When choosing a paint color to go with brown carpet, there are a few key factors to consider:
The shade of brown
Brown carpet comes in a wide range of shades from light tan to deep chocolate brown. The exact shade of your brown carpet will impact the paint colors that coordinate best. Light brown carpets look nice with light, neutral wall colors like beige, tan, light gray, and soft whites. Medium brown carpets can pair well with other earthy neutrals like greige, mushroom, warm grays, almond, and ivory. For a dark chocolate brown carpet, consider painting the walls a richer shade like chocolate brown, deep tan, taupe, or brown with gray undertones.
The room’s lighting
The lighting in the room also affects how the brown carpet is perceived and what paint shades will complement it. Rooms with abundant natural light can handle lighter paint colors without looking washed out. North-facing rooms with little natural light may need a warmer paint color to prevent the brown carpet from feeling dark and heavy. Play with light and dark to create contrast – dark brown carpets can be offset by very light paint colors in dim rooms.
Nearby furnishings and decor
Evaluate the existing furniture, furnishings, and overall decor in the room when selecting a paint color. Look for colors already present in the space and choose a coordinating wall color. If the furnishings have warm wood tones, go for paint with yellow/orange undertones. Cool-toned furnishings and decor look best with brown carpets and paint with subtle blue/green/gray undertones. Aim for a cohesive look rather than matching exactly.
Personal color preferences
While keeping the above considerations in mind, also choose a color you find pleasant and enjoyable. You’ll be living with it every day! Some popular paint colors that look great with brown carpets include:
– Neutrals like pale brown, tan, light taupe, warm grays
– Earth tones like terracotta, cream, sand, khaki
– Blues and blue-grays like sky blue, slate blue, blue-green
– Greens like sage, olive green, mossy green
Paint sheen
The sheen or glossiness of the paint also impacts its appearance. Matte or flat paint absorbs light for a soft, velvety look. Eggshell has a subtle sheen, while satin and semi-gloss paints have medium reflectiveness. High-gloss paints are quite shiny and reflective. Lower sheens hide imperfections in walls and feel cozier with brown carpet. Higher gloss looks more lively and makes the color pop.
Trying paint samples
There’s no better way to choose a paint color than to try actual samples on your walls and view them with your brown carpet at different times of day. Paint strips from the hardware store are one easy option. Ordering samples of your top choices is inexpensive and saves the effort of painting swatches yourself. Move the samples around to see how the color changes. Look for the most harmonious balance of tones.
Complementary colors
One foolproof approach is choosing a complementary color scheme. Brown is an earth tone that sits opposite blue on the color wheel. So shades of blue and blue-green reliably complement warm brown tones. Analogous schemes with colors adjacent to brown like orange, yellow, and green can also achieve a unified effect. Colors opposite or perpendicular to brown on the color wheel provide pleasing contrast.
| Brown Carpet Shade | Complementary Paint Colors |
|---|---|
| Light tan | Baby blue, sky blue, sage green |
| Golden brown | Turquoise, teal, violet |
| Medium brown | Forest green, olive green, burnt orange |
| Chocolate brown | Light blue, slate blue, seafoam green |
Go for white trim
Regardless of what wall color you choose, bright white trim and ceilings make an ideal complement to brown carpet. White woodwork helps define the architecture, adds brightness, and keeps the focus on your main wall color. Imagine painting all the trim brilliant white then selecting a paint color for the walls that pairs attractively with the brown carpet.
Create an accent wall
For more visual interest, consider painting one wall in a coordinating accent color instead of painting all four walls the same. An accent wall in a different but complementary tone can make the paint color pop while still tying in with the brown carpet. Think navy blue accent wall with tan carpet and pale green main walls. Or try a neutral gray accent wall with chocolate brown carpet and rich cream walls.
