Living room interior in brown tones for comfort and peace of mind

2019-06-03

Author: Belfan

Issues discussed in the material:

What is the meaning of brown
What are the advantages of a living room interior in brown tones?
What shades of brown are there, and what colors does it go with in the living room interior?
How to choose the right living room furniture in brown tones
What rules should you follow when decorating a living room in brown tones?

The presence of brown in the design of a room looks natural, as it is a natural shade of wood. Since ancient times, wood materials have been used to build houses and make furniture. A fairy-tale forest hut, a hunter's house, a wooden hull of a sailboat - the appearance of brown walls is associated with such associations. But how to properly decorate the interior of a living room in brown tones? Our article will help you figure this out.

The influence of brown in the interior

Brown shades are present everywhere in nature: soil, tree trunks, fallen leaves. Largely due to its association with the natural colors of the environment, brown evokes feelings of security, well-being and confidence.

Psychologists have long found out that brown colors in the interior have a warming effect. These colors relieve tension and stress, relax and soothe, and help restore peace of mind.

Brown will have a positive effect on those who constantly worry about the future and live in anxious anticipation. An interior in brown tones will undoubtedly remove unnecessary tension, restore self-confidence, and your guests will feel more comfortable and at ease.

It is worth listening to the opinion of experienced psychologists who say that men tend to choose muted brown for interior decoration. And in order to come to mutual agreement between family members in the process of determining the color combination, you can propose implementing the interior design of the living room in brown and beige tones. And when you create a personal space, you can no longer limit yourself in your desires.

There is also an opinion that the color brown contains a great vital force waiting for creative manifestation. For now, it seems to be inactive and accumulating energy. People have always intuitively felt this and often used wooden objects in the interiors of their city apartments. The following brown wood products look natural in a living room design:

parquet or laminate;
doors and window frames;
finishing panels and furniture.

Those who value comfortable rest and emotional peace intuitively tend to choose brown tones for decorating the living room and natural wood materials. They are also preferred by people with a conservative mindset, unhurried and balanced in their decisions, striving for financial stability. In times of crisis, designers have an increasing number of orders for interiors in brown, as this color scheme helps to cope with uncertainty about the future.

Thus, the effect of shades of coffee and chocolate is similar to the effect of using anti-depression medications; they help a person remain functional during prolonged stressful situations and nervous overload.

So, we can conclude that the choice in favor of the interior of a kitchen, bedroom or living room in brown tones is usually made by balanced people who make decisions after long deliberation. They are able to objectively assess the situation from different points of view. These people are a little reserved and limit their social circle. They think through their actions logically and follow the intended path towards their goals - and this is their strength.

Often, for a person who chooses to decorate a living room in brown tones, the main value is a strong family and material well-being. By choosing brown materials, people express their traditional worldview and desire for stability in life. And one more observation - brown interiors are chosen by those who, for various reasons, do not care enough about their health, and consider staying in solitude to be a cure for stress and fatigue.

Recommended articles on this topic:

Living room interior in light colors (photo): advantages of such design
Corner sofa made of solid wood: 5 undeniable advantages of purchasing such furniture
Modular sofas in the living room interior: a hyperfunctional highlight of your home

Correct zoning of the kitchen with the living room

Zoning in any room plays a big role in ensuring harmony, comfort and balance. Most often, tools for separating functional areas are needed in the living room combined with the kitchen. The degree of combination of rooms can be different - it all depends on where and how the space is arranged. For example, in a private house such premises are planned in advance and the issue of zoning is resolved quite simply, but in an apartment where there are difficulties with demolishing walls, the implementation of such a project can cause difficulties.

There are solutions for each case:

As a rule, in spacious and free rooms, light openwork partitions, sliding panels, arched ceilings, shelving, etc. are chosen for zoning . When there is enough space, you can also arrange built-in niches, where there will be enough space for storing utensils.
Island sets, bar counters, full-fledged dining groups are another way of zoning . In some room they can be combined, and in another they can “coexist” separately - an island, a bar counter, a dining table.

The kitchen, combined with the living room in brown tones, can also be separated by an elevation - a podium, which will clearly delimit the functional areas . In this case, it is enough to place the furniture so that only its outline outlines the outline of the living room. One of the non-standard options is a corner sofa, installed not in the corner, but in the middle of the room.

