Is Brown the New Black?

 Hi Everyone

Thanks for checking out my blog today.  If you had a chance to check out my previous blog you may have noticed the trend is towards warmer colors, brown being one of them.  I read a quote recently that "brown was the new black" and while I'm not sure I agree with that statement 😉brown is certainly becoming a popular color again.  While I don't adhere to the policy of ensuring your home is on trend, I thought we would delve into into the world of browns just for fun.

According to www.verywellmind.com "Brown is a natural color that evokes a sense of strength and reliability. It's often seen as solid, much like the earth, and it's a color often associated with resilience, dependability, security, and safety." 

I've certainly noticed a shift in my color consultations with brown becoming a popular choice again.  Thankfully it's not the same brown of the 70's and 80's but a more mature, sophisticated brown. In my opinion it is the addition of gray to brown that makes it feel more current.   Maybe we should start a new word in the world of color "grown" (gray + brown) 😂. These paint colors that I will be sharing with you today are Sherwin William's colors as those are the colors I generally use in consultations.

Pewter Tankard SW 0023

In the world of color there are a lot of names we give to paint colors such as taupe, mushroom, greige etc. but those words can mean different things to different people so I am going to just use common color words to hopefully make sense of it all.  Pewter Tankard is a beautiful, sophisticated brown with a healthy amount of gray in it.  The LRV of Pewter Tankard is 33 so I would consider it a medium color.  If you aren't familiar with LRV it simply refers to how much light that paint color reflects back into a room - a pure white would be 100 and a pure black would be zero. Pewter Tankard would be a great choice for an all over color, feature wall or exterior color.  Pewter Tankard has a very slight green undertone, so slight in fact I hesitate to mention it, but it may pop up depending on your lighting.  Pewter Tankard was used on the beams and trim in this next picture. 

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Tavern Taupe SW 7508

As I mentioned earlier the word taupe can mean different things to different people so I would consider Tavern Taupe a brown color with just a bit of gray in it.  The LRV for Tavern Taupe is 27 so it would be considered a medium to dark paint color.   It has a slight green undertone which you may not even notice depending on your lighting.  I wanted to mention this color because I think it's a great option for exteriors.  This next picture, hopefully 🤞 shows you the difference between Pewter Tankard and Tavern Taupe, and how much more gray Pewter Tankard has in it compared to Tavern Taupe, even though I would consider them both to be brown paint colors.

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Black Fox SW 7020

Sometimes the names these paint colors are given are misleading and Black Fox would be one of them.  I'm thinking based on the name you would assume this is a black paint color but in fact it is a delicious, yummy dark brown.  Now don't get me wrong it's a very, very dark brown but I think most of you would see it as a brown rather than a black but if you see it as a black I'm not going to disagree 😏 because everyone sees color differently.  As I mentioned earlier it's a very dark color with an LRV of only 7.  This is a great color choice if you are looking for something close to black but a little warmer.  I honestly can't pick up any undertone in this color but based on the strip it's on if there is any it would lead to a more purple (red + blue) undertone. This would be a beautiful color option for an island, interior doors or painting a piece of furniture.  

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Porpoise SW 7047

If you are familiar with Sherwin Williams Color of the Year for 2021 Urbane Bronze, but it's just too dark for you, Porpoise is a slightly lighter option.  Now don't get me wrong, it's still what I would consider a darker color with an LRV of 13 but an alternative to Urbane Bronze.  Porpoise is again what I would consider a brown with a healthy dose of gray in it and it has a green undertone.  I find the undertone in Porpoise is easier to detect that in Black Fox so if you are sensitive to undertones, or just don't like green undertones than Porpoise might not be for you but I think it's definitely a color worth checking out.  This would be a beautiful color option for an exterior, interior doors or cupboards.

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Isn't that clever, in the picture above the pictures are actually doors to the cupboards!

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So what do you think?  Are you a fan of this new version of brown?  If you need help choosing paint colors for your home I'd love to help with my online consultations.

Have a Colorful Day!