Paint colors for your home, inside and out
Brown · Bedroom · colors from 3 paintings
Brown bedroom walls work best when the color is deep, warm and balanced by lighter trim and bedding. These three browns were measured from paintings at The Art Institute of Chicago. Each has an LRV between 3 and 7, so each makes a snug, restful room.
Quick answer
Use #584828 on all four walls or an accent wall for the lightest, earthiest brown. Choose #3A291D for the deepest, reddest brown, and pair either with #E4DACC on trim and bedding.
The lightest of the three browns at LRV 7, with a deep, warm yellow undertone. Use it on an accent wall or all four walls; it comes from Constant Troyon's "Unfinished Study of Sheep."
From Unfinished Study of Sheep, Constant Troyon
At LRV 5 with a warm yellow undertone, it is a quiet, dark brown that suits a bedroom you mostly use at night. It comes from Girolamo da Carpi's "Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child."
From Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child, Girolamo da Carpi
The darkest here at LRV 3, with a warm red-orange undertone that glows under lamp light. Use it on a feature wall, curtains or a rug; it is taken from Nicholas Dixon's "Portrait of Mary of Modena."
From Portrait of Mary of Modena, Nicholas Dixon
At LRV 71 it reads light and bounces light back into the room. Use it on trim, the ceiling and bedding beside dark brown walls; it comes from Nicholas Dixon's "Portrait of Mary of Modena."
From Portrait of Mary of Modena, Nicholas Dixon
A deep, warm brown at LRV 13, close to wood tones. Use it for a headboard, nightstands or a floor stain; it is measured from Troyon's "Unfinished Study of Sheep."
From Unfinished Study of Sheep, Constant Troyon
A mid-tone at LRV 34 with a warm yellow undertone. Use it as the bold piece: an armchair, a lampshade or a throw; it comes from Girolamo da Carpi's "Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child."
From Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child, Girolamo da Carpi
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warm Parchment Cream | ||||
| Soft Caramel Tan |
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 Unfinished Study of Sheep.
All three browns here are very dark. Their LRV runs from 3 to 7, so they take in nearly all the light that hits them. Choose by undertone first, then by how dark you want the room to feel.
Start with the lightest, #584828, LRV 7. It has a deep, warm yellow undertone and the most visible color of the three. Its closest paint matches are Sherwin-Williams SW 9125 Oliva Oscuro and Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood. Choose #443C31, LRV 5, for a quieter brown with the same yellow warmth. The closest matches measured are Sherwin-Williams SW 7675 Sealskin and Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee. Choose #3A291D, LRV 3, for the richest, reddest brown. Its closest match is Sherwin-Williams SW 6076 Turkish Coffee.
For a brown accent wall, use the wall behind the bed. It frames the bed and keeps the dark color out of your direct view when you walk in. For all four walls, choose a room with good daylight or warm lamps. Dark brown on every wall of a small, dim room can feel heavy.
Pair a dark brown with one light, warm neutral and one or two mid-tones. The light color keeps the room open.
Use #E4DACC, LRV 71, on trim, the ceiling and bedding. Its closest matches include Sherwin-Williams SW 6105 Divine White, Behr HDC-CT-05 Pale Palomino and Farrow & Ball No. 241 Skimming Stone. Its yellow undertone matches the browns, so it sits comfortably beside them.
Bring in #7D5E32, LRV 13, for a headboard, nightstands or a floor stain. Add #C39566, LRV 34, as the bold piece: an armchair, a lampshade or a throw. Use #3A291D for curtains or a rug, where its very dark red-orange tone adds depth against light bedding.
With light oak flooring, keep the trim light too. With dark wood floors, choose a lighter rug so the floor does not blend into the walls.
With an LRV of 3 to 7, these browns reflect very little light. The room gets its brightness from windows, lamps and the light colors you add. The walls will not bounce light around.
In a north-facing room, daylight is cooler, so the yellow undertone can look flatter. In a south- or west-facing room, warm light brings out the red in #3A291D and the gold in #584828. Evening lamp light with warm bulbs makes all three look deeper and softer. That is often where dark brown works best in a bedroom, since most of us use the room at night.
Expect the walls to look darker in the corners and near the ceiling. A light ceiling and light trim, such as #E4DACC at LRV 71, give the eye a bright edge. Add a lamp or two at different heights so the walls are not left in shadow.
Test on large boards, not small chips. Paint a sample at least two feet square, two coats, and tape it to the wall. A dark color needs full coverage to judge fairly.
Move the board around. Put it on the wall behind the bed, next to the window and near the door. Look at it in the morning, at midday and at night with your usual bulbs on. Dark browns shift a lot, and the hour you use the room most is the one that counts.
Set the sample next to your trim color, flooring and bedding. The paints listed here are the closest matches to colors measured from paintings, not exact copies, so judge them in your own room. If two browns are close, such as #584828 and #443C31, test both side by side.
Yes, if you want a calm, enclosed feel. Browns with an LRV of 3 to 7 absorb most light, so they suit rooms with good windows or warm lamps and are best balanced with light trim and bedding.
Try #584828, LRV 7, behind the bed. It is the lightest of the three and has a warm yellow undertone. Use #3A291D, LRV 3, if you want a deeper, redder feature wall.
Warm cream such as #E4DACC works on trim, ceiling and bedding. Add golden wood tones like #7D5E32 and a caramel accent like #C39566 for variety.
By day it often can, since these browns reflect very little light. Keep the ceiling and trim light, add lamps, and consider painting one wall instead of all four.
A warm, light cream like #E4DACC, LRV 71, works well. It shares the yellow undertone of the browns and gives a clear edge against dark walls.
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.
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Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.
