Popular browns

Celebrate timber tones and earthy undertones with these favourite browns!

Note: Click on the testpot or colour name for full colour information. Click on the buy links to purchase a testpot from the online Resene ColorShop.

Naturally beautiful

Several neutral tones used together in a colour scheme can combine to create a restful, elegant atmosphere by making use of the natural harmony that exists even between different textures and tones of fabric and other materials such as wood.

Neutrals added to existing schemes can calm down the brightest of hues or have a unifying effect on a mixture of furnishings and colours. For example, a neutral toned carpet throughout a brightly coloured room softens the impact and makes it seem more spacious by not interrupting the eye's flow across the room.

Inspiration for a natural-based scheme can come from a shell, moss-covered twig or stone. Nature is full of unexpected colour. To build your confidence in using neutral tones so that your scheme is lively and interesting – and not bland or boring – it is worth taking the time to educate your colour 'eye' as the professionals do.

Try an experiment – collect some stones, dried leaves or bark, driftwood and sand from the beach, and hessian, linen, lichen and grasses. Then, using a paint chart match the colours as closely as possible. You may take two or three attempts to marry up the numerous variations of colour contained in just one sample. It's this subtle variety that is the key! When you have matched your objects up to the paint shades, use them to find fabrics, carpets and accessories to create a neutral scheme that features nature's colours.

Decorating with browns...

• Learn more about decorating with brown
• Get inspired by other decorators who have used brown in their projects
• View the latest looks in orange and brown

Always try out your colours using a Resene testpot in the area you plan to paint before you start your painting project – that’s the best way to confirm the colour looks right before you start painting. You can also can order drawdowns online.

View popular Resene colours: Top 20 | Reds | Oranges | Yellows | Greens | Blues | Violets | Browns | Greys/blacks | Wood stains

Resene has changed the way it measures and creates electronic colours – read more