Have you found yourself staring at that brown sofa or dining set, wondering how to bring your space to life without completely overhauling the room? It’s a common struggle.
Picking out picture frames might seem like a small decision, but the right colors can pull everything together, while the wrong ones can leave your space feeling disconnected.
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Don’t worry, though—we’re here to help! From gold and red to green and blue, we’ll guide you through the best frame colors that complement brown furniture.
We’ll also talk about if your picture frames should match your furniture, if you should center them over your furniture, and how you might style a picture shelf.
Picture Frame Colors That Work With Brown Furniture
As we compiled this list, we took into consideration that brown furniture can come in different tones. There are the lighter browns of Scandinavian styled and some mid-century-modern-style pieces.
There are the greyish and varied browns of distressed wood furniture. And then, there are the rich chocolate or russet browns of antiques or pieces made out of traditional hardwoods like oak, mahogany, and cherry.
We’ll talk about which type of brown furniture these colors will go best with.
Gold Frames
Gold is a natural complement to brown furniture, seamlessly pairing with all shades of brown. Both colors share warm, yellow undertones, which allows them to blend harmoniously. The yellow hues in both gold and brown create a cohesive and balanced look when used together.
Red Frames
If you like to have a bit of fun with your design, red is a great color picture frame to go with brown. Like gold, it has those same warm tones that you find in browns.
It’s a great accent color to pair with all types of brown furniture, which means it works for other elements besides your picture frames as well.
White Frames
White is a versatile color that pairs beautifully with nearly everything, including wood furniture. It works especially well in rooms featuring lighter wood tones like beech or ash.
In this example, the white frame complements the light wooden side table, while the elegant white drapes add a soft, cohesive touch. The pale wood floors complete the look, creating a fresh and airy space.
Distressed Wood Frames
If your farmhouse-style home features weathered antique pieces, extend that charm to your picture frames. These rustic frames come in natural wood tones or are painted in whites and turquoise, sanded to reveal the wood underneath.
You can even thrift a collection of distressed frames to create a beautiful, cohesive wall display.
Green Frames
Green and brown are natural fits. Think of the trees in the closest woods are the soil and the grass. These two colors are nature epitomized and do fabulous together.
We particularly like pairing a rich emerald green frame with a stunning walnut sideboard. Or maybe a soft mossy green frame with a teak bench. There are so many colors and shades, several combinations to play around with!
Blue Frames
Blue is a versatile color that pairs well with many styles. Navy works beautifully with traditional pieces, while robin’s egg blue complements Scandinavian decor.
You can also find vintage frames and spray paint them in a custom shade of blue to match your rug or curtains, creating a cohesive and personalized look.
Natural Frames & Matching Woods
For a cohesive spa-like feel, match your picture frame color to your light wood furniture. This creates a seamless look, as if everything was made to go together.
You can also match wood types—mahogany frames for mahogany furniture, oak for oak, and so on. A matching approach works beautifully if that appeals to your style.
Should Picture Frames Match Furniture?
Picture frames definitely do not have to match your furniture. Of course, it’s always good to have colors that relate to one another.
For instance, if your frames don’t match your furniture, maybe they pull from another color in your upholstery or a rug. You could also choose to use a colored frame to create a really fun wall of art and photos.
Should A Picture Be Centered Over Furniture?
When hanging a picture or mirror above furniture, aim for a visually pleasing arrangement. It doesn’t have to be perfectly centered, especially with groupings, but misalignment can be distracting.
For solo artwork, choose a piece large enough to avoid looking too small, or opt for two or three smaller pieces to create balance.
In this living room, the painting is not centered above the sectional, but that is because of the pendant light. They are considered together for hanging, and as a result, the two look balanced with the sectional.
How Do You Style A Picture Shelf?
A picture shelf offers a unique way to display artwork and photos. It’s essentially a shelf with a small ledge, allowing you to lean framed pieces, plants, or vases against the wall without using hooks.
This picture shelf features several color photos, uniformly framed in white with matching white mats, alongside small ceramic vases. The result is chic and uncluttered.
Have Fun With Your Wall Decor
One of the joys of home design is getting creative with the details. Picture frames offer a wonderful way to express your personal style—not just through the frames themselves but also with the artwork or photos you choose to display.
