The use of white and brown tones in interior design is considered a classic of the genre.
There are people who like to decorate rooms in the same brown color scheme, with small splashes of bright accents. Others prefer calm, snow-white interiors, but you must admit that monotony looks a bit boring. Let's talk about using color combinations, namely about options for arranging a white and brown kitchen. Such color combinations are best suited for creating an interior in the style of minimalism, modern, and modern classics.
To make your kitchen look cozy, practice some rules for arranging the room. The most popular combination of white and brown is a kitchen unit with brown lower cabinets and white upper cabinets.
Shades
Brown has a huge variety of shades with which you can realize any design ideas. In kitchen decoration there are chestnut, cognac, brick, yew tones, the color of walnut, coffee, cinnamon, cocoa, antique brass or barley grain.
Light brown kitchen
The light palette is the most comfortable, versatile and elegant. It fits perfectly into a kitchen space with any architectural layout and harmoniously combines with various style solutions.
The photo shows the interior of a light brown kitchen made in Provence style.
Thanks to light brown shades, you can achieve a calm and neutral interior design or experiment and dilute the design with bright accents.
Dark brown kitchen
Thanks to the expressive dark brown color scheme, you can add unusual color accents to the interior and highlight the surrounding environment.
The photo shows a kitchen set with a dining group, designed in a dark chocolate palette.
A dark chocolate tone will give the room elegance and exclusivity, and a solid wenge shade will add luxury, high cost and a mysterious flair.
Walls and floors
Brown color can be used not only in furniture and kitchen interior items. It may well be the main color of the floor or walls. But even here you should be careful and careful so that the kitchen does not turn out gloomy.
Photo of a brown kitchen
So, for example, you can use brown for only one wall, and paint the rest in another that will match it. Then the kitchen will not be too strict or dark. The same advice can be applied if the floors in this room have a dark brown tint. Then it’s better to make all the walls light, but the kitchen set itself can be brown. If the kitchen is small, then it is better to stick to light and sunny shades of brown. You should not paint the walls or floors dark - this will only make the room visually smaller.
When choosing a lighting option if you have brown walls in the kitchen, you should choose lamps that emit a warm color. Cool white looks unnatural in such an interior.
Against the background of bright walls, brown furniture will be laconic and stylish
On a note! Bright patterns on the walls will help to revive a strict brown kitchen.
Brown floors in the kitchen are far from common. Very few designers use this technique, since any stains are very noticeable on a dark color, and there are plenty of them in the kitchen. But if you decide to make brown floors, then you should choose either a wood-like material (for example, laminate) or a coating with a fine pattern, rather than a plain one. Then the spots will be less noticeable. If you are using tiles, you can choose grout in a contrasting color - this solution looks very original.
Laminate in the kitchen
Combinations of brown with other colors
Chocolate combines favorably with a wide variety of shades, which allows you to achieve winning combinations.
White and brown kitchen
This two-color combination is quite popular. White and brown tones create a very harmonious atmosphere in the kitchen.
The photo shows a modern kitchen in white and brown tones with the addition of a gray tint.
The white-brown duo is multifaceted and has a positive effect on emotional calm and psychological balance.
To create a truly wonderful atmosphere in a room, white-brown is used in combination with gray. This combination looks as discreet, elegant as possible and creates a calm design without sharp contrasts.
The photo shows a brown set and white trim on the walls, floor and ceiling in a neoclassical kitchen design.
Beige-brown kitchen
It looks very soft and romantic. This color pair creates a spectacular, elegant and at the same time cozy design.
For chocolate, cream, sand, caramel, ivory or champagne tones are ideal. These shades dilute the saturation of the companion and allow you to achieve a pleasant visual contrast.
The photo shows a corner kitchen set in dark brown tones combined with beige walls.
Green-brown color in the interior
It is distinguished by its special naturalness. Shades of green fill the room with freshness and add positivity.
In a brown kitchen, green textiles, dishes, various accessories or an apron will look interesting.
The photo shows the design of a beige, white and brown kitchen with bright green splashes.
Taupe kitchen
The entire palette of brown tones harmonizes perfectly with the metallic color present in the design of household appliances and is combined with gray surfaces, for example, in the form of a stone countertop.
Combinations with bright colors
Orange will be an organic complement to brown. Together they will create a very stylish design.