Aim for a calming mood
Many homeowners prefer paint colors that evoke tranquility and relaxation in bedrooms. Combining soothing brown carpet with restful wall colors like light blue, pale green, or neutral taupes and grays achieves this effect. Stay away from bright, energetic tones that compete with the brown carpet unless that lively mood is what you want for the space. Seek out harmonious, peaceful colors.
Consider undertones
Pay attention to the subtle undertones present in both your brown carpet and potential paint colors. Warm, reddish-brown carpets look best with wall colors containing golden, yellow, or orange undertones. Cool-toned grayish-brown carpets complement paint with subtle hints of blue or green. Matching the undertones prevents clashing. The most seamless combinations share similar undertones.
Define the style
Nail down the decorating style you want before choosing paint. Traditional rooms with brown carpet often have cream, beige, or tan walls. Contemporary spaces can handle bold colors like chocolate brown walls with dark carpets. Farmhouse style looks great with airy light blues paired with golden brown floors. Your carpet color is neutral enough to work with many styles – just select a coordinating wall color.
Look at color palettes
Online paint brands like Behr, Sherwin-Williams, and Benjamin Moore all have collections of pre-selected color palettes that work beautifully together. Browse palettes with hues like brown, tan, beige, cream, gray, and blue to find combinations that integrate effortlessly with brown carpeting. Palettes take the guesswork out of coordinating colors.
Don’t forget the ceiling
Ceilings offer another opportunity to complement the brown carpet through smart paint color selection. Stick with neutral white or ivory to keep the room feeling bright and expansive. Beige can warm up a space with brown flooring. For a coastal vibe, consider a pale blue ceiling with white trim. Just ensure the ceiling color plays nicely with both the carpet and walls.
Use carpet as inspiration
Think of your brown flooring as a neutral base. This carpet provides endless possibilities to build a color scheme around it. Notice all the gorgeous flecks of color woven into the brown. Select paint hues that pick up on those subtle tones. For instance, tan walls with blue accents for brown carpet with golden highlights. Let the carpet guide you.
Make carpet pop
To give that brown carpet the attention it deserves, paint the walls a light, bright shade that contrasts strongly. Soft white, very light gray, and ivory turn the floor into the focal point. Going several shades lighter than the darkest shade in the carpet makes it stand out strikingly. Neutral walls also encourage you to decorate with vibrant textiles and art.
Consider paint finishes
Matte, eggshell, and satin paint finishes minimize imperfections in wall surfaces, creating an attractive backdrop for decorative brown carpets. Pearl, velvet, and other subtle finishes provide depth without competing. High-gloss paint reflects light and highlights defects. Match the finish to the formality of the space – velvet and matte finishes for elegant, formal rooms and glossier paint for casual spaces.
Look at wall texture
Heavy textured wall surfaces like knockdown plaster or stucco hide flaws while adding dimensional interest to rooms with brown carpeting. More dramatic textures provide contrast and work especially well with deep, dark brown flooring. Smoother walls keep the focus on decorative carpets. Play with glossy paint on textured walls or flat paint on smooth walls for maximum decorating impact.
Get samples on walls
Order or purchase several paint samples in colors like cream, light gray, slate blue, mocha, and rich brown. Paint generous swatches of each directly on your walls and allow to fully dry before assessing. Move the samples around to corners and different walls to accurately gauge how the colors change. Live with the samples for a few days as lighting conditions shift. Compare to your carpet.
Go for contrast
Making the wall color noticeably lighter or darker than the brown carpet creates definite contrast. Dark chocolate carpets might pair well with pale steel blue-gray walls, for example. For light tan carpet, deep brown walls could work beautifully. Contrast draws the eye to fun interplay between flooring and walls. Just ensure both colors coordinate pleasingly.
Consider wallpaper
Wallpaper offers limitless options forcomplementing brown carpet beyond just paint. Subtle prints, textured patterns, or nature-inspired trompe l’oeil murals could be stunning. Select a palette containing browns, tans, whites, and blues for harmony. Install wallpaper on just one focal accent wall or throughout the entire room. Properly prepped walls are key for flawless wallpaper installation.
