Earth tone paint colors are the browns, tans and olives that look like soil, wood and dry grass. The six here run from mid-tone to very dark, and two companion colors from the same paintings, a pale green and a warm gold, give them a lighter partner.
Quick answer
Use the pale green #C1D0C2 on the walls, the brown #6C543C on the main furniture and the terracotta #774630 for wood. Add the gold #FEBB65 as a bold piece and #A07E5D for textiles.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Shades of earthy
#A07E5DLRV 23
Light Saddle Tan
A mid-tone with a warm red-orange undertone and an LRV of 23. It suits a textile, a leather chair or a warm accent. It comes from Jacob Eichholtz's Miss Schaum, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6124 Cardboard is a near-identical match.
A mid-tone with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 21, the lightest of the true wall colors here. It was measured from Bernard van Orley's Virgin and Child with Angels, and the closest match is Sherwin-Williams SW 7737 Meadow Trail.
A deep brown with an LRV of 10 and a warm yellow undertone. Use it on furniture, a door or a single wall in a bright room. It comes from Jacob Eichholtz's Master Schaum, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6146 Umber is a near-identical match.
A deep brown with a red-orange undertone and an LRV of 9, suited to wood tones and cabinets. It was measured from Francescuccio Ghissi's Saint John the Evangelist Causes a Pagan Temple to Collapse.
A deep color with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 7. It works for a library wall or built-in shelves. It comes from Rubens's Helena Fourment and Their Son Frans.
A very dark brown with an LRV of 6, close to Sherwin-Williams SW 9183 Dark Clove. Use it for trim, a door or a deep accent. It was measured from Antonio Puga's Man in Armour.
A light color with a green undertone and an LRV of 60. It makes a calm wall beside the browns. It comes from Bernard van Orley's Virgin and Child with Angels, and Sherwin-Williams SW 6456 Slow Green is a near-identical match.
A light color with a warm yellow undertone and an LRV of 58, good for a cushion, a lamp or a painted chair. It was measured from the Ghissi painting, and Sherwin-Williams SW 9013 Olden Amber is a very close match.
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
Light Saddle Tan
Pale Sage Mint
Warm Apricot Gold
Try these colors in a room
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 Miss Schaum.
What is an earth tone paint color?
An earth tone is a muted color that comes from soil, clay, bark, stone and dry plants. In paint, that usually means browns, tans, olives and warm grays, often with a yellow or red-orange undertone.
The colors here show the range. The lightest, #A07E5D and #877C64, sit around LRV 21 to 23, which makes them mid-tones. The deeper ones, from #6C543C down to #4E4234, are between LRV 6 and 10 and behave almost like dark woods.
Because nearly every earth tone is on the dark side, the lighter partners matter. The pale green #C1D0C2 at LRV 60 and the gold #FEBB65 at LRV 58 keep a room from feeling heavy.
How do you use earth tones on interior walls?
Pick one earth tone for the largest surface and keep it to the amount of light your room can handle. In a bright room with large windows, a mid-tone such as #877C64 can cover all four walls. In a small or dim room, use it on one wall.
Deeper browns, like #6C543C and #774630, work as feature walls, built-ins and door colors. They absorb light, so add a lighter ceiling and a pale rug.
The pale green wall #C1D0C2 is the easiest way to get an earthy look without darkness. Pair it with brown furniture and the terracotta #774630 in wood or pottery. The result feels natural but not heavy.
What goes with earth tones: trim, ceiling and flooring?
For trim, choose a warm off-white or the pale green. A bright white can look sharp against browns, while a warm one blends better.
For the ceiling, go as light as you can. A light ceiling returns light into rooms with dark walls.
Flooring in wood, stone or terracotta tile fits naturally. If the floor is already brown, use a wall color that differs in depth, such as the lighter taupe, so the two do not merge. A rug in #A07E5D or the gold #FEBB65 adds warmth and breaks up large dark areas.
Metals such as brass and bronze go well with these colors. Black ironwork suits the darkest tones, #4E4234 and #534D36.
How do you test earth tone paint colors?
Dark earth tones change a great deal with light. In north light, the browns look cooler and flatter. In south light, they show their warm yellow or red-orange undertone. Under evening bulbs, they deepen and merge.
Paint a sample two feet wide and put it on the wall that gets the least light. Check it at several times of day. Hold your fabrics and floor samples against it.
Compare neighboring colors on the same board. The taupe #877C64 and the olive-brown #534D36 can look almost identical on a screen but different on a wall. Because these hex values are measured from paintings, treat the closest paint matches as a starting point and always test a real sample.
FAQ
What is an earthy tone?
An earthy tone is a muted brown, tan, olive or clay color that looks like soil, wood or dry plants. The deeper ones here have LRV below 12.
What colors are earthy tones?
Typical ones are tan #A07E5D, taupe #877C64, umber #6C543C and terracotta #774630. Pale green and gold can partner with them.
Are earth tones too dark for walls?
The deep browns can be. The lighter taupe and the pale green are better for large walls, and the darkest ones suit accents.
What color goes with brown walls?
Pale green, warm cream and gold go well. They add light next to the darker browns.
Do earth tones make a room feel smaller?
Dark ones can, especially in rooms with little light. Use them with a light ceiling and good lamps.
Save these colors
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.
From Miss Schaum, Jacob Eichholtz
