Brown is the colour of the moment: this is how to use it
Unless you’ve been living under a rock – a grey one – you would have struggled to miss the steady emergence of brown as the colour du jour. It’s been gathering momentum for a year or two now but this writer (an out-and-proud lover of every hue from butterscotch to bitter chocolate) would argue that it never went away. Brown is definitely having its moment in the sun but unlike a colour as divisive as say, purple, it feels like a stretch to describe such a versatile and neutral tone as a trend in the first place.
Its fresh new appeal could be linked to the tactile and warm approach to minimalism described by trend forecasting experts WGSN as ‘soulful minimalism’, where cool tones and sharp lines are being replaced by natural materials, texture and a neutral colour palette of warm whites, browns and greens. Or perhaps it’s the strong association between shades of tan and brown and the 1970s, another current trend that we’re seeing in various interior designers’ work and – frankly – all over social media and Pinterest. We don’t mean Austin Powers-esque shag carpets and swirly orange prints. Think tan leather furniture, rich brown velvet, muted abstract art and Yves Saint Laurent’s Paris apartment. All the best parts of the Seventies with none of the hot sweats of garish nostalgia.
After reverting to yet another Instagram poll to gather general thoughts on the hottest colour of the moment, the feedback was overwhelmingly enthusiastic, with most responses championing brown in any which way (“It makes everything look cool”, “I adore it – it’s cocooning and grounding” and “It’s so cosy, earthy and inviting” were some of the many comments singing brown’s praises).
There were a few negatives too from people who say the colour reminds them of the contents of a nappy (their words, but it’s an unavoidable comparison in fairness), plus several people who said it brings back too many shuddering thoughts of their parents’ decor in the Seventies and Eighties. A few others simply find it too dark and “boring” to live with and think it would make their home feel dated. But dear reader, don’t shy away from this comforting colour because long after the brown hype is over, it will continue to look timeless. Brown’s liveability is all about how you choose to use it.
Consider the size of the room you’re decorating and what kind of feeling you want to create – a large room with high ceilings can handle a lot of brown (in any shade) without it creating an overwhelming heaviness, whereas in a smaller space with average ceiling height and no grand architectural features, a dark tone can feel oppressive if there’s a lot of it. In smaller spaces, less is more, so go for gentle accents such as cushions, footstools, artwork or antique pieces of furniture, but use the colour in moderation and lean towards lighter shades of caramel and tobacco if you’re still not sure. The exception to this would be if you’re purposely creating a cosy winter snug, in which case the feeling of a darker, enveloping space wouldn’t be a bad thing, so go forth and complement deep terracotta or ochre walls with chocolate brown velvet curtains and punchy printed armchairs.
For velvet curtain fabric, Rose Uniacke has some excellent plain cotton velvets that are surprisingly well priced for the plush quality and for upholstery fabrics, Nicky Haslam, Buchanan Studios, Rapture & Wright, Susie Atkinson or Schumacher are all great starting points for brown patterns done well. African cloths (such as hand-stitched Kuba cloth) in neutral shades of beige and brown are another way to introduce the ‘trend’ in a way that adds interest and a tactile element but doesn’t look remotely trend-driven.
Brown on brown is a strong look and tricky to get just right. As interior designer Christian Bense says “I love brown, but not all fish eggs are caviar and not all brown is chic”. Especially if you’re not a designer who knows which pieces and fabrics to choose to get the balance right, it’s easy to veer off course when you’re aiming for Jake Arnold but end up with aunt Sarah’s dingey living room of your childhood. It’s generally more palatable to combine brown with complementary colours such as red or yellow-based whites, dusky pink, lighter to mid blue or pistachio and sage green. All of which look incredibly chic with any shade of brown, plus they really lift it and make what could be a downbeat colour feel peppy and stylish.
If you’re going the whole hog and taking to the walls with brown, be bold and try teak panelling (as seen in recent projects by both Brandon Schubert and Beata Heuman). It looks incredibly warm and inviting, plus the natural material adds a further tactile element. For brown wallpaper, steer clear of retro prints and plump for contemporary takes on classic motifs from brands such as Ottoline or Howe.
There are hundreds of fabulous brown paint colours in a wide spectrum of shades, so we’ll highlight a few to start you off but this is by no means exhaustive… For gently purple-based dark browns, try Brasserie Brown by COAT Paints x Laura Jackson or Cola by Farrow & Ball. For a dark brown with a more neutral tone, try Salon Drab by Farrow & Ball, Bird’s Nest by Atelier Ellis or Crosby by Abigail Ahern. For darker red-leaning browns, give Deep Reddish Brown by Farrow & Ball, Brown Betty from Atelier Ellis or London Brown from Edward Bulmer a go (the latter happens to be Edward’s current favourite colour). For a slightly lighter tobacco tone, you can’t beat Caddie by Paint & Paper Library, Toasted Teacake by Graham & Brown or Light Bronze Green by Little Greene.
Brown furniture when used to describe dark wood is an easy win. These mostly-antique pieces can be picked up for a song as they tend to get overlooked by the people flocking to buy lighter oak and beech. And brown furniture isn’t just affordable, it’s honest, characterful, and usually has a lovely patina or some interesting sign of life that brings weight and depth to rooms that are too perfect and shiny-new.
Of course, brown furniture doesn’t have to be made from wood, it might include sofas or armchairs and this is where interior stylist and consultant Gillian Lawlee points out that if you find the idea of a brown fabric upholstery an intimidating prospect, or you worry that it will be a flash-in-the-pan purchase you’ll tire of, try tan or brown leather instead. Natural leather is a true timeless neutral that goes with everything and shouldn’t be treated in the same way as brown-coloured fabric.
