Brown Paint

Brown Paint - Sustainable and Eco Friendly brown paints for walls, ceilings and wood trim. Part of our range of natural paint colours.

Brown was one of the most accessible pigments, derived from natural clays, iron oxides and plant based materials. In medieval Europe the houses were commonly timber framed, so due to the abundance of brown tones in the house, brown walls was not really commonplace. Natural wood and plaster were the main two colour tones here.

Through the renaissance and into the Baroque period, wooden panelling was common, walls more often bolder colours and richer colours. In the Georgian era was the first time that brown (lighter tones) started appearing on walls, more earthy than brown.

It was really only in the Victorian period where brown was formally chosen in areas of study, such as libraries or even in dining rooms. The idea was to bring naturally rich wood tones more into the general interior colour palette.

The 1950s saw a decline of deep or rich brown, preferring light shades of brown paint. However, the 1960s - 1970s was the very height of brown wall paint popularity. Earth tones such as chocolate, tan and beige were used all over. 1980s was only used in rustic interiors really, favouring more neutral shades like taupe or beige.

By the 2000s / 2010s earthy tones became trendy again, especially when twinned with the Scandinavian style. As of now, brown is making a comeback for grounding and cozy interiors.

Explore our natural brown paint shades

For light, warm neutrals our soft browns include Buff, Mid Sand, Pale Hessian, Bath Stone and Cotswold Stone. Mid, earthy tones like Raffia, Harvest Clay, Genoa, Autumn Bark and Muddy Boots add rustic warmth, while deep, rich shades such as Mocha, Chestnut, Ironwood, Blackbean and Crocky Road make a snug, enveloping feature wall.

For exterior brick and stone, our breathable masonry paint comes in earthy tones, with brown wood stains for fences and furniture. Not sure which brown? Order an A5 peel & stick swatch first.