Here’s How to Decorate with Earth Tones

Your home is a place of sanctuary. It’s important that your home feels homely and that its aesthetics reflect its purpose. Incorporating earthy tones, such as a neutral palette, browns, oranges, greens and more, can help you to do that. You can choose to either go all-in or to use earthy accents, with either method bringing some warmth and cosiness to your space. From your furniture to your walls and all that’s in between, here’s some ideas on how you can decorate with earth tones.

What are Earthy Tones?

The answer is very much in the name. Earthy tones are shades that you would find out in nature, from the very Earth itself. Earthy colours are far ranging, including shades of terracotta, similar to desert colours, tans, browns, greens, reds, blues and more. A neutral colour palette is widely made up of varying shades of earthy tones and is incredibly versatile, making it a popular choice in both contemporary and traditional homes. There has been a real movement towards strengthening connections between our interiors and the outside world, bringing us closer to nature and earthy colours are a simple yet effective way to do this.

How Can I Make My House Feel Earthy?

There are multiple ways to utilise an earthy colour palette – it largely depends on the style and aesthetic you’d like for your space. If you’re going for a minimal Scandi look, lighter neutral colours would be ideal to work with, whereas if you’re looking to create a cosy, inviting space, richer colours like burnt oranges, browns or greens would be a great option. This guide will focus largely on how to create both earthy tones in your living room and bedroom earth tones, with options to completely change your décor or add a few small touches to get you started.

Taupe Living Room Ideas

A neutral shade midway between brown and grey, taupe is a stylish, elegant earthy tone which works beautifully in a living room. There are lots of different shades to choose from so when considering taupe living room ideas, it’s important to work out which one will give you the desired effect. In smaller rooms without much natural light, a lighter shade of taupe will help to make your room feel more spacious, while a darker taupe will create that feeling of cosiness and warmth.

The beauty of taupe is its versatility. It works well with the majority of colours, giving you an abundance of choice in terms of what to pair it with. If using taupe on your walls, you could introduce bolder colours in your furniture – blue is a complementary colour to taupe and could be a stylish option for a sofa, or you could stick to a more minimal route and choose a neutral colour, adding a splash of colour through your accessories. When using earth colours, texture is important – make sure to have an array of different textures so that your décor doesn’t feel too flat.

Taupe Bedroom Ideas

If you want to introduce earth tones in your bedroom, using taupe will give you the chance to create a warm, inviting, and relaxing space. When painting your walls taupe, consider what bedding and throws to use which will complement it, with the option of choosing a neutral bed frame to further tie into the theme. Additional natural bedroom ideas include neutral rugs using natural materials and the use of wood through your additional furniture, with differing shades of brown and a variety of textures enriching your space.

Chocolate Living Room Ideas

Warm and cosy, chocolate brown is a colour that envelopes you and as thus, is a great option for a living room. Considering the depth of this colour, unless you have a lot of natural light, it may be too overwhelming for your walls and instead could be utilised through your furniture. Layering texture and colour will help you to make the most of this beautiful colour. If you choose a chocolate brown sofa, think about beige throws and natural rugs, and create an earthy tones living room with splashes of reds and burnt oranges, which pair well with rich browns.

Chocolate Bedroom Ideas

Bring some warmth and cosiness into your bedroom with a chocolate brown palette. Whether you choose to utilise it as a feature wall or through your bed frame, it will create the perfect environment to snuggle in and relax. Pair with neutral colours such as greys, creams or greens or add a burst of colour with a vibrant teal, mustard or pink.

Green Living Room Ideas

When thinking of green in the context of an earthy tones colour palette, there are numerous shades that fit the bill. As earthy tones are anything that is connected to the natural world, shades such as:

• Olive.
• Forest green.
• Artichoke.
• Pine green – the list is endless and gives you a real range of options when using it to decorate with.

Whether you’re considering green walls or a sumptuous green sofa or armchair, there are plenty of colours that you can introduce as a complementary shade. From neutrals such as browns and greys to more vibrant colours such as blues, pinks or yellows, you can build a palette to create the desired ambience. For more inspiration, check out our blog on how you can decorate your with a green sofa.

Green Bedroom Ideas

Depending on the colours you choose, earthy tones in your bedroom can help to create a relaxing, soothing space. More muted tones such as sage and olive help to connect your interior to the outside world, while creating a restful environment for you to enjoy a good night’s sleep. If green walls feel a little overwhelming, a green fabric headboard can create a stylish and ambient focal point and are the perfect complement to natural materials such as wood and linen.

