Adding a rich, velvety brown shade to your home is a lovely way to warm up a space. If you’re branching out from greige, tan or ivory, a brown accent wall can add just the right touch of contrast.
Most browns are on the warm end of the color spectrum. However, brown, like gray, can be complicated. You can also push or pull brown in other directions with the right contrasting colors.
The browns listed below offer a lot of flexibility and will give you many different options.
- Wenge
- French Press
- Hearthstone Brown
- Barista
- Leather Saddle Brown
- French Roast
- Sturdy Brown
- Cowboy Boots
- Muddled Basil
- Dark Auburn
- Sable
Dark Brown Paint Colors: Side By Side Comparisons
1) Wenge
Wenge from Benjamin Moore is a well-balanced, warm brown that will fade nicely as rooms darken.
Because most dark brown colors offer a black or nearly black shadow tone, it’s important to consider sheen when putting this on your walls or trim.
In a bedroom or a family room, a flat or eggshell sheen will offer a nice effect. Warm lighting will bring out the red tone of this very rich brown.
Because the green and blue pigment in this color are so close, it will hold color even if you pair it with cool colors.
For a bathroom or a kitchen, the moisture resistant satin or semi-gloss finish would be a better choice.
Do remember that any time you put any dark color with gloss in the mix on your walls, you will need to patch and prime carefully for best application. Multiple coats may also be necessary.
RGB: 60, 45, 43
Hex Code: #3C2D2B
2) French Press
Benjamin Moore’s French Press is slightly lighter than Wenge and loaded with warmth. If you have a heavily textured wall that you want to turn into an accent feature, French Press is an ideal choice.
Be prepared for this color to chalk a bit. Try to light this color from the side with a medium light; neither yellow nor blue.
The higher percentage of green in this color makes it an ideal foil for natural materials, such as wicker furniture or clay pots.
Best of all, this color would be an ideal choice for a room that is loaded with green plants.
RGB: 94, 76, 67
Hex Code: #5E4C43
Dark Brown Paint Color Samples
Would you like to sample these dark brown paint colors? I recommend using a peel and stick paint sample from SAMPLIZE. Peel and stick paint samples are very affordable and easy to use. They are also clean and environmentally friendly!
Advantages of using peel and stick paint samples:
- EASY TO USE: Simply move your SAMPLIZE paint sample around the room to test under a variety of lighting conditions.
- AFFORDABLE: Budget-friendly solution and no more buying inaccurate swatches, rollers, wasted paint.
- SUPER FAST DELIVERY: Depending on your location, 1 day delivery is possible.
- ORDER FROM HOME: Save a trip to the store looking for samples.
- NO MESS: SAMPLIZE uses real paint samples with zero-mess
- NO WASTE: No leftover cans or wasted paint.
Get French Press real paint sample here.
Peel-and-Stick Paint Sample – French Press (AF-170) – Benjamin Moore
3) Hearthstone Brown
Those who love cottage colors but want something stronger will be able to put Hearthstone Brown from Benjamin Moore to excellent use.
This gentle shade of milk chocolate brown would pair beautifully with a simple ivory trim, such as Floral White.
There is a decent amount of ash in this color. Pale wood tones with a neutral finish would look terrific against this shade.
If you have a wide variety of wood tones in your furnishings and collectibles, it’s a good idea to paint yourself a large sample and study it in all lights before committing.
A dark mahogany finish would look terrific against this color, but red oak may take on an orange tint.
RGB: 93, 73, 64
Hex Code: #5D4940
4) Barista
If you want a brown that you can push toward purple, check out Barista from Benjamin Moore.
The percentage of red in this paint color is low enough that you can get more out of it by changing up the lighting and your accessories.
Don’t try to match this brown with brown leather upholstery. Instead, pair this color with fabrics that have either a velvety sheen or a bit of a nub.
Heavily textured fabric can create unique shadow tones. Keep your decorating colors on the cool side and let this brown help them stand out.
