GROUNDING BROWNS

RICH, WARM AND REASSURING – THE GROUNDING INFLUENCE AND EARTHY APPEAL OF BROWN CAN WARM UP ANY ROOM. RESENE SHOWS US HOW TO BRING THIS ANCHORING COLOUR INTO OUR HOMES.

Whether it’s the chocolate browns of the 1970s, the coffee and tea tones of the 1980s and 1990s or the greiges of the 2000s, brown in its many mutable forms is a winner when it comes to interiors.

Now, we’re seeing browns emerge that have delicious warm undertones like nuts, toffees and spices and reassuring tones of leather and oilskin. Spicy shades of paprika, cinnamon, allspice, cumin and cardamom are a riff off the other current trend for earthy colours such as clay, stone and sand.

Using such warm colours is all part of a move away from cooler tones to cocooning, enveloping colours that make us feel safe and secure after some tumultuous years of global and personal change.

Spicy colours are ultimately flexible, despite their big personalities. They can be toned down, as with this room, by painting a feature wall rather than the whole room. The depth of the brown is tempered by using Resene Quarter Akaroa, a subtle creamy beige, on the other walls of the room.

Feature walls can be used to visually anchor a zone within the larger space to help define it. This feature wall serves as the main player in a soothing tonal scheme of rich browns – whether those are represented through paint or through other items such as the timber table, a basket, cushions and throws or a foraged arrangement of twigs and grasses. The wall in Resene Spice here acts as a perfect frame for a large inviting linen-covered sofa strewn with plump cushions. resene.co.nz/colorshops

Warm browns also suit several styles and themes – add rich reds such as Resene Hot Chile, solemn slate blues such as Resene San Juan and complex ochres such as Resene Tussock for an exotic global vibe that speaks of Morocco or Turkey. Develop a palette of tonal browns and sandy shades – try Resene Okey Dokey and Resene Sand – for a homely rustic look. Add accents in deep black and off-white, such as Resene Element and Resene Sea Fog, for an artsy, graphic appeal. For a contemporary look, add mellow greens, pale pinks and warm greys of equal tone and strength – Resene Spanish Green, Resene Wafer (as with this scheme) and Resene Quill Grey.

Moody lighting, a dark textured rug and a knitted throw will intensify the look for the cooler months, but simply swap out the rug for a lighter colour or one with a playful pattern, and add natural-coloured cushions, and the room will become a superb spring or summer sanctuary.