1/17The built-in dresser painted in ‘Cassel’ by Emente – an almost black brown – provides an effective showcase for the collection of ceramics in this dining area decorated by Ben Pentreath. The white ceiling and curtains in de Le Cuona’s ‘Chukka’ linen in tusk ensure a light and airy feel is retained.
Christopher Horwood2/17Pink and brown tone perfectly in the dining room of this fairytale cottage with interiors by Emma Ainscough. This walls are papered in ‘Brown Paper Stripe’ by Hamilton Weston, which then provided the entire colour palette for the house.
Christoper Horwood3/17In Lucy Williams' London house, the butcher's block island (designed by Jessica Summer) is painted in Farrow & Ball's ‘Cola’, which pairs beautifully with the wall colour, which is painted in Paper and Paints Sky Blue. The brown marble countertops continue the scheme onto the rest of the kitchen, and the pine floors and wooden chopping boards complete the look by adding different shades of brown.
4/17In Rivki Rabinowitz’s Canadian home, designer Ashley Montgomery has balanced ‘Japanese Stencil’ wallpaper from Jasper by Michael S Smith above the dado with the glossy blue Saltillo tiles below. By continuing these tiles up and under the arch and combining them with a distinctive vintage brass chandelier, Ashley has offset the matte paper with colour and reflective texture. The cabinetry in deep burgundy ‘Raphael’ gloss by Benjamin Moore tones with the wooden floorboards, which are softened by a rug in neutral hues.
Mark Anthony Fox5/17What was once the tiny third bedroom was transformed into an office in Charlotte Boundy's London house. To smarten the room up, she painted the window and woodwork in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Reddish Brown’ in gloss, which picks up the orange-brown tones in the blind is made up from Christopher Moore’s ‘Persian Trail’ hand-printed linen. The walls are in a crisp light blue, which coordinates with the little striped curtain underneath the desk from The Cloth Shop.
Chris Horwood6/17The walls of this study-cum-guest room in Tamsin Saunders' London vicarage are a dusty, purple-based brown which absorbs a lot of light, meaning the room doesn't have too much contrast. This, combined with the pinkish painted bookshelves, creates a calm, focused energy in amongst a lot of colours and textures.
Rachael Smith7/17The kitchen in interior designer Lucinda Griffith's Welsh cottage beautifully blends pink and brown with Farrow & Ball's ‘Setting Plaster’ on the walls and kitchen cabinets in a deep chocolate brown with purplish undertones. The oak countertops sit somewhere between the pink walls and the dark brown of the cabinets, creating a nice tonal feel.
Michael Sinclair8/17Brown and pink come together to create a lovely tonal scheme in Steve Lazarides' house by Maria Speake of Retrouvius. The walls are a rusty pinkish brown ('Clay' by Francesca's Paints), which compliments the blush tones of the sideboard and sofa. The colour scheme seamlessly blends masculine and feminine energies, creating a grounded and serene space with minimal contrast.
Paul Massey9/17This north London house by Brandon Schubert has a full tonal ‘autumn leaf’ colour palette, with red André Lanskoy lithographs, walls in 'Manila Hemp' grasscloth in the camel colourway from Philip Jeffries, a rug from Retrouvius and a Toast quilt introducing complementary earthy tones.
Paul Massey10/17In the attic bathroom of artist and maker Bridie Hall's Victorian house in north London, a red version of Bridie’s ‘Pediment Mirror’ stands out against panelling in ‘Verdure Brown’ in a gloss finish from Papers and Paints.
Chris Horwood11/17The walls in the bedroom at Patrick O'Donnell's 1930s house in Worcestershire are painted a mucky mustard tone, which compliments the yellow-based brown of the painted pediment door, which is ‘Cola’ by Farrow & Ball.
Simon Upton12/17In Douglas Mackie's Marylebone flat, the library's deep chocolate brown walls are brightened with the flash of rust-coloured velvet on the armchair.
Boz Gagovski13/17“My family said, please don't use that colour, you'll regret it," says the owner of this Notting Hill house about the rich tobacco colour on the walls of the sitting room. "But Lucy [Mayers, the designer] gave me the confidence to do it. I knew exactly what it needed to be, but I couldn't find the exact right shade. And then it turned up in the Dulux range at the hardware store. I just sit and stare at the walls in that room, I love it so much.” The terracotta tone feels very natural, which is confidently juxtaposed by the geometric monochrome patterns on the curtains, rug and artwork. It all comes together to create a retro, 1970s scheme that is maximalist without being overwhelming.
Paul Massey14/17In this north London Arts and Crafts house by Ben Pentreath, the gold sideboard stands out against the brown grasscloth walls. The mid-century pendant light was designed by Gaetano Sciolari for Stilnovo. There are touches of brass dotted throughout the house, not least this striking sideboard, which is a bespoke design by Rupert Bevan.
Michael Sinclair15/17From the May 2021 print edition of House & Garden, this house by architectural desinger Charles Rutherfoord and his partner Rupert Tyler features a wall in a very deep shade of ochre – a suitable backdrop to the dark brown furniture in the dining room. The metallic silver fireplace and antique mirror add a touch of glamour and variation to the brown scheme.
Paul Massey16/17In Sarah Corbett-Winder's London house, walls in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Caddie’ tone with the fireplace, devised by her husband Ned and clad in green tiles from London Encaustic. The fish-eye mirrors cut against the flatness of the mocha-coloured walls.
17/17In this scheme by our decoration team, a strong, dark backdrop serves to ground and also set off the pretty light pink of the dresser, which is painted in ‘Light Rose’ by Sanderson. Little Greene Paint & Paper’s ‘Spanish Brown’ is a wonderfully rich shade and emphasises the brown details of the Prattware pottery on display.
