How To Design An Earth Tone Living Room

Using earth tone color schemes always adds a warm, cozy, and laid-back ambiance to any space. Since these colors are warm neutrals, it looks good when combined with almost any other hue, making it an ideal choice when considering an earth tone living room. If changing furniture upholstery is out of your budget, simply repainting the walls with an earth tone paint would instantly give that warm ambiance to any living space. Another advantage of using earth tone paint colors is its proven timeless charm and versatility. You can play around with different shades and tones, and it will never go out of style, making it a worthy investment and a practical choice as well.

Earth Tone Paint Colors for the Living Room

When choosing the paint color for your living room, always take into consideration your furniture pieces and accessories. For projects starting from scratch, paint color could be decided before the furniture, but if you have already selected furniture pieces and upholstery colors, the paint should complement or match your fabric choices.

Currently popular is greige, which is a mixture of gray and beige. It is a nice and subtle neutral option that would easily match any theme. You can also experiment with warmer and darker earth-tone colors, depending on the look you want to achieve.

Here are some popular earth-tone paint colors commonly used in living rooms:

• Shaker Beige (Benjamin Moore) – a mid-tone beige option that would look great for general wall paint. It has a nice, warm undertone that creates a warm and cozy ambiance.
• Antiquarian Brown (Sherwin Williams) – a rust-toned shade that has a strong warm undertone which would work well as an accent paint.
• Natural Linen (Benjamin Moore) – a light taupe tone that is also good as a general wall color which is very subtle and can create a brighter ambiance
• Squirrel Tail (Benjamin Moore) – a dark, earth shade with a gray/neutral undertone that looks great as an accent color and matches well with natural stone finishes
• Colony Buff (Sherwin Williams) – a soft-toned earth tone option with a feminine appeal
• Brevity Brown (Sherwin Williams) – this shade has a red undertone with a very natural look that is very close to wood natural wood colors
• Coconut Husk (Sherwin Williams) – another nice dark earth shade that you can use as an accent and molding color

Earth-Tone Color Schemes

Below you’ll find a variety of living room color schemes featuring earth tones in an assortment of design styles.

In the picture above the soft beige paint of the walls adds just the right amount of warmth to the space, which is also populated with earth-toned furniture pieces. Beige is even used on the coffered ceiling, making it stand out. Get more living room flooring ideas from this gallery page.

Sample Earth-Tone Color Palettes

Soft & Airy: Natural Linen walls, ivory trim, sage accents, bleached oak floors.

Rustic Modern: Greige walls, charcoal sofa, burnt-sienna pillows, black-metal lighting.

Desert Retreat: Muted clay feature wall, sand-colored sectional, leather poufs, woven rattan pendant.

Cozy Lodge: Squirrel Tail millwork, warm white walls, walnut coffee table, plaid throws.

Elegant Neutral: Colony Buff walls, brass lighting, marble fireplace surround, blush accessories.

Layering Materials & Textures for Depth

Natural fibers: Weave in chunky knit throws, jute rugs, or linen draperies. Their organic textures echo the earth-inspired palette while preventing the scheme from feeling flat.

Contrasting sheens: Pair matte wall paints with subtly lustrous elements—think glazed pottery vases, leather ottomans, or a velvet accent pillow in terracotta—to add quiet sophistication.

Raw finishes: Exposed wood beams, sandstone fireplaces, or reclaimed wood coffee tables reinforce the connection to nature and complement any of the paint colors listed above.

Accent Hues That Play Well With Earth Tones

Accent Color	Mood Created	Works Especially Well With

Tip: Add some accent hues in small doses at first. Consider using throw pillows, art, or a single upholstered chair—so you can refresh the look seasonally without repainting.

Lighting Considerations

Warm-temperature bulbs –  (2700 K–3000 K) enhance the richness of reds, browns, and ochres.

Layered lighting – Ambient (ceiling), task (floor lamps), and accent (picture lights)—prevents deeper earth tones from appearing muddy at night.

Metal finishes –  Antique brass or oil-rubbed bronze fixtures harmonize better with earth tones than stark chrome.

Furniture & Décor Pairings

Upholstery – Camel leather sofas or oatmeal-colored linen sectionals keep the palette grounded.

Wood species – Walnut, white oak, and acacia have undertones that marry beautifully with rusts and warm taupes.

Metals & hardware – Wrought-iron coffee table legs or aged-brass handles add subtle contrast without clashing.

Styling Tips

Bring the outdoors in by layering potted greenery, think, snake plants, olive trees, and other favorites to enliven muted walls and reinforce the nature-inspired theme you want. Play with patterns in area rugs using geometric shapes or tribal-inspired pillows to add visual interest without overwhelming the space. Vary lighting saturation by combining an assortment of light, medium, and dark earth tones so the room feels dynamic rather than monochromatic for a real depth of design. For more of a wow factor, add a statement piece.