Earthy and Classy Tone

Warm Earth Tones

These are the hot, spicy colors that glow with warmth and depth in Etruscan wall paintings and cave paintings alike. The names of artists' pigments bring the colors alive - raw sienna from Tuscany, the burnt umber of the fertile Umbrian hills, Naples red, Oxford ocher. They have all acquired their names from their places of origin.

Raw sienna is a yellowy brown like ground cinnamon, while burnt sienna has more of an orange tinge.

Raw umber is a pure golden brown that turns chestnutty when burnt.

Yellow ocher is a golden mustard or dirty yellow color.

A mixture of these colors in a scheme will give a vibrant, rich effect without strident clashes. Combine dark, lustrous wood furniture with richly patterned rugs, embroidered cushions, and hand-thrown terra-cotta pots. Walls can take on the same earthy tints; these strong tones make a handsome background for paintings, and in lamplight or sunlight give a wonderful glow. Echo the palette in the tones of any metals in the room: bronze and copper, brass and distressed gold artifacts will add a fiery gleam.

For a broader decorating palette, all these colors may be mixed with white to create a series of warm, mellow shades that are soft and easy to live with. Peachy terra cottas, die pinky beige of old brick, and pale, mustardy gold are all gentle colors that, with their subtle and earthy origins, have an edge of interest about them.

Contrasts

Touches of contrast always enliven a color scheme and because earth colors are so redolent of the landscape, their natural partners should be taken from the same territory. The green of a cypress tree and a blazing azure sky offset perfectly the baked red-bronze of ploughed earth on a Tuscan hillside; the delicate eggshell blue of an English sky complements the warm red earth of the west of England.

You can use these contrasts to stunning effect in an interior. Lay rich forest green Victorian tiles on pale yellow ocher walls for a vibrant kitchen scheme, complemented by pine furniture and recycled green glass. The patina of pale green verdigris on copper would make the basis for a softer scheme in the same range of colors; wash walls with pale blue-green, and use coppery tones for upholstery and curtains.

Indigo blue was a favorite of ancient civilizations, and beautifully sets off the fiery tones of burnt orange and Tuscan reddish browns. Use these colors to accent each other - a cool slate-blue floor with dark ocher rugs and walls makes an elegant entrance hall. Delicate powder blue provides a subtle contrast for mustard yellows and terra cottas for a sunny scheme to enliven a gloomy corner.