Accent details in turquoise or blue tones will help add freshness to the warm kitchen interior. Dark brown shades are especially effective when combined with a cold palette.
The photo shows a dark brown wooden set with blue accents in the form of household appliances.
Red is used as rich inclusions for a light brown palette. In a room with dark chocolate tones, the fiery color should be used with caution so that the room does not create a feeling of stuffiness.
You can add positivity to the atmosphere with a sunny yellow palette, which is ideal for a wide variety of style solutions.
White-brown interior: white wallpaper, brown furniture details
A completely common solution is to choose a white kitchen finish. This design makes the room light and spacious. The standard set will be wooden furniture, the type of which will depend on the style of the interior.
- The classic facade is usually made of natural wood and decorated with moldings and carved details. The furniture can be any shade - from light beech to wenge.
- MDF facades can also be decorated with moldings. This technique is used both in classic interiors and in modern design options.
- Functionalism, minimalism, contemporary – it’s always a smooth façade that blends in texture with the wall. It is often done in the same color as the walls, which makes the room especially spacious.
The photo shows minimalism in the kitchen interior: a white palette in decoration and furniture.
- In the Art Nouveau style, natural wood or MDF facades can be radius, but without detailed decor.
When choosing a white palette for furniture and decoration, several surfaces are made brown. As a rule, this is a dining table with a work area tabletop, chairs or a kitchen apron with a floor. It is the floor that is most often made of wood, and other details are decorated in its tones. The bottom of the kitchen is warm, and the top is weightless.
The photo shows a typical white and brown interior with white furniture and wooden floors.
The finishing materials are almost always identical: choose white wallpaper and wooden floors. A more popular solution is still painting the walls or plastering them. An apron in this palette can be either white or brown - wooden or MDF; glass, ceramic or even metal. As a rule, this surface is determined by style. For example, in a classic kitchen they usually use white tiles, perhaps with chocolate ornaments. Modern design options allow for metal, wood, and glass aprons for the work area.
Finishing
When selecting finishing materials, they take into account not only aesthetic, but also functional criteria of the kitchen space.
- Floor. Wooden flooring in the form of parquet boards, laminate, linoleum, tiles or even stone can be used as finishing. In the design of a brown kitchen, a light floor is more appropriate.
- Walls. The best solution would be to decorate the walls with plastic panels with imitation of various textures, decorative plaster, relief or plain matte wallpaper. Natural and environmentally friendly wood will look especially advantageous in a brown interior.
- Ceiling. Practical, functional and durable stretched fabric with a glossy, matte or satin surface is the ideal complement to a chocolate background.
- Apron. Covering the apron area with mosaics, ceramic tiles, stone or wood is suitable for any interior. You can add bright notes to the atmosphere through an original drawing or photo printing. A green apron will significantly refresh the space and add positivity and cheerfulness to the design.
The photo shows the floor in the work area, lined with black tiles in the shape of hexagons.
The chocolate finish is of excellent quality and is easy to clean. Thus, maintaining cleanliness and order in the kitchen will become much easier.
The photo shows a small kitchen space in beige and brown tones and an apron area with imitation brickwork.
Furniture and appliances
A classic option for a kitchen in brown tones are furniture structures made of natural wood or more budget materials in the form of MDF or chipboard.
Furniture facades can have a glossy shine or have a matte finish.
A kitchen set in dark chocolate or coffee tones is harmoniously combined with a white countertop, sink, stove and refrigerator with silver tints.
The photo shows a dark brown kitchen set with an island, complemented by a light countertop.
An equally impressive design is achieved in the kitchen with a black countertop, which gives the room a special elegance.
For an ascetically strict, but at the same time airy interior, you can install a structure with a white top, a light base and a chocolate-colored bottom with a pronounced wood texture.
A wooden dining table and chairs upholstered in textile, leather or leatherette, as well as wicker rattan furniture elements, will ideally fit into the decor.
The optimal solution would be household appliances in a metal case.
The photo shows a dining area with a round wooden table and chairs with fabric upholstery.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of white and brown kitchen:
- White is an achromatic color; it goes well with all shades and does not interfere with adding bright details and decorative elements to the interior. Suitable for organizing small kitchens, visually increasing the space.