Accent with trims
Wood trims and moldings introduce another element to complement the carpet. For instance, try chocolate brown walls with golden oak trims and bronze brown carpet. Or bright white trims provide pleasing definition against darker taupe walls and milk-chocolate floors. Match trims to floors for a seamless flow or make them stand out. Painted trims in metallic sheens also add stylish flair.
Look at carpet pattern
Fabric and texture in the carpet influence what paint colors work optimally. Busy, ornate patterned carpets look best with solid, neutral wall colors like cream and tan. Try bolder paint colors with minimalist solid brown carpets. If your brown flooring has a warm red or golden cast, select coordinating warmer paint tones for harmony. Simply pull colors from the carpet itself.
Consider carpet tone
Is your brown flooring imparted with yellow, orange, red, blue or gray undertones? Identifying the undertones helps determine complementary paint colors. Warm, golden brown carpets pair beautifully with creamy ivory, peach, terra cotta, or sage green walls. Cool grays, pale blues, and mossy greens harmonize with brown carpeting in subtle grayish-blue casts. Match the wall color temperature to the carpet temperature.
A lighter touch
For rooms that feel dark or small, take a lighter touch to your wall color selection. Barely-there whites, pale grays, and subtle ivory or beige keep rooms feeling light and airy, allowing rich brown flooring to ground the space. Contrast bright, ethereal walls with dark espresso brown carpeting for contemporary flair. Soft, cool hues enhance light too.
Warm it up
Some rooms demand warmer, cozier paint colors to complement brown carpets. Try almond, cream, soft peach, light cappuccino, or buttery yellow walls. These warmer paint shades enrich and enliven deep brown flooring. For red-tinged brown carpets, go for sand, toasted almond, or coral paint colors. Inviting paint-carpet combos beckon you into the room.
Highlight with sheen
Strategic use of paint sheen, or glossiness, enables you to highlight aspects like brown carpets. Satin, semi-gloss, or high-gloss paint draws the eye upwards to features like ornate ceilings. Using matte or flat paint on walls keeps focus on the carpeting. Glossy paint in bold accent colors emphasizes decorative medallions, trims and architectural details against neutral brown flooring.
Soften with texture
Heavy textured paint finishes like Venetian plaster blur imperfections, adding dimensional interest while softening harsh edges and contrasts. These finishes create depth, like in a faux suede velvet wall paint against rich chocolate brown carpeting. Metallic sheens in pewter, bronze and silver echo the warm glow of wooden floors. Use textured paints to define formal spaces.
Visualize the completed room
Envision how potential paint colors will look alongside window treatments, furniture, art and accessories within the entire room. Certain paint colors that appear attractive on their own may seem chaotic or overwhelming once the room comes together. Opt for versatile, flexible hues that coordinate universally. Imagine the fully decorated room before finalizing paint selections.
Collect inspiration
Compile inspiration images of rooms with brown carpets and pleasing wall colors. Notice what color combinations appeal to you. Study how other designers have artfully coordinated paint and brown flooring. Draw inspiration from nature as well, observing harmonious browns paired with other earthy neutrals. Analyze the collections for guidance mixing and matching.
Trust your instincts
With an endless array of paint possibilities, it can be overwhelming deciding what works best with brown carpeting. Remember there are no strictly right or wrong answers. Trust your personal color preferences and decorating instincts. The color you find most attractive in the space will motivate and uplift you. Believe in your vision!
Conclusion
Determining the most complementary paint colors for brown carpets requires assessing the carpet’s shade, the room’s lighting, nearby furnishings, your color tastes, and the desired mood. Harmonious colors share similar undertones and levels of contrast. Samples help identify the optimal nuanced hue. Keep the walls light to make rich brown carpeting pop or subtly match tones for a seamless look. With limitless color combinations possible, approach the process with creativity and intuition. Thoughtful color selection results in stylish, cohesive spaces you’ll adore.