By Arabella Peterson Interiors 30.07.2025

Brown Is the New Black, Here’s How to Embrace the Trend in Your Home

It's the colour du jour for chic home styling.

From rich chocolate to light hazelnut, all shades of brown have been taking over our feeds, wardrobes, and interiors. At the beginning of the year, US paint company Sherwin Williams released a 2025 trend palette, Chrysalis, which featured colours inspired by natural, earthy, wood-inspired tones. Dulux’s three key palettes, Still, Recollect, and Emerge all feature brown undertones, highlighting the serene, grounding shades that people are craving in their homes. Then of course, there was Pantone's Colour of the Year 2025, Mocha Mousse, a soft-yet-rich shade of light brown with subtle undertones of beige and taupe.

These warm-toned neutrals help foster a feeling of intimacy and comfort and offer a softer alternative to a classic black. “Earthier colours such as browns can evoke feelings of security, reliability, warmth, and approachability," says clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, Noosha Anzab. It comes as no surprise then, that in an era of overstimulation and uncertainty, brown is seeing a significant resurgence in interior design. The trend also ties in with the recent comeback of the '70s aesthetic where earthy tones were widely used.

Thankfully, it’s easy to introduce these tones into your home's interior design scheme and below, we explore some simple ways to do so.

1. Brown leather seating

Whether it's a weathered brown leather on a classic Chesterfield sofa or a tan-coloured armchair, warmer-toned leather will be a timeless addition to your living area. Style these pieces with Olive or Oatmeal cushions and throws for a complementary earthy combo.

2. Warm bedding

Given your bed is the focal point of your bedroom, opting for brown tones in your bedding choices is an easy way to embrace the trend. Warm tones in the bedroom foster a feeling of intimacy and have a cocooning effect on the space. Our linen colourways Cacao and Hazelnut are a divine duo of decadent hues inspired by oaky interiors and sepia-tinted sunsets. Our new shades of organic cotton bedding, Espresso and Butterscotch offer contrast that's warm, cosy, and ultra-inviting.

3. Get painting

One of the top paint colour trends for 2025 is 'warm neutrals'. "Warm neutrals in ivory, greiges, and browns create the perfect cocooning colour palette," says the team at Wattyl paints. This could mean swathing an entire room in brown or adding a feature wall to a living space. Wallpaper is another great option that can add texture to a room.

4. Embrace dark timber

Light-coloured timber was the go-to for a while, but darker timber tones have made a strong appearance in 2025. "Blonde oak is versatile and very pretty, but many designers are turning to dark, rich walnut to create moody, dramatic spaces that draw you in," says interior stylist, Jessica Bellef. "From custom joinery in bathrooms and kitchens to furniture and architectural accents, designers are embracing darker timber tones and the result is evocative and cocooning."

5. Lay down a rug

Adding a stylish rug to a living space will instantly elevate the look and feel as well as provide warmth and softness underfoot. Opting for a brown-toned rug will add a neutral foundation that will ground a room. Flatwoven rugs and geometric patterns are particularly on-trend.

6. Hang some art

A soothing backdrop or statement focal point, hanging art is one of the easiest ways instantly enrich your space. Many Australian visual artists like Adam Leng, Eliza Gosse, Brigitte Grant, and Evi O are inspired by nature and the Australian landscape, integrating gentle, creamy beiges and muted bronzed tones which perfectly embrace this earthy style.