A steaming cup of hot cocoa … logs in the fireplace, ready to light … piles of leaves, raked in the yard … a forest of twiggy bare trees, resting until spring. Brown is the story of fall. And, I think, it’s the story of a well dressed home.
Mother Nature’s favorite canvass, brown is the perfect base from which to build a sensational room, warm and cozy, rich and organic, classic and comfortable. I love snugly rooms, well done in shades of brown. But an over saturation of brown, or brown done badly, is like a too-tight hug from your great aunt: It means well, but its leaves you gasping for fresh air. Here are some tips for striking just the right balance of brown in your home.
Use a Spectrum of Shades
For decades, chocolate brown has been a color crush for many of us. Maybe it’s the name. Who could turn down a color named after this life-giving confection? But I think the best rooms don’t camp on one shade of brown. Instead, they thread in this versatile color’s many hues, which range from cool to warm, whisper light to deep dark. Check out how we did just that in this bedding ensemble at Nell Hill’s. By mixing together a variety of patterns, each showing off different tones of brown, this grouping feels cozy and rich, but not heavy or stale.
Tell the Story through Textures
Brown is just one of those colors whose story begs to be told in textures. I’m a fanatic about fabric – if you can’t find me at Nell Hill’s, look for me among the hundreds of bolts of fabric on the second floor, helping customers create custom bedding or pick out fabric for furnishings.
One of my favorite ways to layer up a room in shades of brown is to weave in a variety of textiles, all with different patterns and weights. Pick from wools like a Harris tweed or herringbone, plush velvets and lighter weight cottons for your upholstered furniture, window coverings, accent pillows, bedding, throws.
Leather is another irresistible way to add texture to your cozy room. Maybe your bliss is a leather sofa or ottoman, or just a leather accent or two, like a leather clad clock or photo frame. Want a wilder, more rustic look? How about a cowhide?
Of course, one of the most natural and easiest ways to bring in a variety of browns in lots of different textures is through your wood furnishings and finishes. Whether it’s a rich mahogany table that’s been in your family for generations or a coffee table made of driftwood, wood furniture and accents are the pillars of a space. In this gallery at Nell Hill’s, we incorporated wood pieces in a lot of different styles and finishes to make a finished space that is interestingly layered.
A Perfect Pairing
Brown is one of those remarkable colors that looks amazing with just about everything it’s paired with. Think of brown as you do black, a versatile base upon which you can build any look you want, from sleek modern to timeless traditional. This time of year, I love it showcased with the yummy colors of autumn, from mustard to burnt orange to olive green. On this bed at Nell Hill’s, we mixed together cool and warm tones of brown, then added in ox blood red, amber and cream.
In my home, the color that most often shows up in my palette of browns is “golden retriever blond.” Lyric, in all her generosity, is the contributor, adding touches of golden hair everywhere she goes!
Next Week … The holidays are just around the corner, so we’re starting a series of blogs that will share our tips and techniques for making your home beautiful. First up? Decorating your mantel.
franki says
October 3, 2016 at 1:41 pmTHIS IS THE MOST GORGEOUS BLOG!!! You had me at that leather sofa (which is almost like mine..) and then “touchdown”..THAT PAISLEY SPREAD…gees…!!! franki
Janelle says
October 3, 2016 at 1:55 pmLove everything about this blog! There are so many ideas I’m going to steal!!
Kathy says
October 3, 2016 at 7:11 pmLiving in California, would love to know the cost of charcoal prints on the wall & do you ship ?
Mary Carol Garrity says
October 5, 2016 at 9:21 amHi Kathy, we do ship! Give us call for all the info on these prints, shipping, etc. 816-746-4320.
Gail Bell says
October 3, 2016 at 7:50 pmLove…LOVE…L.O.V.E. brown and all the ideas in this post.
What is the fabric with the deer/woodland scene in both garnet and black/tan used on the pillows?
Mary Carol Garrity says
October 5, 2016 at 9:20 amSo happy, Gail! Give us a call for all the info on the fabric … 816-746-4320.
Jaybird says
October 4, 2016 at 9:24 amAhhhhhh brown!! Second only after my all time favorite of red! My family room is my “brown” space and yes it does feel like it is giving you a hug!
I am saving this post so that I can refer to the print combos…
oh, and the wonderful dog!
Blessings,
J
Kathy says
October 4, 2016 at 12:58 pmI love this post! I, too, love using different shades of brown. We also have added shades of dark brown from our Golden Retriever, Dexter and creamy shades from our English Golden Retriever, Sofi!
Cookie Burke says
October 4, 2016 at 1:23 pmLOVE reconnecting with Mary carol
creative lovely blog. Especially like
????Blurb regarding & pic of Lyric.
Happy Fall 2016 to all!????????????
Continued Blessings!????????????????
Lisa Mercado-Fernandez says
October 5, 2016 at 6:51 pmThese fabrics are to die for. I love the textures, the combinations the matching and mixing. What lovely marriages of textures and colors. Makes you want to run for a cup of tea and cuddle with any one of your books. Love it. Love Nell Hills! Can’t wait until my ottoman arrives!!!!!!!!!!
Jasmin says
February 20, 2018 at 4:04 amHi there colleagues, its fantastic post on the topic of cultureand fully explained, keep it up all thhe time.