Paint Colour Spotlight: Brown
It’s the time of year that after the holiday decor gets packed away, many of us look around our spaces and feel the need for a little refresh. If you’re looking to update your space with a fresh shade of white paint or a softer neutral, I’ve got you covered here and here.
But if you’re leaning towards something a little more colourful, you’re in the right place! To kick off 2024, this month I’ll be sharing some colourful home inspiration and rounding up all my favourite paint colours, hue by hue. Find all the colour spotlights here: pink, yellow, blue, green and red.
Last up in my colour spotlight is one of my new favourites: brown.
Is brown a colour? Technically yes (it’s dark shade of orange), and after a decade of grays and cool tones, brown is officially trending (hooray!). I consider lighter browns like taupes and beiges to fall more into the neutral category, but medium and darker tones browns are a bit more of a colour commitment and will be what I’m talking about here.
Image Source: David Jones
Brown is rich and serene, and invokes a sense of comfort while also being sophisticated. It grounds bright colours in a soft way while also pairing beautifully with neutrals like creams, beiges, blacks and wood tones.
For those that have bad memories of the 90s and early 2000’s Tuscan-era look, avoid mixing browns with the reds and gold-based tones that were popular during this time.
Image Source: Farrow & Ball
If you’re nervous about going all-in with a rich brown, mix dark tones with light shades to provide balance and a bit of dramatic contrast. This can be white mouldings or cream-coloured finishes or textiles, preventing the space from feeling overly dark.
Image Source: Jake Arnold
In addition to jewel tones, try pairing browns with blush pinks. This helps the room to feel more youthful and provides softer contrast than with crisp whites.
Don’t be afraid to try a rich brown in low-light spaces: by choosing a deep colour, you’re upping the cozy factor and working with the lack of natural light instead of fighting it (read this post for more of my thoughts on white in low-light spaces!). Deep colours on your walls will also allow art, accessories and furnishings to really pop in a way they can’t with light-coloured walls.
Image Source: Phoebe Nicol
Interested in trying brown in your space? Here are a few of my favourites for you to try!
Blog Cover Image Source: Sanderson Design Group