Textile solutions are suitable for combined living rooms with bedrooms , and canopies, simple curtains, and roller shutter models are widely used here. When there are also kitchens here, it is worth considering the same zoning for all zones.

Any zoning tools will be effective in different living rooms. When choosing the means of decorating the hall, adjacent rooms, color palette and style, you should pay attention to original solutions. But all techniques are transformed and adjusted to the desires of specific people and their lifestyle.

The individuality of the interior may not be bright, but it is comfortable and exceptional, which is especially important for people who come home after a hard day at work. Although the main thing is to provide comfort, which will be really important for the whole family.

Advantages of a living room interior in brown tones

We list the main reasons why you should choose brown tones for interior decoration:

they help to relax and calm the nervous system;
the interior looks more voluminous and self-sufficient thanks to rich basic colors, even with a small amount of furniture and decor;
they give comfort to too large a space, as they are able to change visual perception, bringing objects closer;
create harmonious combinations with any light shades;
calm tones give rest to the eyes after flashing bright neon advertising, shimmering in different colors, tiresome shiny gloss, dynamic variegated colors;
this range is ideal for creating an accent in the interior, helping to separate functional areas and mark boundaries;
by adding literally a few chestnut, terracotta or red-brown elements to the overall composition of the living room, you can immediately change the usual picture;
brown is the base color when creating designs in classic and modern directions.

Brown tones in the design of the room evoke feelings of wealth and self-sufficiency. They do not need additional ornate patterns, attractive textures and intricate textures. The most important thing is to combine it harmoniously with light shades, since too dark a finish will lead to oversaturation and the interior will look gloomy and dreary. It is necessary to wisely add pastel colors to get rid of shadows in the corners.

What influences the choice of shades?

In this case, it would be stupid not to listen to the designers’ tips, for example:

Darker colors are only permissible for owners of maximally illuminated and spacious rooms, otherwise a oppressive atmosphere and a visual reduction in area may result;
If the living room is small, you should opt for less contrasting combinations;
If there is a lack of natural light and sun, it is better to choose the lightest shades of brown and add more warmth through light yellow, sand or orange paints.

It all depends on the size, shape and, of course, the nature of the lighting of a particular living room.

Shades of brown for the living room interior

What shades can you use when decorating a room:

Beige.
Wheat.
Kremov.
Golden.
Brown with shades of yellow, pink and gray.
Terracotta.
Kashtanov.
Tones of milk and dark chocolate - these colors look very noble with a hint of ivory and are suitable for creating a bright accent.
Colors of cognac and tea.
Caramel.
Cocoa is extremely popular not as the main color in the interior, but as a decorative element or accent.
Cinnamon - this tone gives off a feeling of softness and warmth, it calms and brings a note of peace to the living room. Yellow and red go well with it. A combination with creamy or baked milk color is more suitable for a romantic setting.
Coffee with milk.
Different wood tones – if you add red or yellow to wood tones, you get a very effective combination. The combination of natural green tones and shades of wood in the interior looks natural - this combination gives a charge of positivity and energy.
Wenge.
Black and brown.

The photo below shows a modern living room interior in gray-brown tones:

The selection of combinations and color saturation should be done in accordance with the type of living room: large or not very large, what is the height of the ceiling, north or south side. Another important question about the purpose is whether it will combine the functions of a living room and a dining room or whether it will also have an office or a guest bedroom.

Individual brown tones, for example, a shade of rust, should not be chosen as the main one for decorating the interior of the living room. However, a sofa upholstered in this color will stand out perfectly against the background of light walls - it’s all a matter of skillful combination.

The peculiarity of this color is also that you can use light or dark brown shades, but bright brown or pale brown are not found. But variations of the same tone can still have different saturations, for example, the colors of blurred and thick caramel.

We also draw your attention to the fact that for each named shade of brown there are optimal combinations with other colors, allowing you to develop an interesting interior design project. It is necessary to remember about a reasonable balance and not to overload the entire space with one color. Experts have developed many examples of finished interiors, so it makes sense to turn to them, and not just to your intuition.

