brown decor ideas: Good Homes colour palette
Colour palette: Hot chocolate décor ideas
Brown can be a tricky colour to work with, but with 70s Boho interior decor on trend for 2022, it’s time to take another look at hot chocolate-inspired brown decor for the home.
In colour psychology, brown means honest and sincere, with a strong side of sensuality, sensitivity and warmness, so it’s ideal for creating a feeling of calm and safety. Why not try it in the living room or bedroom as a more dramatic neutral?
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Photo: Wall painted in Cherry Truffle from Dulux Heritage
The above look, set against a wall painted in a rich brown shade with red tones (Cherry Truffle, £40.64 per 2.5 ltrs from Dulux Heritage), combines a retro curved armchair (for a similar piece, try the Kooper accent armchair in vintage gold velvet, £449 from Made.com), with a velvet sofa (for a similar model, try the So’Home velvet three-seater sofa in Flame, £999 from La Redoute) and a Mid-century modern-style sideboard (try the Simen teak dresser, £569 from Tikamoon, for similar).
Brown decor ideas
Fancy giving a hot chocolate-inspired brown decor scheme a go? Good Homes picks out some best buys to recreate this look in your own home…
Ombre all day
Not sold on a fully brown decor scheme? Ombre is a great way to introduce this shade to a scheme. Below: Abigail Ahern small brown ombre glass votive, £12 from Freemans.
Abigail Ahern small brown ombre glass votive, Freemans
Brown velvet
Adding the odd velvet piece will create a richer look. Opt for brown velvet cushions if you’re feeling tentative, or go for a brown sofa in a rich chocolate shade if you’re invested in the look. Below: Orson two-seat sofa, £749 from made.com.
Orson two-seat sofa, made.com
The classic cushion switch
Cushions are always a great way to try out a new scheme or update your current look. Below: Lisman abstract line cushion in brown, £49 from Cult Furniture.
Lisman cushion, Cult Furniture
Deep brown feature wall
A rich, velvety brown feature wall is a great way to experiment with this shade. Work it into a neutral scheme or team it with deep red tones for a truly dramatic look. Below: Zeuz wallpaper in Carob, from £125 for a 2m, half-height length, from House of Hackney.
Zeuz wallpaper in Carob, House of Hackney
Timeless rug
Add depth and warmth to a neutral colour scheme with a rug in a darker shade. The multi-tonal nature of the Ashlee power loom rug in brown/rust by Langley Street, below, (£42.99, from Wayfair), makes it easy to work in shades of brown, rust and mahogany without overpowering everything else.
Ashlee power loom rug in brown/rust, Wayfair
Retro vases
You can never have enough vases, and by clustering various colour families together, you can make all sorts work in almost any decor scheme. Try pairing brown glass vases with shades or amber and clear glass. Below: Tall cushion vase in topaz, £35, Dartington.
Tall cushion vase in topaz, Dartington
Chocolate-hued wall art
Bring together a brown decor scheme with wall art in just the right complementary shades. Below: Golden Citrus No1 poster (left) and Golden Citrus No2 poster (right), from £24.95 each (unframed), Desenio.
Golden Citrus No1 (left) and No2 (right), from Desenio
On-point pendant light
Glass pendant lights are back in a big way, whether super contemporary or with a retro touch, like the Frandsen Honey large glass and wood pendant below (£193 from Made In Design).
Frandsen Honey pendant, Made In Design
What colour goes with brown?
From introducing rich jewel colours to paler ice-cream shades, deep brown is surprisingly flexible to work with. Add a yellow-toned pink such as Dulux’s Fresh Plaster (shown below), £31.09 per 2.5 ltrs of paint mixing matt emulsion, to enhance a deeper rose pink for extra punch. Deep brown paint shades pictured below: Chocolate Suede textured matt emulsion, £27 per 2.5 ltrs, Crafted by Crown; Hanami matt emulsion, £42 per 2.5 ltrs, Graham & Brown; Felt absolute matt emulsion, £48.50 per 2.5 ltrs, Little Greene.