Beige Living Room Ideas

A very pale light brown, a beige living room can create a calm, elegant space. When choosing your shade of beige, take care to consider the natural light in your room as it can look green in certain lights. Closer to cream than to yellow or brown, it’s the ideal choice if you’re looking for a minimal aesthetic and works best when there are layers of texture, such as a leather sofa with a wool throw and a linen rug, which help prevent it from appearing dull. It also works well with a monochromatic scheme, so both black and white furniture really stand out against a beige wall.

Beige Bedroom Ideas

If you’re wondering if beige is a good bedroom colour, rest assured it’s a great choice if you want a calm and elegant space. As with the living room, think texture, with off-whites, greys and browns running through your bed, bedding and accessories. And given that beige is a neutral colour, it gives you the opportunity to be bold in other areas of your décor, so don’t be afraid to introduce patterns and brighter pops of colour.  

Mustard Living Room Ideas

A darker shade of yellow, mustard is a colour which divides opinion, with some loving to use it in their interiors and others finding it overwhelming. If you like the idea of mustard but aren’t sure about having it as the dominant colour, it’s the perfect option for an accent chair, complementing a wide range of shades from navy blues, greys and pale pinks.

Mustard Bedroom Ideas

Not a colour that fades into the background, mustard will stand out in your space, injecting energy and positivity into your décor. Pair with natural materials like dark wood or rattan and think about using opposing colours such as a light grey bed or beautiful dark blue curtains. You can create a boho look by using mustard, but it also works in a mid-century modern aesthetic or a contemporary interior.

Orange or Terracotta Living Room Ideas

Very similar in colour, terracotta is essentially burnt orange with a touch of red. If you look on the colour wheel, this section has a wonderful array of rich, earthy tones, from smoky salmon to tandoori to warm brownie, all of which have varying degrees of red, orange and brown in them.

Meaning ‘baked earth’ in Latin, terracotta has a warm earthly feel to it, and if you like the idea of a soft autumn palette, choosing one of these colours would be a great place to start, especially for your sofa. Terracotta pairs beautifully with other earth tone colours as well as a neutral palette and happily plays second fiddle as an accent colour. Think of natural materials such as wood, rattan and linen and create an inviting, cosy space you’ll never want to leave.

Orange or Terracotta Bedroom Ideas

If you like the idea of a bedroom that cocoons you, a terracotta or orange bedroom will create a warm, inviting ambience without being too overwhelming. If you don’t want to paint your walls, there are lots of ways you can introduce this colour to your space. A terracotta headboard or bedding, art, wall hangings and rugs can all complement a neutral colour palette and bring some warmth to your room, while some terracotta plant pots and large house plants will create that wonderful connection to the natural environment.

Navy and Blue Living Room Ideas

While you may not immediately connect navy or blue as earthy colours, earth tone colours are any that are connected to the external environment – with the ocean and the sky being blue, it makes blue a strong contender when considering earthy paint colours!

As a place you tend to retire to after a busy day, your living room should be a place that instantly relaxes you, and there are many earth tones in a living room that will do the job, navy being one of them. Painting your walls navy gives you both a cosy and elegant aesthetic, with the option of going one further and painting your ceiling navy too. To ensure this doesn’t feel too overwhelming, think about:

• Bright art.
• A white or woven rug
• and a light sofa, such as grey.

Alternatively, a navy velvet sofa will make a stylish focal point and will work beautifully alongside a neutral colour palette with the option of some bright bursts of colour, either through your soft furnishings or your art.

Navy and Blue Bedroom Ideas

A rich and sophisticated colour, navy works well in any room and in your bedroom can create an inviting and cosy ambience. Whether you use it in the master bedroom or in your teen’s room, this shade not only creates a calming effect, but it also adds real depth to your interior. From painting it on your walls to a navy bedframe teamed with navy furniture and a neutral backdrop, you can create a harmonious, peaceful ambience, ideal for a restful night’s sleep.

Any Other Ideas on How Can I Make My Home Feel More Earthy?

Whether you want to redecorate completely or are just looking for a few simple changes to your home, there are lots of ways to introduce earth tone colours into your décor. From terracotta plant pots to natural materials such as wood, linen, rattan and leather, wall hangings and house plants, these warm, rich colours will create a welcoming and homely ambience in your s