Mixing Brown & Black, Beige & Gray in Design & Decor
Do gray and brown go together in Interior Design?
The short answer is Yes! Read on for how to blend them well in your home.
When I first wrote this article, it was 2012 and we had been in the brown trends of the early 2000’s. Do you remember those? We had a lot of brown cabinets and travertine tile everywhere. However, we were quickly entering the new era of grays and blacks as the dominant neutrals. We moved away from wood cabinets to white paint and from golden granite countertops to white and gray quartz that mimicked marble.
I had clients that had very brown homes contacting me because they were worried that their new-ish interiors were going to look dated. I helped all of them to bridge the gap between brown and black, gray and beige. Then I wrote this article to share that advice with everyone. It has remained our most popular article for nearly 15 years. And now I have an additional 15 years of interior designer wisdom to share with you.
My advice in 2012: blend both together. Here is my advice and the examples I shared.
Moving from Browns to Gray
The good news is that we are talking about neutrals and no neutral is ever “out of style”. Neutrals are classic, timeless and always a good bet for major pieces in your home. Think of the Little Black Dress. They make a great base on which to add color and have longevity.
However, if you find yourself working with a very brown and beige base, I have some tips to help you incorporate grays and blacks and blend it all together for a timeless, balanced and livable interior. In fact, by incorporating neutrals from the black and brown and white color bases, your home will naturally be more classic and timeless.
Blend from the two neutral families – if you have a beige sofa, paint the walls gray or add a gray area rug. The ideal way to mix there is to find a “bridge” a piece that has both grays and browns, like a fabric or area rug. Or the backsplash tile in the kitchen below.
This home was an early 2000’s build when brown and tan were all the rage. When it was time to update the master bedroom, the clients wanted to add more black and gray elements. The whole home has a tan carpet and the adjoining master bathroom has brown tiles, which we needed to blend with the scheme.
To keep our room anchored with some brown elements, we used wood, and a lot of it. We started with the new walnut furniture. Natural walnut has some dark and gray veining, which bridges to grays easier than an really red wood species or stain. Then we added a reclaimed barn wood to the ceiling. Again, the aged, reclaimed wood has darker and gray character.
With our brown base in place, we added a medium gray paint to the walls and added back and gray in the fabrics and artwork. The room now has a rustic chic and slightly mountain vibe that our clients desired.
Beautiful Habitat Interior Design
Moving from Grays to Browns
Now, we find the trends shifting back toward brown and tan. My advice remains the same: mix them! Do you have a newer gray sofa? Paint the room a warmer white or beige, add accent pillows with tan or brown, use a stained wood coffee table or jute area rug to bring in the warmth of natural brown materials.
Find beautiful “bridge” fabrics or materials like these that seamlessly blend tan and gray.
The kitchen featured above the the bathroom below is a home in which we used a lot of gray and black, but we were very intentional in bringing in wood tones and browns. This was designed in 2021, knowing that the browns would be making a comeback. The intentional blending of neutrals allows this home to feel timeless.
Shunning the Trends
In 2019 and 2022 I added updates to this article. I spoke about clients that felt “pressured” to add gray when they didn’t really like gray. And I shared that we created beautiful warm designs that ignored the trends and perfectly suited our clients.
I originally wrote this article to answer a common question which I was being asked: How can I mix gray into my brown home? And that I’ve done that. As I reflect back over the last several years of the gray and black trend, now moving into whites, I have also encountered clients who felt that they have to change to keep “updated”, but they don’t really like gray.
My advice is always to do what speaks to you and never blindly follow trends. On that note, the two projects below are cases in which the clients specifically wanted warmer neutrals: brown and beige. The initial worry is that they were unpopular, but with our help we were able to give them a classic, timeless look they love.
See the whole Beautiful Habitat project
See the whole remodel by Beautiful Habitat
Designing just for you
After 15 more years of experience, I still find a lot of value in blending from the neutral families to create a timeless home. However, my advice leans more toward – who cares? Ignore the trends, design with what you love. We’ve always been advocates for designing for who you are and what you love. Personalized design is always beautiful and on trend.
Or, take a healthy blend of the two viewpoints – personalized interior design blending across grays and browns.
This is my recently updated living room. I’ve always preferred the black and gray family. I was using these when brown was popular twenty years ago and I’ll keep using them as browns gain popularity again. While black and gray are preferred, I also strategically warmed up the room with brown in the wood tables. And, of course, added color.
I ensure that my home design is layered, colorful, uses timeless elements and represents me and my family. I’m never in or out of trend; I design for me. I do the same for my clients.
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Top Tips for Creating a Whole Home Color Palette
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