January Color of the Month: Art and Craft

Inspired by the influence of design trends like cottagecore, January’s Color of the Month, which also doubles as 2022’s Color of the Year, is the earthy and sophisticated Art and Craft (DET682). The beginning of a new year sparks worldwide celebration, and we are celebrating creative individuals! Art and Craft is a fitting color to ring in the new year; it celebrates artisans, artists, and craft-makers. This timeless, versatile hue performs best when it is joined by Cotton Club and Gypsum Rose. Happy New Year!

This shade of brown is a kind of new neutral, an effortlessly smooth toasted brown that imbues any space with a warm, subtle opulence. Browns are tones that ground us, bringing to mind natural elements like wood, sand, soil, and stone. Therefore, such colors return us to our roots and to simpler times and kinds of existence. It’s no wonder Art and Craft is named for the eponymous architectural era in which handicraft, in place of mass-produced design, was embraced.

How To Design With Brown Paint
Perhaps not always a designers’ go to, brown can be a tricky color with which to design. But browns don’t always have to mean desert oasis or rustic retreat. In fact, there’s no limit to the style or vibe of space you can craft with brown paint colors. That said, it’s time to start taking another look at these versatile hues. Brown paint colors can also be impactful. Wondering how to best design with brown paints? At Dunn-Edwards, we’ve got no shortage of tips. Firstly, darker chocolate hues can be utilized for a sleek, luxurious aesthetic, while more vibrant reddish-browns help create a palette for desert-inspired spaces. But we’re not stopping there; we’ve got more helpful hints below on designing with brown paint colors to create spaces in any number of different styles:

Traditional Spaces - Look to chocolate browns, aged whiskey tones, and earthy burnt umbers to cultivate spaces with traditional elements or ones lauded for their refinement. For more insight and tips on designing with browns in traditional spaces, check out our Best Brown Colors for Victorian Homes or Best Browns for Craftsman Homes.

Modern, Airy Spaces - Use brown paint colors to craft a modern vibe by looking to cool and light brown shades. It’s true! By choosing a gray-brown like Portobello Mushroom (DET622) or Mission Trail (DE6223) cool brown tones create an inviting feel fit for any modern residential space from industrial lofts to modern California homes.

Bohemian Spaces - We’ve got a lot of tips here for the best browns to craft a bohemian feeling space. Generally, the goal is to focus on neutral and warm tones as a base. Our suggestion is to reach for muted earthy brown hues like sands and tans; think Handwoven (DE6200) and Tan Plan (DE6137). From there, adding in vibrant jewel tones or pastels will help complete the palette.

Spanish-inspired Spaces - Brown paint colors are a trademark of Spanish style design. You may want to read up on our Best Browns For Spanish Homes. Here warm hues reign supreme, using a palette that feels fit for any Spanish style home can include colors that range from olive-tinged browns, to rich dark chocolates, to browns infused with burnt umber.

Still looking for another primer on brown? Check out our take on Designing With Any Shade of Brown.