The Amazing Coziness of the Color Brown

You can include the color brown in your home as long as you can establish coherent and rational contrast.
The Amazing Coziness of the Color Brown

Last update: 10 October, 2020

The color brown generates a feeling of coziness and softness you can immediately feel when you walk into a room. Achieving this requires the right composition and design.

Earthy tones have a very wide range. It’s very interesting to see the different possibilities offered and the many advantages at the aesthetic and decor level. Also, they’re easy to combine and go very well with the furniture.

On a chromatic level, the effect on the space is the main component you must analyze. What can it provide? Do people feel comfortable if it’s present in the room? There’s no doubt that, depending on each person’s interpretation, the decoration can evoke certain feelings.

The aesthetic perception of the color brown

What this color contributes to the interior could have an aesthetic impact. You shouldn’t put it in every room, as it would crowd your home. The question’s in how you apply it.

There are many types of brown, ranging from dark to light. Furthermore, they visually provide a pleasant sensation, charged with finesse and delicacy, as if the surface were velvety.

On the other hand, it can go well with neutral colors – white, gray, and other earthy tones. However, never put it with intense or warm colors like yellow, orange, or intense red.

There must be a chromatic correspondence between the color brown and the rest of the decor.

The color brown in the living room

A living room with a blue wall.

As previously mentioned, the color brown generates a series of feelings that, if properly applied to the decor items, can produce a unique harmony as a whole. Let’s look at 4 ways to distribute it in the living room:

  1. A brown sofa wants to be the center of attention. Whether it’s made of polyester or leather, visually you’ll perceive it in the same way. In any case, with leather, you’ll find it offers a sense of seriousness and an alternative character.
  2. Wooden furniture is where you’ll mainly find this color. In this case, it’s recommended it’s all the same shade, so avoiding mixing different browns. Darker furniture often looks nice.
  3. Having a brown central carpet cements a coherent dialogue with the sofa and table. It combines well with both wooden and white slab floors. The important thing is the contrast. If they’re both dark, it won’t provide what you need to turn your home into a more welcoming place.
  4. It isn’t common to find this color in curtains, since people tend to use lighter tones. Even so,  the color brown could be used on the curtains to enhance, to a greater extent, that cozy feeling.

The color brown on the walls

A wall painted with the color chestnut.

The use of the color brown on furniture is feasible, but what about the walls? You must create a well-established composition. The color should be on some of the other decor items, so it predominates and starts a conversation.

One of the most common combinations of this color is brown and white. It doesn’t matter if it’s pure and bright or if it’s light; the contrast will establish coherency and, of course, will match perfectly.

The best way to use brown and white is by painting one wall brown and painting the opposite wall white. If your home has brown wooden beams they’ll stand out in contrast with the white walls and ceiling.

In the bathroom

A bathroom with a wooden floor.

Is there room in the bathroom for this color? It could be too much, but it’s possible.

The floor, a shelf, or a cabinet are great items that could be brown. Obviously, if they’re made of wood, you’ll already have brown in the bathroom, but it must contrast with the white or beige of the tiles. Also, it goes very well with turquoise and sky blue.

Thanks for reading!

 


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Lluch, Francisco Javier: Arte de armonizar colores, Barcelona, Imprensa El Porvenir, 1858.