Thyme
What Thyme Actually Looks Like
Thyme 2148-20 sits in the territory between golden brown and muted olive. It has real color commitment without being loud, reading as a warm earthy tone that leans toward dried herbs and aged wood rather than anything green or cool. In bright natural light it shows its golden, amber-tinged character clearly. Pull it into a north-facing or low-light room and it deepens noticeably, settling into a richer, darker brown with the olive quality receding. It sits at a medium depth, darker than many popular warm greige paints but not so dark that it closes a room down entirely.
Thyme Undertones
The dominant pull here is golden amber, the kind of warm yellow-brown you associate with honey or burnished brass. There is a faint olive quality underneath that keeps it from reading as a straight tan or caramel. That olive note is subtle rather than green, so the color never tips into anything plant-like or mossy under most light conditions. In lower light the amber cools slightly and the brown base takes over, but the warmth never fully disappears. It is a color that stays in its lane across exposures better than many in this family.
Where Thyme Works Best
Thyme works well in spaces where you want warmth without the sweetness of a peach or the busyness of terracotta. Living rooms, dining rooms, home offices, and bedrooms are natural fits. It can anchor a study or library with that deeper medium tone. On an accent wall it adds weight and grounding without requiring you to commit the whole room. Exteriors with warm stone, brick, or wood detailing suit it well, where its golden-brown character plays naturally against organic materials. Avoid it in already dark north-facing rooms unless you are deliberately going for a cocooning effect, since it will read considerably darker there.
Where to put Thyme
On all four walls of a living room, Thyme creates a grounded, enveloping feeling without going dark. In good south or west light the golden amber reads clearly and the space feels warm rather than heavy. Keep trim in a warm off-white to stay in the same temperature family. Golden oak or amber-stained wood floors are a natural match and reinforce the earthy palette.
Dining rooms suit this kind of medium-depth warm tone well. The color deepens in evening light and candlelight, which works in your favor at a dinner table. Pair it with natural wood furniture and warm brass or bronze hardware for a cohesive, settled look. A warm cream on the ceiling keeps the space from feeling too enclosed.
The medium depth and warmth of Thyme make it a good choice for a home office where you want the space to feel focused and separate from the rest of the house. It reads as purposeful rather than cold. Position your desk near the window so you benefit from natural light, since the color will darken in low conditions and a dim workspace gets harder to use.
In a bedroom, Thyme delivers a cocooning quality without needing to go deep charcoal or navy. The amber undertone stays warm at night under incandescent or warm LED lighting, which suits a sleep-oriented space. Muted cream bedding and warm wood furniture keep the palette coherent. Avoid bright white linens if you want the warmth to stay consistent, since stark white will create a contrast that draws attention to the color's slightly olive cast.
On exterior siding or stucco, Thyme reads as a warm golden brown with enough depth to hold up in full sun. It suits homes with warm brick, natural stone, or wood trim. Against an asphalt roof it shows its amber character clearly. Use a warm off-white or cream on trim and soffits to stay in the same temperature zone. A sharp bright white trim is workable but will make the contrast more dramatic.
What to Pair With Thyme
Thyme does not have designated coordinating colors in our database, but its warm amber-olive base gives you clear pairing logic. Warm off-whites and muted creams work well as trim or ceiling colors. Crisp whites create sharper contrast and let the color read more distinctly. Wood tones are a natural partner, particularly golden or amber-stained oak, which echoes the color rather than fighting it. Gray or whitewashed woods work as a cooler counterpoint. Avoid pairing it with strongly cool or blue-gray neutrals, which will pull the warmth out and make the room feel muddled.
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Colors that clash with Thyme
Thyme's warm amber-olive base and a cool blue-gray pull in opposite directions. The pairing makes the room feel unresolved rather than balanced, and the warmth you chose Thyme for gets undermined.
A stark, cold bright white alongside Thyme amplifies the olive note in the paint and creates a contrast that can feel slightly jarring, especially in lower light where the color deepens.
Very warm, traditional cream cabinetry next to Thyme can create a color bounce where the yellow in the cream and the golden amber of the walls compete rather than complement. The combo can read as overly yellow.
Common questions
Thyme 2148-20 has an LRV of 25.45, a hex of #9D8752, and an RGB of 157, 135, 82. That LRV puts it at a genuine medium depth, darker than most popular greige paints but not in dark accent territory.
Under most light conditions it reads as a warm golden brown first, with olive as a secondary quality. In bright light the golden amber is the dominant impression. In lower or north-facing light the olive recedes further and it settles into a deeper brown tone.
Yes, with the right countertop and backsplash pairing. Because the color is warm and amber-leaning, it works best with countertops that have warm brown, cream, or gold veining. Cool gray or white marble with blue-gray veining will create a temperature conflict that makes the cabinets look muddy.
Golden and amber oak stains are a natural pairing and echo the color's own warmth. Red-stained wood creates a bold, high-contrast combination that can work well if you want drama. Gray or whitewashed wood works as a cooler counterpoint accent. Very dark espresso wood is workable but can make the space feel heavy since Thyme is already a medium-depth tone.
It is a solid exterior choice for homes with warm natural materials like brick, stone, or wood detailing. Its golden-brown character holds up in full sun and reads as grounded rather than flat. Pair it with warm off-white trim rather than a stark bright white to keep the temperature consistent.