Plain white trim paint or sheers will also help this color stay on the brown side.
RGB: 88, 66, 58
Hex Code: #58423A
5) Leather Saddle Brown
Fans of ivory and yellow will have a great deal of fun playing with Leather Saddle Brown from Benjamin Moore.
This very warm brown will not be pushed around and is the closest to caramel in this listing.
If you love the Hygge decorating style but don’t want plain white walls, put this color at one end of a long room.
If you’ve got a fireplace where you love to put your feet up and chat or read, this color will create an oasis of warmth that you can enjoy on the coldest of nights.
Rubbed bronze wall sconces, brass picture frames and copper pots will all glow against this yummy brown.
RGB: 116, 76, 63
Hex Code: #744C3F
6) French Roast
If your decorating style is lean or spare, French Roast by Sherwin-Williams is a terrific choice for an accent wall or even a ceiling.
The key to using this color effectively is not to use too much contrast. This brown will hold. Your warm maple piano will glow against this color.
Too many wood tones, such as yellow oak or dark mahogany, and your wood tones will start to look like a mish-mash.
French Roast is warm enough that it won’t back down. Don’t let it overpower your favorite furniture pieces.
RGB: 84, 58, 48
Hex Code: #4F3426
7) Sturdy Brown
Sturdy Brown from Sherwin-Williams will live up to its name once you have it on your walls. Be aware that this color can actually be pushed into the rusty red zone if you’re not careful.
This brown is strong enough that it will cause other colors to appear a bit mute. Go ahead and use that feature to great effect by using subtle colors on everything else.
A variegated cream rug, nubby sage green sofa and simple medium toned wooden armchairs will all work beautifully with this color.
If your decorating choices are on the bold side, make sure you create a big sample and study it up close and personal before you put this shade on the walls.
This color won’t back down, but it will bring out subtle colors to great effect.
RGB: 107, 76, 51
Hex Code: #6B4C33
8) Cowboy Boots
Cowboy Boots from Sherwin-Williams is a warm and elegant shade of brown that will fade as your home darkens at the end of the day.
Because this color is so warm, it’s a wonderful foil for pale shades on the warm spectrum.
Greens will also work well with this color as the percentage of blue is so low. Keep it simple. If you have a tan or off-white upholstery fabric for most of your furniture, go ahead and add forest green cushions or a pine green throw.
Pale peaches and yellows will also work beautifully with this color. Avoid any shade of bright white; it will go blue against this warm brown.
RGB: 104, 82, 59
Hex Code: #68523B
9) Muddled Basil
If you are a fan of black furniture or picture frames, Muddled Basil from Sherwin-Williams is a terrific choice. This is the greenest brown of the lot, but it offers a lot of flexibility.
This is also the only color on this listing that will be improved by a push from the blue family. If you have a charcoal sofa or side chair that you want to highlight, this brown will not push them into the blue zone.
Eclectic decorators can use Muddled Basil and find that their color choices stay true.
RGB: 98, 110, 96
Hex Code: #626E60
10) Dark Auburn
Dark Auburn from Sherwin-Williams is another color that can be pushed, though this one will go towards wine or burgundy with a little pressure.
The numbers tell an interesting tale on this color. Not only is there a great deal of red in this color, but the low levels of green and blue are very close. This tells us that there’s very little soot in this color.
If you like to play with sheens, you might consider putting this color on 3 walls in a flat finish and putting a satin or semigloss on the 4th wall for a bit of accent or drama.
White will also pair beautifully with this color.
RGB: 90, 53, 50
Hex Code: #5A3532
11) Sable
Sable from Sherwin-Williams is a luxurious shade with a lot of warmth. The high level of green means that this color has a lot of soot or smoke to it, making it a warm, relaxing shade.
Pair this easily with other strong, warm colors. Orange, salmon and sunflower will all work well with this color. If you have copper pots to show off, use this in your kitchen.
Bright brass will also pair nicely with this shade.
RGB: 95, 76, 64
Hex Code: #5F4C40
