Rust is a beautiful blend of red, orange, and a hint of brown that brings a fiery, earthy vibe to any room. While it’s a vibrant and warm shade, rust can also act as a bold neutral when paired with the right colors, creating a stunning backdrop for your space.
However, rust can quickly overwhelm a room if you don’t strike the right balance. Pairing it with the perfect complementary colors is key to bringing out its best qualities without overpowering the rest of your decor.
Rust comes in a range of shades, from light, rusty oranges to deeper, brownish tones. The magic happens when you choose the right colors to highlight those undertones—whether you want more of the reds, oranges, or browns to shine through.
It can be challenging to find the perfect pairing that enhances your room’s style without clashing. But don’t worry—we’ve done the research and found a selection of colors that will beautifully complement rust, helping you create a space that feels cohesive, warm, and welcoming.
1. White
Known for its crisp, clean properties, white is the perfect light neutral color to pair with almost any other shade. Rust is no exception.
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White will add an expansive illusion to your space, and rust is the perfect toasty shade to bring some rich warm color into your home. Use light natural wood accents to soften this sharply contrasting palette.
2. Cream
Rust is a powerful color that can be the perfect color for your bathroom. This bold shade is combined with creamy neutral-colored tile for a warm and welcoming look to your bathroom.
Neutral shades, such as cream, are the perfect color pairing to rusty colors in your space. A random mixture of light neutral shades and this rich earthy tone creates a spicy contrasted appearance anywhere in your home.
3. Gray
A cool mixture of black and white, gray is the perfect neutral color to pair with shades of rust. Adding shades of gray to your rust color scheme is a great way to add balance and a modern element to your space.
For a dimensional look, consider using several different shades of gray, ranging from light silver grays to deep charcoal gray tones. Black accents give this palette a deep color contrast and a touch of detail.
4. Tan
Rust is a popular color for tile and other wall covering materials, and wall panels are no exception to this rule. Tan is a subtle shade that brings a sense of balance to this vibrant red-orange shade.
These large wall panels add a modern flare to this tan-accented room that cannot be replicated. Multi-shades of red, orange, and brown combine with soft tan tones for a vibrant toasted look.
5. Brown
Brown is a roasted warm color, making it an excellent choice to pair with rust. Rusty orange shades pair with brown for a retro and fun look.
Different shades of rust and brown add a dimensional look to your space. Fun patterned fabrics add to this funky eclectic ambiance.
6. Grass Green
Rust and grass green may seem like an unlikely pair, but they actually make a striking combination. These contrasting shades are secondary colors that balance each other well.
Grassy shades of green are cool, while orange is a warm shade, creating a stable yet bold color scheme. Add natural greenery to this vibrant palette to bring some coordination and a little of the outdoors into your home.
7. Olive Green
Olive green is a muted green with gray and brown undertones. Pair rust shades with olive green for a strong contrasted look.
This particular shade of green really highlights the earth tones of rust for an organic, warm look. Light shades of natural wood will further enhance this nature-inspired look.
8. Gold
Gold, a warm metallic tone, is an intriguing color that pairs beautifully with rust shades. Earthy tones of rust complement this rich color for a dazzling look.
Luxurious shades of gold brighten and uplift your space with unparalleled color. Gold tones add a sense of glamour to any space and are sure to warm your rust color scheme with vibrant elegance.
9. Yellow
A variation of gold and shades of yellow pairs with rust for a fun and energetic look. Add this bright, sunshiny shade to your rust color scheme to bring out the vivid shades of red in rust.
An accent chair is a perfect way to introduce this brilliant shade into your rust-colored space. Finish this look with bold black frames and splashes of cool olive green.
10. Royal Blue
Another striking, cool color that pairs well with rust is royal blue. Royal blue is traditional yet modern and creates a stunning color pairing with your rust color scheme that tends to highlight the orange undertones of rust.
Rust, being a shade of orange, is located across from blue on the standard color wheel, making these shades complementary colors. Deep shades of brown add some rich contrast and an element of detail to this palette.
11. Navy Blue
For a more sophisticated take on a blue and rust color scheme, consider using navy blue. Navy blue is a rich, dark cousin to royal blue but still makes a dazzling statement in any room of your home.
This deep, pensive color is a more formal color pairing with rust. Deep shades pair with vivid rust tones for a captivating look.
12. Light Blue
Bring a tranquil, nature-inspired look into your home by using light shades of blue. Rust combines with light blue for a breathtaking color scheme.
Soft shades of light blue pair with bold rust tones for a well-balanced look. Fun patterns create an element of cohesion in your space.
13. Burgundy
For a more subtle contrast, consider pairing burgundy with your rust color scheme. Burgundy is a deep, dramatic shade of red that pairs stunningly with rust.
This color combination creates a dimensional look that is subtle yet bold. These two shades bring out the orange undertones in rust and the brown undertones in burgundy.
14. Purple
Purple is the perfect mixture of warm reds and cool blues. It is a dramatic, alluring color that pairs gorgeously with a rust color scheme. Deep eggplant tones bring a moody ambiance to any space.
Warm shades of rust help to balance this rich color and brighten the palette. Small accents in bright colors give this color scheme an almost eclectic look.
15. Pink
Shades of rust don’t typically come to mind when decorating a nursery. Pink and rust pair to create a soft rustic look.
Pale shades of pink with a slight orange or coral undertone work best in this color scheme. This pastel shade highlights the rich orange undertones in rust for a sophisticated look.
16. Teal
Teal is a vibrant mixture of blue and green that can turn heads in any room in your home. Paring teal with shades of rust will bring out the green undertones in teal and the warm orange undertones in rust colors.
Deep-colored floors and accent pieces can ground this look and add a sense of depth and dimension. Accent this look with other bright colors for an energetic, fun ambiance.
Final Thoughts
Rust is a powerfully warm shade that can add some toasty color to pretty much any space. Although it is a bold tone, there are endless color pairings to go with rust that are sure to turn heads in your home.
Finding the perfect color for your particular rust color scheme can be the solution to your decorating project questions. We hope that the above listing of colors to go with a rust color scheme has helped to inspire your inner decorator.
