Warmth, Depth and Coherence: Using Brown Tones in Your Scheme
With its roots in the natural world, brown paint adds a soothing, grounded quality when used in an interior setting. Found in schemes throughout decorative history, Brown pairs well with both co-ordinating and contrasting shades with an enduring versatility. Whilst its depth may feel a little overwhelming, when used with nuance and care, shades of brown can add warmth and sophistication to your home.
Use Colour Scales to Create Balance
In our Stone collection, brown shades of varying strength are grouped according to undertone. This allows harmonious colour schemes to be curated with confidence.
Our Sweet Treats palette also offers a versatile collection of warm neutral shades: honey, caramel, and chocolate.
Achieve a refined living room scheme by experimenting with the full range of Colour Scales. This coherent design uses five warm shades, ranging from the intense Purple Brown to the lighter neutral Clay – Mid. Blocks of colour draw the eye towards the rich focal point painted in Scullery.
Walls: Scullery, Lute, Clay, Clay - Mid, Purple Brown
Take full advantage of brown’s ability to create a restful ambience in a serene bathroom design. Graduated tones of warm neutrals, like Rolling Fog, can provide your bathroom with an elegant, coordinated feel.
Alternatively, feature Rolling Fog - Dark alongside sumptuous deep brown shades like Chocolate Colour. Choosing dark brown shades will create a warm, comforting ambience.
Walls: Chocolate Colour
Bath: Rolling Fog - Dark
Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene, recommends:
“Don’t overlook the soothing power of deeper shades; darker sumptuous shades can give your bathroom a luxurious cosy feel. Consider adding a textural element with the use of wallpaper.“
Combine Brown with Contrasting Colours
The kitchen really is the heart of the home: it’s a central hub, a hive of activity, and a place for entertaining. It’s usually the go-to for bright colours that reflect fast-paced energy but you can also opt for calming, comforting palettes that reflect a sense of homeliness, warmth, and creativity.
The gold-toned Light Bronze Green is a beautiful shade that recalls a natural earthiness. Use alongside the sumptuous Nether Red and Elysian Ground for a kitchen scheme that really draws you in. Paired with cabinets and woodwork in Book Room Green, it adds an element of freshness, lifting the look and creating balance.
Walls: Slaked Lime, Light Bronze Green, Nether Red, Elysian Ground, Book Room Green
Embrace Colour Drenching
With a delectable richness, dark browns are the ultimate choice to create an impactful finish. Maximise these qualities by using brown on all of your walls and features in your cosy living room, dining area or snug.
Add accessories with similar undertones to your chosen paint colours to pull the scheme together and ensure the end result is cohesive and balanced. Ensure the accessories are variations of similar tones rather than one single colour – this will create depth and allow for subtle movement within the scheme. Although categorising accessories in colour groups is key, the addition of another contrasting, related colour adds dynamism and sophistication to a space.
Here, the sumptuous Ganache is used on walls and dado rails alongside contrasting accessories to create a cocooning finish. This comforting brown colour palette creates the perfect place to escape and unwind.
Walls & dado rail: Ganache
Discover more ways to embrace colour drenching
Walls: Chocolate Colour
Use A Colour Highlight
The cool Aquamarine – Pale and Purple Brown balance beautifully in this sleek kitchen design. The scheme incorporates Bert & May tiles, available in eight Little Greene colours, in combination for a striking, vertical stripe design.
Alternatively, combine this popular chocolate brown colour with a crisp white, such as Flint. This colour combination creates a modern take on a timeless monochrome scheme.
Walls: Aquamarine - Pale, Purple Brown
Walls: Chocolate Colour, Flint
Incorporate Wallpaper in a Brown Scheme
When used in bathrooms, wallpaper can feel especially luxurious. Woodblock Mono, from our Archive Trails II collection, pairs beautifully with Knightsbridge. Add a pop of the vibrant Marigold or Orange Aurora for a contrasting accent.
For living spaces, Beech Nut in Cordoba offers a contemporary touch. In a warm, burnt umber shade, this wallpaper pairs well with very light brown neutral shades such as Beauvais Lilac.
Walls: Woodblock Mono - Knightsbridge, Portland Stone - Pale
Bath: Marigold
Walls: Beech Nut - Cordoba, Shirting
Explore our full collection of brown and neutral paint shades to add warmth to your space. Or delve into the sumptuous palette of our Sweet Treats capsule collection.