Last Updated on December 12, 2022
When I was a kid, my garden was filled with terracotta plant pots, but I didn’t think much of it as a colour back then.
Fast forward to 2022 and it’s a huge interior paint trend; so much so, I’m thinking of painting my home-office terracotta. Literally, the floor, the walls and the ceiling.
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Terracotta paint gets its name from baked clay. It’s a brown-red colour traditionally, but nowadays there are lots of terracotta paints on the market with undertones like pink, orange and yellow.

What I love most about terracotta is its warmth; it would be hard to walk into a room painted terracotta and feel chilly.
Lots of us associate its red tint with warm holidays abroad – if I close my eyes right now, I can think of sunny, colourful European towns with bright terracotta buildings. Plane ride, anyone?
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Which colour goes best with terracotta?
In a design scheme, terracotta can be such a fun shade to work with because it compliments so many other colours.
For a nature-inspired combination: green. For something exotic: pink. And for something eye-catching: blue.
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Is terracotta orange or red?
Terracotta clay is a brown-red colour, however, when it comes to terracotta paint, there are a variety of shades to choose from so you can tailor it to your colour scheme perfectly.
Looking for an orangey terracotta? This Loving Orange from Yes Colours is beautiful. Need a deep-red-based hue? Then try Red Earth from Farrow and Ball – it’s stunning.

Loving Orange Paint, from £21, Yes Colours – buy now

Red Earth, from £59, Farrow & Ball – buy now
Is there a paint that looks like terracotta?
If you’re looking for a perfect match to terracotta clay then this Tan Tan from Little Greene is going to be your best bet.
It’s a lovely paint to work with and it’s eco-friendly. Their water-based paints carry the lowest VOC content in the industry which is exactly what I like to hear.

Tan Tan™, from £27.50, Little Greene – buy now
Shop the best terracotta paint

California Collection: Faded Terracotta, from £59, Farrow & Ball – buy now

Tuscan Terracotta, various prices, Dulux – buy now

Sunbaked Terracotta, various prices, Dulux – buy now

Terracotta Army, various prices, Dulux – buy now

Baked flat matt, from £26, Coat – buy now

Sima, from £29, Coat – buy now

Mezcal, from £32, Coat – buy now

Red 03 Eggshell, £42, Lick – buy now
Red 02 Matt, £42, Lick – buy now
Red 01 Eggshell, £42, Lick – buy now

Tuscan Red™, from £27.50, Little Greene – buy now
Lindsey is a content creator and founder of interiors website House House House. Follow her on Instagram.