Earthy vibrancy, on the other hand, appears to be here to stay. Behaving much like a refined neutral, earthy tones evoke a calm, comforting and timeless feel, much like nature itself – and there are a lot of options to choose from. They also work beautifully when they’re layered with natural materials and textures; in their natural habitat so to speak.
One of the most comforting of earth shades is brown – and it’s come a long way since its 1970’s heyday when it was paired with burnt orange, mustard and avocado green. Today’s earthy browns are grounding and cocooning. They come in lots of different tones, from sand to cinnamon, and add real depth. They also work beautifully when layered with creamy whites, taupes and layers of texture.
There are also the pinky browns, like clay and blush. These tones are still earthy but offer something a little softer. Blush also works beautifully with brown, balancing softness with richness; here, combinations of textures, like brown leather or dark timber, along with blush velvet make a lovely pairing.
An earthy scheme can also include the colours of the sea and the sky. Naturally, they complement each other, and blues, in particular can bring real depth and harmony to a scheme. Soft, vibrant or brooding, blues are now being paired with warm earth colours and textures to balance and contrast.
Like with anything, you can have too much of a good thing. Pairing too many muted earthy tones can create a muddy look, so it’s good to have a blank canvas shade; this will create some scaffolding and freshen things up, just like in nature’s own colour scheme. White’s often a little too stark but an off-white hue, with equal warm and cool undertones, will work really well. The Pantone Colour of the Year, Cloud Dancer, is a lovely example. Lofty and airy, it’s described as a “fluffy off-white” and it conjures an image of puffy clouds. A pairing with natural, textured materials – like linen, wool, terracotta, stone and wood – wrapped-up with some earthy tones can be a real tonic, offering a restorative calm in an often chaotic world.
