HUEmor me: brown

Brown is the calm, cool and collected color of the color world. (Brown can be warm too, but that ruins the statement!)

You may have noticed various shades of brown all over the home decor scene these days (and over the past few years). It's also all over the stores and in many magazines.

(The off white art, books and furniture in this room really pop against the brown walls)

Brown is a wonderful color for decorating because it's a beautiful neutral that goes with everything. Yes, there's a "right" brown for every color! If you are hesitant to try brown consider pairing it with another color you are more comfortable with.

favorite pairings:
brown & lavender
brown & yellow
brown & green
brown & blue
brown & pink
(white or cream pair nicely with any of these combos)

(Yellow pairs nicely with the brown in this room, even though the various shapes around the art are a bit much!)

A few browns you might consider for your walls (from L to R - Benjamin Moore's chocolate truffel, tudor brown and night horizon)

My favorite things about brown:

* it commands attention in a room without taking over the space
* when used as a backdrop for other more vivid colors it's the silent star of the show
* it allows other colors and neutrals to pop

(The pale blue/green of these linens are a lovely compliment to the cocoa brown)

brown is:
sophisticated
warm & rich
cozy

If you want a room to feel sophisticated, warm and rich, and/or cozy when you are finished decorating, consider adding brown to the room. Brown is like a big room hug and who doesn't want a hug every day?

a few more great browns:
Vaslpar's Dark Fig
Sherwin Williams' Brevity Brown
Sherwin Williams' Mocha

I encourage you to see brown in a new way as we approach Spring. Not dark and gloomy, but sharp, crisp and bold — a great backdrop to all of your favorite Spring shades! Have you painted a room in your house brown? Or, is it a favorite accent? Click on"comment" and share your brown story with me!

happy decorating.