Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Brown · colors from 2 paintings
Brown works best with a light cream wall and one cool accent. This page shows two brown shades and four partners that appear in the same paintings. The pairings come from the painters themselves.
Quick answer
Put the pale butter #FFDF9D on the walls and use the brown #745735 for furniture. Add the teal #5E8992 as one cool accent.
A very dark brown at LRV 4 for a door, a bookcase or a leather sofa. It was measured from Croquet Scene by Winslow Homer.
From Croquet Scene, Winslow Homer
A deep brown at LRV 11 with a warm yellow undertone for wood furniture or a feature wall. It comes from The Annunciation by the Budapest Master.
From The Annunciation, Budapest Master
A mid-tone ochre at LRV 26 for wood, a rug or a lamp. It was measured from The Annunciation by the Budapest Master.
From The Annunciation, Budapest Master
A very light yellow at LRV 77 for walls that make brown furniture feel warm. It comes from The Annunciation by the Budapest Master.
From The Annunciation, Budapest Master
A light khaki at LRV 53 for curtains, a sofa or a calm wall. It was measured from Croquet Scene by Winslow Homer.
From Croquet Scene, Winslow Homer
A mid-tone cool blue at LRV 22 that gives brown rooms a fresh accent. It comes from Croquet Scene by Winslow Homer.
From Croquet Scene, Winslow Homer
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
| Color | Neutral daylight | North light | South light | Evening lamps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Ochre | ||||
| Pale Butter | ||||
| Soft Khaki |
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Croquet Scene.
Brown looks richest beside a light warm color. The pale butter #FFDF9D has an LRV of 77 and a warm yellow undertone, so it lights up the room and makes brown wood glow. Its nearest matches are La Luna Amarilla from Sherwin-Williams and Melted Butter from Behr.
If you prefer a quieter wall, the soft khaki #C6C2A8 has an LRV of 53 and stays calm. Its nearest match is Grassland from Sherwin-Williams.
For contrast, the dusty teal #5E8992 is the cool partner. It has an LRV of 22 and comes from the same painting as the khaki and the dark chocolate brown.
A mix of warm and cool wood tones can look messy. Keep to one family, such as the warm yellow browns on this page, and let the teal bring the contrast.
Use two browns, not four. The dark chocolate #423628 (LRV 4) is the anchor and belongs in small to medium pieces such as a door or a bookcase. The tobacco brown #745735 (LRV 11) suits larger wood furniture or a feature wall.
The golden ochre #B0824B (LRV 26) acts as a lighter wood tone and links the browns to the butter wall. Use it in a rug, a lamp or a tray.
For trim and ceiling, use a lighter version of the wall color. Floors in mid-tone wood work well, and a rug in khaki or teal helps separate the browns from the floor.
Brown leather, a wood floor and a brown wall can easily become too much, so let at least two of the three stay light.
Brown absorbs light. Dark browns with an LRV below 12 look rich in bright rooms and heavy in dim ones. In a north-facing room, the pale butter wall prevents the browns from taking over.
In strong south light, #745735 shows its warm yellow undertone and #B0824B glows. Under evening bulbs, the browns deepen and the butter becomes golden.
The teal #5E8992 stays cool in every light and gives the eye a place to rest. A lamp or a throw in this color is enough.
If you have a window facing a garden, the green outside will add a natural cool tone, and you may need less teal indoors.
Paint a large sample of the wall color and place your brown furniture in front of it. The pairing matters more than the wall color alone.
If you plan a brown wall, test it with two coats and look at it at night, since dark walls change most after sunset. Hold fabric swatches in teal and khaki up to the sample.
Compare the butter #FFDF9D and khaki #C6C2A8 side by side. The 24 LRV points between them make a clear difference in how bright the room feels.
Take a photo of the room with each sample so you can compare them side by side later.
A warm light color such as #FFDF9D (LRV 77) makes brown wood glow. For a calmer room, #C6C2A8 (LRV 53) also works.
Teal such as #5E8992 is a good cool partner. It comes from the same painting as the dark brown and the khaki on this page.
Yes, in a room with good light. The tobacco brown #745735 has an LRV of 11, so add a light ceiling and lamps.
For #423628, the closest matches are Dark Clove from Sherwin-Williams and Dried Leaf from Behr.
Warm bulbs suit brown rooms, since the yellow undertones deepen and look cozy. Cool bulbs can make the browns look flat.
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0). Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