Successful combinations with other colors

Designers use brown tones so that they do not create a gloomy mood. Compositions with other shades are needed to create color unity in the living room.

With green

The tones of wood and foliage look organic together. In a brown living room, the colors of swamp, moss, and pistachios are appropriate. Emerald and malachite shades are used in classic interiors. Green tones give the room more freshness. You can place indoor plants on shelves and window sills in the living room. Textiles in greenish tones are used: pillows, blankets.

With blue

Rich brown colors in the room are successfully combined with sky blue. It is best if the walls are painted turquoise, ultramarine or azure. Then the flooring and furniture choose the colors of tree bark. The beige walls are in harmony with the pure blue plastic on the furniture.

With yellow

Brown shades are close to yellow and golden tones. Rich tones of yellow are used in the selection of textiles and accessories. In the chocolate living room, golden silk curtains are hung on the windows. You can experiment with the ceiling by painting it in the colors of the sun. Then there will be more space.

With gray

The combination of gray and brown is ideal for Scandinavian style. The background for the living room is white. Upholstered furniture made of natural wood can be covered with shaggy gray wool blankets or fluffy pillows. The coldness of gray is lost in the warmth of brown, giving the room a cozy feel.

Coffee with milk

Coffee color is chosen as the predominant color in the design of the living room. It harmonizes with the sandy tones of textiles and the richness of brown in furniture made of natural wood.

The interior becomes luxurious if you use chocolate-colored trim and light coffee-colored furniture. Appropriate textiles and lamps are selected for it. It is best to make the wall behind the back of the sofa a single color by choosing either a dark or light shade of wallpaper or panels. The pattern on the textiles should match the color of the wall decoration.

Living room interior styles in brown tones

A large selection of dark and pastel brown tones allows you to decorate the interior in various styles:

An industrial loft cannot be realized without using different variants of brown: roughly processed furniture facades, plank floors, door panels. Warm brown tones allow you to “domesticate” an industrial space.
Belonging to the eco trend should be emphasized with the most natural shade options. This could be a set with zebrawood-type facades, parquet flooring made of any wood (bamboo, pine, larch), paper wallpaper with ocher, coffee or peat colors.
Discreet classics welcome the use of a universal brown palette by designers in living room interiors. Coffee, chestnut, dark chocolate tones can be successfully realized by purchasing a furniture set.
Varieties of historical styles (Rococo, Baroque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco) include massive brown bookcases and display cases with veneered fronts, on the shelves of which magnificent collections of antique objects are placed.
Brown is absolutely organic and compatible with rustic country and Provence styles with their love for wooden elements and surfaces.
The originality of Art Nouveau can be complemented by smooth and light lines using beige and brown tones. All types of cream and wood shades will be as relevant as for rustic styles.
Modern minimalism doesn't mind looking a little warmer and cozier by adding brown details to cool metal fittings, mirrored glossy surfaces and chrome decor. Finishing the floors with parquet made of natural wood or its high-quality imitation will emphasize the laconicism of the image and will perfectly complement functional furniture.
Scandinavian style has calmly arrogated to itself the right to use beige and other light colors for wall decoration, while darker shades of brown are chosen for floors and furniture. The amount of decor should be small.

As you already understand, the main secret of the widespread use of the brown palette in interior design is its neutrality. It fits into any design, because the presence of wood tones certainly won’t make things worse: natural colors of decoration, furniture and textile decor make the atmosphere cozy and homely.

A competent and balanced selection of dark and light tones of brown, as well as a gradient that creates a harmonious boundary between contrasts, will help correct shortcomings in the geometry of the room. For example, the living room will look more spacious and the ceiling higher if you use a smooth transition from a darker brown to a lighter color in the decoration. As an example: for the floor, take parquet or laminate in the color “dark chocolate”, for the walls – cocoa-tone paint, and the ceiling can be made light cream.

Room with brown canvases

Most people believe that chocolate color is dull and a room decorated this way will certainly be gloomy. However, if you combine brown wallpaper with light furniture, you can get a harmonious atmosphere.

For deep color, it is enough to choose the “ideal friend” and the interior will turn out incomparably beautiful.