Small kitchen
- The most common are warm shades of brown; it creates a cozy, homely atmosphere. There are different tones, from light, sandy, to dark brown wenge.
Wenge is one of the darkest shades
- The combination does not strain visually, it helps you relax and collect your thoughts.
- Green plants look great in this kitchen.
Plants in the interior
Flaws:
- Dark brown color needs to be dosed, especially in small kitchens. It can visually reduce space. In large rooms this effect is not noticeable.
Dark is suitable for large kitchens
- White color on work surfaces can be easily soiled. It is necessary to carefully select materials for organizing the work area.
- It is required to maintain a balance of colors. The predominance of snow-white will feel like turning the kitchen into a hospital ward.
Color balance maintained
Design and textures
The design may include furniture with matte, glossy facades, glass inserts, stained glass windows, as well as fittings in the form of gold-plated, bronze or copper handles.
Gloss surfaces in dark brown tones look very catchy and impressive. Plain facades are sometimes diluted with bright accents, such as drawings.
The photo shows a kitchen interior with a suite with light brown wood-look facades, decorated with patina.
The use of patina can add originality, charm and charm to the kitchen, adding an unusual and chic antique look to the surface.
The photo shows a gray-brown glossy set in a kitchen interior with brick walls.
What fittings and accessories should I choose?
The main visible fittings are door handles. They can be one neutral color (white, black, metal), matching the color of each row, or they may not exist at all. If you have a complex color palette, order facades without handles: with the Gola profile, Push-To-Open system or other mechanisms. This way the fittings will not distract attention from the rich shades.
The photo shows a black and white tile backsplash
To prevent furniture (especially bright cabinets) from looking out of place, complement it in the decor. Cushions on the sofa, curtains, small household appliances, clocks, paintings and other accessories will complete the overall picture.
What curtains are suitable?
For a calm interior, curtains in light pastel shades are used. A setting with a window decorated with red or yellow curtains will look more dynamic and energetic.
Canvases in white or beige tones will fit perfectly into a small kitchen in a Khrushchev-era building, giving the space additional volume. A large room can be decorated with brown curtains or green and blue models.
It is better if the curtains are in harmony with the interior decoration and furniture.
Rules for combining colors
Kitchen interior dark bottom, light top has its own characteristics, primarily regarding color combinations:
- The shade of the façade relative to the walls. Most often it is advised to make the furniture a little darker, but if you have a small kitchen and want to “dissolve” the wall cabinets, order them to match the walls. For example, paint both surfaces white.
- Regarding gender. Choose a dark bottom that is slightly lighter than the floor covering.
- No more than 3 colors. In a kitchen set it is not necessary to stop at 2 shades, but you should not use 4 or more.
- Black and white isn't the only option. To make the combination contrasting, you can find an alternative to a dark bottom and a light top. Bright + pastel, neutral + flashy.
- Neutral top. To make being in the kitchen comfortable, choose a calm shade for the wall cabinets, and order the bottom in a bright or dark color.
- Color circle. Use it to avoid making mistakes in choosing the right palette. For the kitchen, an analog, contrast, complementary, monochrome scheme is used.
What styles is it used in?
The chalet style is quite popular for a diverse brown palette. This interior is distinguished by a truly harmonious combination of wooden elements, creating the cozy atmosphere of an Alpine house.
Casual, rustic country style that goes well with brown colors. The kitchen is decorated in the form of wooden panels or beams in milky chocolate, walnut tones, and also uses various clay and stone products.
The photo shows a beige-brown kitchen interior made in Scandinavian style.
In a high-tech style, the ideal solution would be a contrasting design combined with ultra-modern technology, a minimal amount of decor and lighting. A brown palette with elements of glass, plastic, wood and stone will create a high-tech interior that is not boring or monotonous.
Dark brick walls, aged furniture elements, rough open communications in combination with brown color completely complete the kitchen design in the loft style.
Which apron to choose
If the area is small, a white kitchen with a dark brown countertop and an apron matching its color will look light, without visual load. Nut, chocolate and coffee shades are suitable. Natural colors of wood, a wall made of stone or brick, covered with transparent plastic, are relevant.
Brick apron
Dark apron and countertop
A white apron will draw attention to the kitchen set against the background of dark walls, it looks neat and aesthetically pleasing. Also, the light finish of the work area is suitable for wall coverings in pastel colors.
