“The secret with choosing a brown is to make sure it looks and feels like something in real life,” explains Cassandra Ellis from paint company Atelier Ellis. “The brown of a bird’s nest or a labrador’s coat. Bracken, mud or chocolate bon bons.” The benefit of using the natural world as your inspiration, she explains, is that it also points you to a full colour scheme: “They work because they feel right and this then gives you a huge array of colours to put with it. Pale blue is a classic, but the easiest way to find a great combo is looking at Mother Nature.” She goes on to explain that “browns that feel manufactured are very hard to live with. Everything looks strange with it.” So, when looking at the lovely burnt brown of a bird’s nest, then duck egg blue might just be the perfect complementary shade.

Not long ago, the idea of painting your walls brown – whether a green-based khaki tone or a richly red mahogany – would have seemed eccentric. Its reputation as sickly or gloomy has prevented it from stepping into the mainstream. The tides have turned in the last few years though, and brown has been enjoying its moment in the sun. Many use it as a warmer alternative to black, for cabinets or bathroom panelling, say. Others reach for a light, dusty brown instead of a neutral, to add interest and strength. Its ascent can be tracked along with the rise of quiet luxury, as consumers begin to swap splashy prints and labels for organic, earthy tones, to add subtle allure and depth to their clothes and interiors.

We’ve seen enough successful brown schemes in our archive to be convinced of its chocolatey powers of seduction, but it can be challenging to contrive convincing colour schemes out of a colour that’s had such a drab reputation for so long. So, with ‘Mother Nature’ as our muse, we’ve meditated on the best colours to match with brown.

Brown and green

Green and brown create a natural and earthy scheme in Phoebe Clive’s kitchen, with the pediment cabinets painted in ‘Invisible Green’ by Edward Bulmer.

Mark Anthony Fox

Whether in a Canadian forest, a rainforest in South America or even an English country lane, it’s indisputable that brown and green are a triumphant match. Essential in this case is matching undertones, and yellow is a good base to start from. This means an earthy brown and an olive green. Cassandra points to the shades ‘Bitter Chocolate’ and ‘Mollie’ from Atelier Ellis here.

‘Bitter Chocolate’ paint by Atelier Ellis

‘Mollie’ paint by Atelier Ellis

Brown and red

The walls of this study-cum-guest room in Tamsin Saunders’ London vicarage are a dusty, purple-based brown which absorbs a lot of light, meaning the room doesn’t have too much contrast. This, combined with the pinkish painted bookshelves, creates a calm, focused energy in amongst a lot of colours and textures.

Chris Horwood

Like a pile of autumn leaves, burnt oranges and terracotta reds will always tone beautifully with a red-based brown, like mahogany or chestnut, or Edward Bulmer’s ‘Sang de Beouf.’ ‘An earthy dark brown with red in its undertones, ‘Brown 02′ oozes warmth making it perfect for creating grounded, comforting spaces,’ says Tash Bradley, colour psychologist and Director of Interior Design at paint company Lick. She recommends pairing this with rust and terracottas such as ‘Red 01’ and ‘Red 03’ from Lick.

‘Brown 02’ matt paint by Lick

‘Sang de Boeuf’ paint by Edward Bulmer Natural Paint

Brown and yellow