t be shy about combining these two darker hues. “Both neutral colors, [brown and black] pull out the best in each other and can create an incredibly sophisticated, timeless design,” Chiprut explains. “The black plays off the warmth in the brown, while creating drama throughout a design. The brown tones down the starkness in the black and creates a welcoming environment.”
According to Chiprut, you can use this versatile combination anywhere from a rustic bathroom or living room to a sleek, modern dining room. You can see the latter in the above Hong Kong home , and even though the palette is limited to mainly browns and blacks, the room is graphic and anything but boring.
5. Brown and Green
“This down-to-earth duo works perfectly every time,” Chiprut says. “Combine a deep, intense green with a dark wood built-in cabinet (similar to the setup in the Florida home above) to create a moody, masculine study or pair a sage green with a mushroom brown for a light and airy living room.”
If you have a lot of wood toned furniture, incorporating houseplants and greenery is another way to riff on this combo and add an extra layer of visual interest and life to your space.
6. Brown and Camel
“Brown tones, whether in wood or fabrics, pair beautifully with camel and tan tones,” says Newman Pedraza. She adds, “I always think these combinations bring out the best in the color.”
If you are into the tone on tone look, then this combo may be the way to go, particularly in a living room or a bedroom. These colors scream cozy, particularly when amped up with texture, as seen in the Scandinavian-inspired New York loft above, where a camel chair pairs nicely with various wooded pieces and a shaggy Beni Ourain rug.
7. Brown and Brass
“The brass craze isn’t going anywhere anytime time soon, and nothing makes it pop more than pairing it with a deep chocolatey brown,” Pedraza says. In the Brooklyn apartment pictured above, various shades of brown complement the brass trunk.
There’s something decidedly ’70s about this pairing, so if you like a vintage look, this may be a good jumping off point for decorating. Of course, you can work other colors into the mix, but stick to these shades for your bigger pieces.
8. Brown and Pink
Brown and pink, as seen in Chiprut’s own New York home , can work together to liven up a living space. Her space features textiles and artwork with pink tones that look lovely paired with brown leather and woods. Moroccan poufs remain a popular accent and are an easy way to bring brown into any room. They’re also quite functional pieces, given that they can serve as both footrests or extra seating.
9. Brown and Burnt Orange
Subtle burnt orange and red accents shine in this largely brown Harlem living room without overwhelming the space. This room successfully weaves together various brown hues by mixing contemporary pieces with vintage-looking finds for a charming, eclectic look.
10. Brown and Mustard
Brown can hang with mustard, too, and this combo is becoming more popular as yellow is staring to surge in popularity again. With the right accent pieces, this duo make a for a simple, earthy pairing that works like a charm when you want to go bold. This modernist Melbourne home features multiple rooms with a brown and mustard color combo, all of which look lovely with hits of teal and orange.
