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Color Guide: How to Work With Brown
It's all over nature and the decorating world too. From light latte to dark walnut, there's a brown for everyone
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel and design. I just completed my first remodel, turning my crumbling 1941 kitchen into a beauty of grays, whites and natural wood. If I could, I'd sleep on the countertop. That's how much I love it.
You can also read my parenting blog on Baby Center http://blogs.babycenter.com/author/sschoech/
Houzz Contributor. I am a former magazine editor specializing in travel... More »
Browns are an extremely popular decorating choice. They're rich and neutral and warm. They can add drama to smaller spaces or help add coziness to larger ones.
Brown is a mix of orange, red, rose or yellow with black or gray. In value it starts near beige and ends near walnut or espresso, and its hues can range from almost gray (I like to call it "grawn") to nearly orange. It's all over the place in nature; think animal fur, bark, dirt, dry leaves. A great way to add brown to a room is by using natural wood.
Darker browns always look great with bright white. Brown also looks good with aqua, teal, light blues, oranges and pinks. It usually doesn't usually work well with royal blues or purples (but every rule has exceptions).
Here are 14 examples of brown done right.
Brown is a mix of orange, red, rose or yellow with black or gray. In value it starts near beige and ends near walnut or espresso, and its hues can range from almost gray (I like to call it "grawn") to nearly orange. It's all over the place in nature; think animal fur, bark, dirt, dry leaves. A great way to add brown to a room is by using natural wood.
Darker browns always look great with bright white. Brown also looks good with aqua, teal, light blues, oranges and pinks. It usually doesn't usually work well with royal blues or purples (but every rule has exceptions).
Here are 14 examples of brown done right.
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| A soft mushroom brown with bright white. This shade of brown adds to the fluffy, light feeling of this room. It keeps it cozy and light. |
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by Tara Seawright
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| Between the walls, the furniture and the accessories, this room has a lot of different browns going on. It works because they are all in the same family and they are brought together by neutral creams. |
by CWB Architects
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Choosing a satin instead of a flat finish can make brown walls seem to glow. Flat brown runs a risk of looking a bit ashy.
| A dark brown is perfectly fine for a small space. A white ceiling along with white trim and finishes keeps everything crisp and bright. Doesn't this look cheery? |
by huntley & co
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This is the more modern version of dark brown and crisp white in the bathroom. The ceiling here is brown and there is no crown molding, but the contrast between the brown and the white walls helps bring out the architecture.
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| As long as there is plenty of light and some nice, crisp whites, a very dark brown can look fresh, rather than closed in. This is a lovely, traditional room, but it is not a bit stuffy. |
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| The very definition of "grawn." |
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A dark, warm brown with light blue, a classic combo.
by Jamison Howard
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More brown and light blue. The nice bright pops of coral orange are the perfect complement to both colors.
by Urrutia Design
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Dark brown cabinetry looks awfully dated these days, unless it is done with clean lines and paired with a nice, crisp white. This is warm and modern at the same time.
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by betsy burnham
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| Browns, beige, cream, gray and orange. Proof positive that it can work. |
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by emily jagoda
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| Wood panelling used to be the provenance of '70s rec rooms, but it has come back in all sorts of modern and fresh ways. A few tips: Don't cover every wall in wood, or it will look like a sauna. Consider horizontal lines rather than vertical ones. Oh, and it should go without saying that you use real wood. |
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by Jerry Bussanmas
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| Even very dark paneling can look fresh and modern as long as it's balanced with light. |
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| Nice orange-brown wood panelling paired with grays and whites and lots of light. It's rich and warm, but not oppressive. |
by Benjamin Moore
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A nice fawn-colored grawn.
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| A warmer, redder version of fawn or mushroom. |
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A nice light grawn. It looks beige here, but it reads as light brown on a wall.
by Benjamin Moore
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A classic, rich brown with lots of gray.
Comments
andyco98 What is the color of the blue paint used in the room with marine prints?
10 months ago · Like
Rough Linen I love a soft donkey brown with ice blue, in fact I have just panelled my living room in brown wood with some blue in the art - can't post a picture as it is a tip at the moment! Soon: I'll be organised really, really soon.
10 months ago · Like
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ikwewe Here is my bedroom with orangey brown paneling and ocean blue bedding with brown and blue accent pillows. I thought the blue would cool down that warm paneling. 
10 months ago · Like
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Anita Roll Murals Great samples Samantha!
10 months ago · Like
olldbobbi Samantha, my whole face lit up when I saw this ideabook! Brown has been my favorite color for as long as I can remember, especially dark chocolate brown. My bedroom is done in crisp white and dark chocolate, and I'm thinking about adding some coral accents (similar to the picture by Betsy Burnham which doesn't read a true orange on my monitor). Thank you so much!
10 months ago · Like
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zombieknit The grawn looks very similar to the color I chose for the media room, NZ paint called Resene Quarter Mondo. My son wanted a dark, cave-like atmosphere. i would love to pair it with cream sofas, but probably not wise with three dogs and two cats (most of them black and couch-loving). They aren't allowed on the couch, but we are not home all the time to check.
10 months ago · Like
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Sharon Mefford My favorite brown is "taupe" -- is that "grawn". I don't like a brown that's too yellow. My kitchen opens into the dining area and living room which are painted a light taupe. I would like to paint the kitchen a much darker taupe. It gets a lot of sun and the cabinets are white, so I think it will work. These pictures have convinced me to go ahead with the project!
9 months ago · Like
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brendaberry22 Love browns/taupes and whites. Dreamy!
9 months ago · Like
Joanna Zygo I like dark brown very much, creates an elegant & timeless look of the interior
7 months ago · Like
queencindy Thanks Samantha - now I'll spend another year including brown in my bedroom wall colour search! It's the only room I just can't decide on... Oh well - have a Merry Christmas xx
5 months ago · Like
rosemdt Samantha, I have a question: I have an aqua colours quilt that is the focal point in the guest bedroom. I need help with pain colour for the walls. Could you make some suggestions please?
4 months ago · Like
Samantha Schoech rosemdt: Aqua has many friends in the color spectrum. If you are interested in a brown to go with it, I would look at warm, yellow taupes. Nothing too dark unless the room is very well-lit. Dark browns require tons of light, either natural or electric. Good luck and post a picture if you want more suggestions
4 months ago · Like
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naniluns Can someone tell me what paint colors are in pictures 2 and 7?
3 months ago · Like
dbdengler What shade of brown should I use in the basement? The doors and trim are a golden oak. and a corner will be in stone with a red gas stove infront of it.
8 weeks ago · Like
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Ideabook updated on Aug. 1, 2012.
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