Living room furniture in brown tones

The color brown gets its name from the bark of trees, so it is logical that the main material used to make furniture sets for the living room of this color is wood. Such furniture always has a stylish and noble appearance. Chocolate or bleached facades add a special chic to the products. The most popular at all times remain light tones of the brown spectrum or a shade of cinnamon, close to wood textures.

The sofa plays one of the main roles in the living room setting. This popular piece of furniture is often upholstered in brown leather or fabric. Leather or fabric - make your choice based on your own preferences; families with children will most likely choose fabric upholstery: it is softer and easier to clean. A companion to the brown color of upholstered furniture can be heavy curtains in the same color.

In a small room, a compact sofa is enough, but for a spacious living room, you can purchase a modular system with a pair of armchairs in white or beige. As an accent, you can complement the composition with a pouf; it does not have to be the same shade or made of the same fabric. It’s good to add a couple of decorative sofa pillows to match the pouf.

Still, not many people want to implement a completely dark interior in their living room in the spirit of old English castles, so traditionally they buy light brown furniture to match the dark background of the walls. There are quite a few options: chocolate tones, cocoa, wood shades of different species, stained wood tone. Thanks to this, the atmosphere is filled with warmth and comfort.

Here are some tips regarding choosing furniture:

Let's define the functional purpose.

In order not to make a mistake in choosing furniture items, you need a clear idea of what priority function your living room will have. For example, this room will be used for family evenings watching TV and talking, or maybe it will host entertainment events (children's party, banquet, party) or you will meet friends, relatives and acquaintances here to talk over a cup of tea.

A common option in small apartments is to combine the functions of a living room and a dining area; sometimes this room houses someone’s office or a family member’s bedroom. Or maybe a combination of all options.

All these cases require a slightly different approach to design; all the nuances must be taken into account. For example, you often have to decide on the proper division of zones and the purchase of appropriate furniture, for example, a transforming table or a folding sofa.

Choosing the right color.

You can decide on the color scheme based on your own taste and the experience accumulated by professional designers. If you have a small living room, you should choose light brown tones that can visually enlarge the space. For a large living room, it is suitable to use any brown shades, even the darkest and most saturated ones.

We select the right size.

The first step to take before purchasing furniture is to determine the dimensions of the room in which it will be installed. It is not very wise to buy bulky items that barely fit in the living room. A wall or sofa may look very nice, but purchasing furniture is a serious matter, so you need to remind yourself of the purpose of the room and how many people will use it.

Without clarifying these points, it may turn out that the furniture takes up too much space and there is nowhere to turn in the room or, on the contrary, the sofa is very small and your guests simply have nowhere to sit and relax.

After this stage, you can start choosing upholstered and cabinet furniture with suitable sizes. Think about it: maybe you shouldn’t occupy the room with one huge sofa, but it’s better to have several spare places to accommodate guests: poufs, folding chairs, an armchair. An oval table, unlike a rectangular one, will take up less space.

How to choose brown wallpaper

It is important to choose the right shade of brown for your wallpaper. First of all, they focus on the area and configuration of the room. Dark variations of brown, precisely those shades that pop up in associations with the name of the color, are not suitable for every room.

These tones require space. They will have a negative effect on a small, narrow room. For finishing rooms that are modest in size and limited in width, it is better to use options that go in the bright direction.

Brown here can act not as a basis, but as an addition. For example, on a white background, dark patterns look better and create a less active effect. Regardless of the size of the room, it will not be superfluous to create a contrast between the color of the walls and other surfaces. At a minimum, the walls, floor and ceiling should not merge.

When making repairs, you will have to pay more attention to the accuracy of the work. On brown walls, uneven joints and glue stains will be clearly visible.

Tips for designing a living room in brown tones (+ photos)

The choice of priority color plays an important role. In the future, this will influence the overall atmosphere in the living room. The predominant dark brown tones in the interior design fill with calmness and tranquility; a person in such a living room feels comfortable and under reliable protection. In this case, a living room in brown tones with a fireplace and bookcases looks ideal. Surely, you wouldn’t trade the time you can spend in such solitude with your favorite books for anything.

If you want your reception room to look cheerful and match the festive mood, then add active ones to neutral brown tones: orange, light green, yellow. In such a living room interior in brown tones with bright accents there should be a clear balance with the main color.

