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There are few colors as reliable as brown. This earthy, versatile hue pairs well with almost every other shade, and can be incorporated through natural materials like wood, as well as furnishings, decor, and paint ideas. A stalwart of our decorating, brown will always remain timeless, but in 2025, designers are turning their hand to lighter, more nuanced variations.

Let's be clear – decorating with brown remains virtually infallible, but if you want to keep up with all the latest color trends, you might want to consider replacing brown with something more dynamic in your palette. So far, we're still favoring rich, sumptuous shades in 2025, but brown is being usurped by fresher tones that are more 'user friendly', especially going into the spring and summer months.

What do we mean by that? Well, brown, while undoubtedly sophisticated, tends to feel heavy and dominant when used in our interiors, making it difficult to finesse. Instead, designers are leaning towards more livable shades that feel lighter and fresher, but with similar levels of comfort and luxury. From warm mink and greige to classy caramels and earthy clay tones, here are the shades replacing brown in 2025.

1. Caramel tones

When choosing a color scheme, brown is a great grounding shade. When used in greater quantities, however, it can feel overpowering. One color that makes a great substitute for brown while avoiding that heaviness is caramel.

'Rich caramel hues replace darker browns with a cozy, inviting brightness, ideal for leather furniture or textured finishes,' explains interior designer Jessika Gatewood of Gatewood Designs. Spanning warm, fudge-like browns to silkier golden yellows, caramel tones also make a great choice for monochrome color schemes.