Just-been-for-a-nature-walk earth tones have become the neutral shade of choice in the home of late, with the likes of clay, mushroom, sand, and fawn making themselves comfortable in every room of the house. Yet the winds of change are blowing in the earthy decorating department, with the soothing aesthetic becoming increasingly boosted with boldness — retaining its inherent nod to the wild and calm personality, while amping up impact and mood.
When we say ‘earth tones’, we’re generally talking browns and tans, shades that exude the energy of found-them-in-the-forest materials such as soil, timber and stone, from palest putty to deepest mahogany. While we’ve perhaps relied upon these earthy color palettes to support a more vivid scheme or create a pared-back, pale palette, now the volume is going up.
The intensified, earthy hues we’re ushering indoors — those along the lines of terracotta, ocher, paprika, rust and cinnamon — are infused with oomph and power. They embrace our walls like the long-lost cousin we never knew we were missing, making quite the impression while maintaining their status as a visual that our bodies and minds can’t help but feel at ease around. Want to get involved? Here’s how the designers bring boldness with built-in balance, so you can decorate with earth tones in confidence for 2027.
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WHY EARTH TONES WORK
Decorating with earth tones does not have to mean ‘playing it safe’.
(Image credit: Dean Hearne. Design: Studio Duggan)
Walk into a room dipped in elevated earth tones and there’s the initial ‘wow, look at that’, but then as you spend more time within the palette, its impact softens and melts into a general feeling of warmth, wellbeing and understated indulgence.
Thought natural hues were can’t-go-wrong and reassuringly inoffensive? That’s in the past. “Earth tones have been traditionally approached in a safe manner, with spaces rendered in more muted browns and beige-washed tones,” says interior designer Greg Natale. “Now, we’re approaching them with more confidence and embracing richer tones, which bring an indulgent heat to cocoons and add depth to a space.” Shake off the restraint that classically came with the shades in favor of a look that’s experimental, free, and celebratory — as well as a tonal, tranquil tribute to nature.
What makes earth-rooted colors special is their connection with the landscape, and as such each shade brings a narrative into the home, an effect buoyed by a souped-up level of saturation. “Rich earth tones immediately transport you to their place of origin in a grounding, authentic way,” agrees Kasia Kronberger, founder and principal designer of Studio Bosko.
For too long have such elemental tones equated to the quiet and the unobtrusive — the organic palette renaissance is here, and it’s packing a surprising amount of punch. “Taking your inspiration from nature does not oblige you to tone it down,” explains Anna Chițan, founder and principal designer at Annterior Studio. “Nature is not muted; it is soothing and embracing at full intensity, and interiors are allowed the same license.”
Forgettable? Not these colors. Juicy earth tones are statement-making while also ticking the comforting and livable boxes — precisely the trick tonal minimalism never quite pulled off. “We’re moving away from the idea of earthy colors being muted or neutral and really embracing their warmth and depth,” agrees Jenny Gnadl, associate at Collective Works.
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THE HOW-TO
Create friction using varied earth-toned shades for a refreshing scheme.
(Image credit: Matt Gamble. Design: The Collective Works)
Feeling slightly edgy? Good, that’s how you keep this palette fresh and fun. The organic origins and intrinsic richness of different earth-tinged hues foster a delicious friction, which pulls between drama and quietude. “What feels exciting now is taking earth-derived colors and pushing them somewhere less expected,” agrees Ruby Shields, principal interior designer and founder of Studio Shields. “Rather than building an entirely tonal earthy scheme, it’s about creating tension between colors — something muddy beside something vibrant, warm against cool… taking cues from nature, but rather than harmonizing everything, disrupt the palette a little and give it an unexpected twist.”
Earth colors are known for that feeling of engulfing a room, which is why they have such an effect when used liberally around a space; try this in bolder tones to step it all up a notch. “Don’t be afraid to commit to them — be brave, have fun,” says Jenny Gnadl. “Use several complementary tones rather than one uniform color to create a much richer and sophisticated palette.”
Not sure how to get the ball rolling? Get in the tone-on-tone zone and mix in multiple earth-ish colors — a bit of burnt sienna here, a bit of brick red there, maybe some turmeric over there — and layer the earth’s most exciting spectrum together. “Carrying unapologetic earth shades across contrasting textures is what keeps it contemporary and progressive, and at the same time timeless,” says Anna Chițan. “Take them across walls and ceiling, not into an accent wall or scattered around the room as decorative afterthoughts. Intentional and courageous, or not at all.”
