Brown is a warm, neutral color that works with a variety of color schemes and decorating styles. The shade of brown on the walls coupled with your decorating style will determine the best color scheme and decor for the room. Create a room that feels comfortable to you and includes some of your favorite things. Use rich, dark browns for elegant decor, a modern feel or to contrast with bright colors, such as sunshine yellow, lime green or turquoise. Lighter browns, such as beige, can work with simple, rustic decor or set the background for you to change the room's decor as often as you desire.
1 Paint the walls in the shade of brown you find most desirable. The room should feel inviting and the brown walls should serve as a backdrop for your decor. For example, if you're painting the walls brown because of your passion for nature, consider light beige like sand, medium shades of brown for rocks or mountains, or darker browns for the tree trunks and wood. Alternatively, light-and-dark-brown stripes or patterns can create interest.
2 Arrange your furniture so it "pops" off the walls. For example, a pure white sofa with yellow throw pillows will look crisp in front of a chocolate brown wall, while an espresso chest with clean lines will stand out against a beige wall with white trim. Avoid wood or brown furniture that blends in with the wall color, unless you want the furniture to disappear into the wall, such as a bookcase that looks like a built-in piece.
3 Add bright linens to introduce color or patterns to the room, or stick with chocolate brown and white for a neutral-colored room. For example, pile bright red pillows on a white sofa or make the bed with robin's egg blue and chocolate brown bedding. Coordinate the look by choosing curtains, a rug and pillows or bedding that complement each other. Keep the linens related to the rest of the room by choosing a couple pieces that have the same shade of brown, such as the trim on pillows, or alternating between colorful pillows and patterned pillows with brown and the other color.
4 Hang artwork, pictures, mirrors or wall sculptures that contrast with the walls and include colors from elsewhere in the room. For example, a dining room with rich brown walls might include artwork of coffee drinks, such as espressos, in cream mugs with black frames. A teen's modern room with chocolate-brown walls might include hot pink frames, white mats and photos of her friends. Dark chocolate frames will complement beige walls. White, black or silver frames work with any shade of brown.
5 Accessorize the room with items that complement the color scheme, style and theme of the room. For example, use a dark brown bowl to hold fruit in a kitchen or dining room with dark walls, a beige-and-white damask lamp or vase in a living room or bedroom with beige walls, or a glass bowl filled with seashells in a room with sandy beige walls and a beach theme.
