Earth Tones
Earth Tone Wall Artfor the Season of Coming Inside
October is when the house asks for you back. The light turns gold, the evenings grow longer, and the walls begin to matter more. This is a story told in clay, amber and rust.
Shop the look
Bring the season home, framed in Heritage Walnut
Our warmest pieces, each opening with the Heritage Walnut frame selected. Pick your size, and it arrives ready to hang.
“Great quality, made my living room!”
Houston M. · Verified buyer
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Brook L. · Verified buyer
“Beautiful quality items with unique style that bring life to my design concept. Love everything!”
Nastasia N. · Verified buyer
I. The palette
What are earth tones?
Earth tones are the colors of the land itself: clay and sand, rust and amber, moss and umber. They come from soil, stone, wood and late sun. That is why a room filled with them feels warm before you notice why.
We sampled the palette below straight from our photographs. Every swatch is a real color, from a real place, caught by a real photographer.
II. The places
Where the colors come from
Every earth tone starts somewhere. These are three of the places our photographers keep returning to.
The desert
Joshua Tree and Arizona at golden hour: ochre rock, sage brush and the last warm light of the day. A desert photograph brings stillness into a room.
See Desert Heat
The shore
Sand, salt and shoreline, seen up close or from high above. The softest earth tones live at the water's edge.
See Curls
The mountains
Ridgelines at dusk and fog in the pines, in layers of rust and gray. A mountain photograph gives a room depth.
See Tennessee SmokeIII. The rooms
Earth tone living room ideas, and beyond
Earth tones work in every room. Here is how to bring them home, one space at a time.
01
The living room
Start with one piece above the sofa or the fireplace, and let it set the palette. Pull its strongest color into two or three small things: a pillow, a throw, a ceramic. If your sofa is gray, warm it with wood, leather and one amber accent.
02
The bedroom
Above the bed, choose something quiet: soft clay, sand or a slow coastline. Size it to about two-thirds of the headboard, and the room will feel calm before you turn off the light.
03
The reading corner
A chair, a lamp and one warm photograph make a corner worth sitting in. Desert light works especially well here, because it keeps the gold of late afternoon on the wall all day.
04
The dining room
Wood tables and earth tones were made for each other. Even a black and white photograph feels warm here, framed in wood and surrounded by it.
At home
Rooms that found their warmth
A few of the spaces where these colors have settled in.
IV. The pairings
What colors go with earth tones?
Earth tones are generous. They welcome a few companions, as long as each one has a job.
Cream and ivory
The quiet partner. Cream walls and linen let clay and rust glow without competing.
Sage and olive
Green comes from the same landscape, so it never clashes. Use it in plants, pillows or a painted cabinet.
Deep blue
The one cool note worth adding. Navy or ocean blue makes amber and rust look even warmer.
Charcoal and black
A little goes a long way. A black lamp or frame sharpens a soft palette.
Brass and gold
Metal that catches the late light, in a lamp, a mirror or a handle.
Natural wood
Oak, walnut and rattan tie everything back to the colors on the wall.
V. The frame
Frame it warm
Heritage Walnut is our deepest finish. Around earth tone art, it does what a fireplace does for a room: it adds warmth you can feel from across the space.
Hickory is the lighter choice, for sun-washed prints and pale wood floors. Every frame is hand-crafted from solid White Oak and arrives ready to hang.
VI. The collection
Shop earth tone wall art
Eight pieces from the Earth Tones collection, shown in Heritage Walnut. Each one is also available in Black, White and Hickory.
The Endless Frame
One Frame. Every Season.
Swap and store your art in seconds. Refresh your walls without ever replacing the frame. When the season turns again, your walls can turn with it.
Good to know
Questions about earth tones
What are earth tones?
Earth tones are colors drawn from nature: clay, sand, rust, amber, ochre, moss and umber. They are warm, grounded and easy to live with, which is why they suit almost any room.
What colors go with earth tones?
Cream and ivory, sage and olive, deep blue, charcoal, brass and natural wood. Choose one or two, and let the earth tones lead.
How do you decorate a living room with earth tones?
Start with one piece of art above the sofa and let it set the palette. Repeat its strongest color two or three times in pillows, throws or ceramics, then add natural wood to tie the room together.
Do earth tones work with a gray couch?
Yes. Gray is a calm base for warm color. Add one earth tone piece above the couch, a few amber or rust accents and something wooden, and the gray starts to feel warm too.
What frame color goes best with earth tone art?
Heritage Walnut is the warmest choice and deepens golden and rust tones. Hickory keeps the look lighter and more natural. For a crisper contrast, Black suits bold desert and mountain scenes.
Are earth tones still in style?
Yes. Earth tones have been part of interior design for decades because they come from the natural world. Paired with real photography, they feel current now and will still feel right years from now.
Your turn
Bring the season home
Choose the place that feels like yours, then let it warm the room every day of the year.
Next: How color changes a room →The White Frame guide →How to size and hang art →