From the Resene decorating blog
Does Brown still make you frown? Well, it shouldn't. There are some ways to make brown look wonderful in your home – and its popularity is back on the rise.
You may not realise it, but brown is much more than one shade. There are red browns, purple browns and pale browns like taupe, plus many more. It’s a great hue to bring into a home thanks to its depth and neutrality. Browns are typically warm tones so having the right décor and neighbouring walls in colours that pair well is important. The key is finding the right tone that works for you.
Classic, balanced coffee browns like Resene Toorak, Resene Irish Coffee and Resene Espresso pair well with terracotta tones like Resene Desperado, Resene Raging Bull and Resene Crail. The warmth from both sets of colour play together well and can offer a cosy environment. Try pairing them with lighter tones couches and bedding to brighten up the space and to inject some life. You can also add home décor pieces like candles, trays, and lamps in warm pinks to add pops of colour in Resene Rapture, Resene Glorious and Resene Sunglo.
You can also mix things up by adding some deep brown décor pieces into your home in tones like Resene Black Magic, Resene Sepia, Resene Sambuca and Resene Wood Bark. Small items like candles, pot plants, photo frames, and cushions are quick-fire ways to add a new colour and theme to a space. Blankets and other bedding is also a great way to completely change the colour palette of a room. Try adding these in through home décor pieces in colours like Resene Cinnamon, Resene Chelsea Gem, Resene Kalgoorie Sands and Resene Calico.
Those browns with red and violet undertones are often much richer than more neutral browns and add an extra level of cosiness to a room. Particularly good for a feature wall surrounded by earthy green tones such as Resene Seaweed, Resene Paddock and Resene Caper, red browns to try are Resene Digeridoo and Resene Moccaccino and two great purple browns are Resene Spitfire and Resene Persian Red. These colours work well in hallways and living rooms. If you are feeling adventurous, combine these colours with yellows and greens like Resene Chenin, Resene Lemon Twist or Resene Saratoga.
A classic colour whose popularity comes back around time and time again, taupes work well in most homes and can be made fun by pairing them with soft pinks, blues, and greens. These tones can work great in a bathroom, bedrooms to create a safe oasis. Some easily paired taupes are Resene Hurricane, Resene Kabul and Resene Zorba. To pair with soft blues and greens reach for Resene Ship Cove and Resene Echo Blue or Resene Sea Nymph and Resene Xanadu. For soft pink pairings, consider Resene Vintage, Resene Alluring, and Resene Gelato.
Browns that would look right at home in a spice market are particularly popular hues at the moment. Look to rich, aptly named shades like Resene Cumin, Resene Cinnamon, Resene Moroccan Spice and Resene Korma for building a tonal scheme. Or, combine them with saffron yellows like Resene Noosa, bitter oranges like Resene Alert Tan, or capsicum reds like Resene Salsa for an exotic and sophisticated look.
Sticky sweet caramel browns have been having a moment, too. Toasty hues like Resene Toffee, Resene Pendragon, Resene Gold Coast and Resene Twine are ideal for building a cosy and cocooning colour scheme in a lounge when layered on top of smouldering charcoal walls in Resene Foundry. These shades are well suited for masculine spaces, especially when blended with leather and deep timber stain tones such as Resene Colorwood English Walnut, Resene Colorwood Treehouse or Resene Colorwood Bark.
February 25, 2020
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