How to Achieve the Grounded Warmth Style Trend
If you are looking for a relaxing new interior style to spruce up your home, we have just the inspiration for you. The grounded warmth style replicates that calming feeling that we can feel when surrounded by rich colours in nature.
This style works really well in modern Aussie homes, bringing a darker take to contemporary style. Whether you are planning a new build, a full renovation or just want to freshen up your space with small decor touches, we’ll show you how to bring these grounding elements into your home in a fresh and modern way.
Grounded Warmth: Why We Love This Look
Earthy chocolatey tones are what this style is all about. Think deep, dark wood tones mixed with handmade or rustic finishes like amber glassware, dark caramel glazed tiles and chocolate brown leather. Our version of this style brings a cool and calm feel to modern Australian homes.
Dark, rich tones don't have to feel heavy and overpowering — it's all in how you use them. This style can incorporate a range of layered elements that ground the whole space. When these pieces come together, it creates sophisticated and cosy rooms. In Australian homes, where natural light is often abundant (thanks to those scorching summers), these deeper tones can actually help create contrast throughout the day.
Building Your Base
Natural materials set the foundation for the grounded warmth style, so naturally, choosing the right tiles makes all the difference. Tiles create the backdrop for all that comes later, providing a cohesive vibe from the beginning.
Our Kirribilli Travertine Look Beige Matte Tile creates the perfect neutral backdrop - its soft beige tone works beautifully to contrast with darker elements while keeping things light and fresh.
For areas where you want to add more depth, the Hamilton Matte Charcoal Concrete Look Tile brings those deeper tones into play without overwhelming the space.
The key is mixing these base materials thoughtfully, keeping things consistent without being too matchy-matchy throughout the whole home. Try using your lighter tiles in larger areas and bringing in the darker ones as features or in smaller spaces where that extra depth can create real impact. This approach keeps your space feeling balanced while still nailing that grounded look.
Adding Character with Colour and Pattern
Here's where you can really start having fun with the style. The Boat Harbour Beach Terracotta Encaustic Look Hexagon Tile adds personality with its warm tones and eye-catching shape. It's perfect to use for feature walls or to round off specific areas in more open-plan spaces. The fun hexagon shape adds movement and visual interest, while the terracotta tone brings that earthy warmth we're after for this look.
If you are looking to add even more personality to this look, our Paddington Terracotta Terrazzo Look Tile might be for you. This tile mixes terracotta with speckled patterns. It adds a feature to your floors or walls, but in a way that still feels grounded and natural and doesn’t drift away from the grounded style.
For areas where you want to keep things light but still warm, the Newport Gloss Subway Bone Tile is your go-to. Its subtle tone and gloss finish helps to bring out the most of any natural lighting. Try using it in bathrooms or kitchens where you want that perfect balance between lighter shades and darker decor feature pieces.
Bringing Warmth Through Hardware
Your choice of hardware can really turn up the warmth factor, playing into this style. Antique Brass tapware adds richness to any space - from kitchen tapware to bathroom fittings. The warm metallic finish blends beautifully with darker tones. Think beyond just taps, too - towel rails, shower heads, and even door handles in antique brass can create a cohesive look throughout your space. And luckily for you, you can find it all within our Antique Brass tapware collection.
Playing with Light and Shadow
Natural light becomes your best friend with this style (yes, that crazy Australian heat is good for something). Natural light helps to show off those rich textures and brings out the textural depth in your darker elements. So, during the day, the natural sunshine will create gorgeous shadows and highlight different textures as it moves through your space.
But what about when the sun goes down? For evenings, layered lighting is key. Mix overhead lights with wall sconces, table lamps, and pendant lights, all with warm bulbs. This creates depth and atmosphere while ensuring your darker tones don't feel too heavy once the sun leaves the space.
Making It Work in Every Room
The beauty of Grounded Warmth is how it can flow through your whole home while adapting slightly for each room. In bathrooms, mix your darker tiles with brass fixtures for a spa-like finish. Kitchens come alive when you combine warm-toned tiles with timber and metallic accents. Even laundries can benefit from this style — try using our terrazzo-look tiles to add interest to a typically standardised space.
Are you ready to bring the Grounded Warmth style to your home? Start with quality materials that you love, add in those rich, earthy tones gradually, and watch your space turn into something that feels both grounding and personalised.
Keen to keep exploring this look? Our Grounded Warmth Sample Pack lets you play with these rich tones and textures in your own space. Because sometimes you need to see and feel these materials to know they're right.
Tayla Nova
Tayla is a Brisbane-based freelance writer with a background in fashion design, a passion for sustainability and a knack for storytelling. As the host of one of Brisbane's Best Airbnb's ( Thanks Urban List), Tayla has a passion and talent for interior design and home improvement. This is something she picked up studying for a bachelor of fashion design at ESMOD in Paris, the world's first fashion school. A digital nomad — she can be found occasionally working from far-away surf camps with sunglasses on to combat the sun on her screen. When at home in leafy green Paddington, she's a table-setting aficionado and has one too many books on her bedside table.