Light brown upholstered furniture invites you to sit on it and chat with a friend in a confidential atmosphere. The combination of light shades and coffee shades looks most comfortable for the human eye. This combination can transform a dimly lit room into a cozy space.

If you do not plan to choose brown as the leading color when decorating the room, then use it to the maximum when selecting decorative elements:

decorate the wall above the chest of drawers with a large mirror decorated with a carved wooden frame with three-dimensional elements;
in front of the fireplace portal, a tiger or bear skin looks good, as well as an imitation carpet with a color pattern of some animal;
fill the mantelpiece with a collection of figurines carved from dark wood;
large floor ceramic vases decorated with glaze and ornaments can be an excellent decoration;
natural materials are an excellent source for a creative approach to decorating a room: ikebana, panels in brown tones and other various options.

Natural brown tones help to create memorable and impressive interiors with their noble beauty. On the Internet you can see many photos where these tones look completely different: they amaze with the luxurious look of furniture made of valuable wood, surprise with the size of modular sofas upholstered in genuine leather, and attract with the warmth and comfort of the walls of a log house.

Important note: in interiors with a predominance of dark brown tones, it is not recommended to install a system of suspended ceilings with a glossy finish. Dark objects will be reflected in the glossy mirror, their number will increase - and the living room will look heavy. The same applies to mirrored ceilings. It is preferable to choose a matte option.

You should not install stained glass windows in the living room, which reduce illumination. And when choosing plastic windows, it is better to choose brown film for the frames; It’s good when windows and doors are made in the same format.

For red-brown and taupe, the combination with white is great. The ideal combination is a crystal white tone and a pinkish-brown tint. This combination is often used when decorating a bedroom or recreation area. This option is also acceptable for the living room, for example, if it is upholstery of a sofa or curtain fabrics.

The most competent approach to design is the choice of brown flooring. By the way, different types of wood combine very well in mosaic parquet. If the walls are decorated in beige, cream, peach or apricot tones, then the colors of other items can be repeated in the parquet mosaic. I want to create something outstanding in my apartment - imagine what a mirrored floor, velvet upholstered furniture and satin golden curtains will look like.

A harmonious interior decoration in brown tones will be fresh flowers in pots of any size and composition with an aquarium.

Classic design can be imagined as beige, cream, peach or white wall coverings, parquet floors made of natural wood or high-quality imitation, a set of upholstered furniture in one tone or in several, but without bright contrasts. Upholstery can be from:

tapestry;
jacquard;
velor;
chenille and other types.

The brown palette has a very large selection of shades, so you can create original combinations for a modern design. Against a darker wall background, a soft sofa in cream or light beige leather will look better.

Duet golden and brown

Designers consider this union to be the most sophisticated and chic. These colors complement each other. In the sunlight, the walls shimmer with gold. Using this combination, you can emphasize the wealth and status of the homeowners.

Yellow wallpaper goes well with brown. Using this combination you can create a beautiful room with a cozy atmosphere.

Nuances of lighting in a brown living room

Creating a beautiful and stylish interior is not easy, because you want it not to look gloomy and boring. It is important to do a good job of organizing proper lighting. Shades of the dark part of the brown spectrum require the installation of a large number of lamps, so one of the main requirements when decorating a living room in coffee tones is an abundance of sunlight or a multi-level lighting system.

The brown range belongs to the warm part of the spectrum, so when choosing lighting fixtures it is better to choose several lamps with a warm yellow or reddish tint. When decorating modern living rooms in loft, hi-tech or minimalist styles, retro lamps that resemble an Edison light bulb are popular today. They look stylish and original.

Additional decoration of brown walls

All kinds of decor look great on a brown background. First of all, these are paintings in frames. Both wooden and metal frames are perfect for framing decorative creations.

Stucco made from artificial materials is also successfully used to frame paintings, panels and other masterpieces.
Any decorative element on the wall can easily become a decoration and accent of the interior.
Landscapes look great on a pleasant chocolate background, and the gray-coffee base will be an excellent setting for modern art.

Instead of decor, you can use shelves that can accommodate various collections. A niche fits perfectly into the space of a brown wall.