Rooted In Nature
For Alice Gaskell, founder of Alice Grace, brown’s resurgence is directly tied to the renewed appreciation for natural materials. “The resurgence of brown partly comes down to a real focus on natural materials,” she explains. “Not only are we conscious about the ways in which we incorporate sustainable practices by buying high-quality, locally-made furniture but we’re also placing a real emphasis on floors and ceilings. These things are often made of wood – you’ll usually see wooden panels and beams included for aesthetic purposes – and those wood tones help create warm, textured and meaningful spaces.”
This connection to nature runs deep in the current design conversation. As Murude Katipoglu, founder of Murudé, notes: “Brown’s comeback is rooted in a broader movement toward grounding colours. People are drawn to warm, natural hues that create a sense of calm and comfort, particularly after years of cool greys and stark whites. There’s a desire to reconnect to nature, and brown – with its organic, earth-like qualities – does that so well.”
A Forgiving Shade
Beyond its natural appeal, brown is also one of the most adaptable colours to work with. Edward Bulmer, founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, explains: “Brown is an incredibly flattering colour; you can combine all sorts of textures and other colours with it. It’s all around us in nature, so we find it comforting too. Some ‘brave’ designers use it to dramatic effect, but you don’t need to be courageous to do so.” From rich chocolate lacquers to softer taupes, the spectrum offers multiple options, all of which are forgiving enough to work with bolder accents or layered textures.
Playing With Neutrals
Neutrals have always been a natural partner for brown but now they’re being used in more nuanced ways. Alice explains: “Brown goes very well with warm neutrals – not only just in terms of neutral paint colour but also textured papers.” Murude agrees that tonal layering is key: “Pairing brown with lighter tones like beige, cream, or white helps to keep a space feeling light and airy. Incorporating different textures and finishes to break up the weight of the brown is also key. If I’m after a moodier effect, I like picking up on lighter tones of brown in the walls and darker tones in the upholstery. Right now, we’re also seeing a lot of deeper chocolate tones paired with muted, earthy shades like camel, mocha and taupe.”
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