The Best Earthy Brown, Warm Neutral Paint Colours You Need To Know About
‘Mummy’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Design: J.James Mackie; Photographer: James McDonald
I recently redecorated my sitting room in a soft, light brown paint colour; in my usual procrastinating way, I spent the two weeks prior to painting pondering over copious amounts of sample pots of emulsion - all of which I’d spread out in a chocolatey patchwork pattern on one wall. I felt like I had tested pretty much every warm brown neutral on offer, so I thought I would round-up my findings in a blog post as a starting point for others looking to paint a room in their home a similar shade.
My sitting room is now painted in Stone V by Paint & Paper Library.
Warm, earthy browns are a great neutral to use as an alternative to the whiter neutrals and they add depth and personality to your walls without having to use more pigmented colours. In my opinion, they work particularly well as a backdrop to furniture and soft furnishings in pink, red or white. I found that browns really do pick up the pigments from the prior colour which can alter the final shade, so I would recommend using a tinted undercoat before adding your top coat. If this all feels like too much hard work or you don’t feel like you have enough painting experience, it’s worth exploring painter jobs where a skilled painter can execute an exceptional final result.
‘Mummy’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Design: J.James Mackie ; Photographer: James McDonald. See this colour in the new London showroom: 194, Ebury St, SW1W 8UP.
While testing out all my sample tins, I found that the brown paint colours could be categorised into the following groups: darker browns, pink-based browns (which add a lot of warmth to a space), yellow-based browns and lighter, softer, greyish browns.
Darker Browns
These deeper, chocolatey shades are warm and provide a great backdrop for furniture and accessories:
Topi - Paint & Paper Library
London Stone - Farrow & Ball
Mummy - Edward Bulmer
Rolling Rog Dark - Little Greene
Millbank - Mylands
Rolling Fog Dark Intelligent Matt Emulsion £59.50 for 2.5L by Little Greene. Glazed Metro Tiles £1.20 each by Bert & May.
‘Mummy’ by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint. Design: J.James Mackie ; Photographer: James McDonald. Edward Bulmer Natural Paint are pioneers in developing natural paints suitable for 21st century living that do not cost the earth. The paints are plant-based, breathable and robust for modern living. Available in 102 beautiful colours in both interior wall emulsion and woodwork and metalwork finishes. The Shade Collection is now available for 24 of the most popular colours, giving complete control and accuracy in finding the perfect shade for your room. £55 for 2.5 litres of wall emulsion.
Pink-Based Browns
These browns have red pigments in their base to create warm and inviting shades:
Jitney - Farrow & Ball
Soba - Paint & Paper Library
Oxford Stone - Farrow & Ball
Mink - Paint & Paper Library
Dead Salmon - Farrow & Ball
London Stone No.6 (on panelling) Modern Eggshell, £34 for 750ml. Sand CC.2 Estate Emulsion, £54.50 for 2.5 litres. Both Farrow & Ball.
Wall: Ruse in Architects’ Matt £59.50 for 2.5L, Shutters: Topi and Window Surround/Window: Stone II in Architects’ Satinwood £83 for 2.5L by Paint & Paper Library. Find a Stockist: 0845 880 5844.
Yellow-Based Browns
Yellow undertones give these paint colours a traditional, heritage feel.
Thames Mud - Paint & Paper Library
Leather V - Paint & Paper Library
Jitney No.293 Estate Emulsion, £54.50 for 2.5 litres. Farrow & Ball.
Softer, lighter browns
These browns are lighter with no overt undertones and are a good alternative to using grey as a neutral.
Rolling Fog - Little Greene
Stone V - Paint & Paper Library
Oxford Stone No.264 Estate Eggshell paired with the vibrant Copenhagen Roof No.9816 Estate Eggshell, both £31 for 750ml by Farrow & Ball. Photographer: Asger Mortensen, Wester Agency.
Main wall: Rolling Fog Dark Intelligent Matt Emulsion £59.50 for 2.5L, Bath: Rolling Fog Intelligent Satinwood £83.50 for 2.5L & Panelling: Rolling Fog Pale Intelligent Eggshell £75.50 for 2.5L by Little Greene. Find a Stockist: 0845 880 5844.