Anna Chițan
Anna Chițan, founder and principal designer of Bucharest-based interior design practice Annterior Studio, creates carefully thought-out design for the future, inspired by the past. She sees beauty in detail, in undervalued materials, and in the reinterpretation of the familiar, crafting warm, layered, sophisticated spaces with a passion for art and the inherent beauty of natural materials.
LET’S BEGIN
A beautifully bold modern bedroom scheme with earthy colors at its heart.
(Image credit: Anson Smart Photography. Design: Greg Natale. Styling: Mariana Marcki-Matos)
Unlike paler neutral colors, these full-bodied hues thrive in the rooms we relax in, such as living rooms, snugs, and bedrooms — areas that could do with feeling a little honeyed and heavy.
Starting in one space? Make it the bedroom. The palette’s rustic take on pigment is innately restful; the tones remain interesting without that jolt that less centered shades can bring. “A dark, earthy bedroom is delicious — think nutmeg, olive green, tobacco or a beautiful burgundy,” says Ruby Shields. “We’ve been taught for so long that bedrooms need to be light and bright to feel restful, but depth of color can create an entirely different kind of calm; one that feels warm, intimate and protective. There’s something incredibly enveloping about sleeping in an earth-tinted space.”
To mix things up a bit, bring earth into somewhere more off-kilter. “Bathrooms are particularly interesting as they can often feel sterile and cold,” explains Jenny Gnadl. “In a bathroom, a darker, softer earth palette can create a warm, calming atmosphere and give the room much more character.” And because so much of a bathroom is hard surface, hues do more heavy lifting than they would elsewhere in the home. Out goes function, in comes feeling.
“Powder rooms, dressing rooms, family rooms, bedrooms, entertaining spaces…” muses Anna Chițan. “I wouldn’t shy away from bold earth colors in any room.”
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COLOR COMPANIONS
This is how to decorate with earth tones in 2027 — unapologetically bold and effortlessly stylish.
(Image credit: Martina Gemmola. Design: Studio Shields)
Thanks to their soil-based roots, these colors find it easy to work with other shades as there’s a natural harmony at play, but there are certain tones that bounce off and vibe with them more smoothly — and interestingly — than others.
“A fresh way to apply earthy shades is to explore their saturation and texture by pairing them with cooler tones such as sky blue, lilac or mauve,” tips Kasia Kronberger. Cooler shades bring a hit of air and a little conflict to an earthy space, cutting through density, letting the scheme breathe and banishing predictability.
Some colors work precisely because they’re there to interrupt and inject unanticipated energy. “Sticking to the same bold, earthy tones can risk being one-dimensional,” warns Greg Natale. “Play with accent colors that work like a staccato in space, including greens, blues, and burgundy. Experimenting with the tonal variations of these colors, whether dense or soft, depends on how you want to steer the mood of each space.”
Not every pairing needs to make immediate sense. “Introduce tension with burgundy or oxblood, orange, powder blue, muddy green,” advises Ruby Shields. “It’s often those slightly strange, unexpected combinations that make earthy colors feel interesting, and grounding tones often allow more vibrant hues to sing.” The earth tone lends its vibrant partner a sense of context, while the brighter shade gives the earth tone its moment of drama.
Ruby Shields
“Short story — I LOVE color,” says Ruby, principal interior designer and founder of Naarm/Melbourne-based interior design and decoration practice Studio Shields. She approaches color in an instinctual, emotional way, and is known for drawing on the magic of slightly unexpected combinations.
WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
The contrasting colors in this modern bathroom add depth, visual interest, and a healthy dose of fun.
(Image credit: Cătălin Georgescu. Design: Annterior Studio)
Few color families are as easy to get right as this one, but there are a couple of things that can flatten its impact. “Avoid pairing them with beige and sand tones and other pale neutrals,” recommends Kasia Kronberger. “The result could be very common, or even dull.”
“There’s almost nowhere bold earthy colors don’t work; their grounding quality works in nearly every room,” says Ruby Shields. “Where you can get stuck is confusing earthy with bright. Use anything incredibly vibrant or in-your-face sparingly in peaceful living spaces and bedrooms — save those brighter, saturated moments for bathrooms, powder rooms, transitional spaces, or as little pops of joy throughout the home.”
It’s not the shades that have changed — it’s us; we’re finally allowing them to be something rich, exciting, and fulfilling, less background and more ‘oooh look at that’.
Need a helping hand? Get inspired by the more expressive end of the neutral color wheel, then kick off your own avant-garde, earthy adventure.
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