Dark chocolate brown pairs deliciously well with many other colors.
Color trends come and go over the years, yet brown tends to be a timeless classic when used in decorating. Chocolate browns range from soft, milky cocoa to dark, bittersweet truffle. Pair the darker of the chocolate browns with balancing secondary colors to create a living room that stands out. Does this Spark an idea?
Drama
Rich elegance and classic styles go hand in hand in dramatic decor. Dramatic design conjures thoughts of deep purples, rich reds and other dark jewel tones. To create a dramatic living room, you need balance. Dark purple furniture, deep walnut coffee and end tables and rich chocolate brown walls in any space would be too heavy without some lighter effects to provide proper balance. Toss assorted creamy pillows over seating, place a stark-white table runner over the coffee table, and hang light, airy sheers on the windows to tone-down and harmonize a dramatic living room.
Contemporary
Bittersweet chocolate brown is a staple in the modern, contemporary home. Customize your luscious, chocolate living room by melding it with the latest in coordinating colors. Color-specialists for paint retailer, Sherwin Williams, have paired one of their newest dark browns, "Tiki-Hut," with hot colors like the paler brown "Sundew" and soft, creamy "Roman Column." Many paint retailers offer computerized color coordinating sites, like Sherwin William's "Color Visualizer," (sherwin-williams.com) which allows you to "drag and drop" your choice of colors into various room settings to view a multitude of color combinations.
Tranquillity
Customs and beliefs dictate how different colors affect moods. Common traditions imply that pink is relaxing while orange brings out the wild side; yellow reflects happiness yet red creates excitement; blue inspires serenity, and white denotes purity. Along the lines of a "tranquil" living room, incorporate softness by pairing a heavier brown tone with the "quieter" mood colors. Paint retailer, Benjamin Moore, suggests calm "Porter Ranch Cream" or the gentle "Sea Star" blue as complementary colors to combine with chocolaty "Branchport Brown," with their interactive, Personal Color Viewer (benjaminmoore.com). Use the expert's advice, and harmonize your dark brown living room walls with powder-blue furnishings; large, cream watercolor prints; a rug in a pale, coordinating mix; and fresh, soft-white window treatments.
Fun
Match deep browns with frivolous lavenders and pinks for a fresh, fun and uplifting space. The backdrop of rich chocolate on the walls plays well with soft mauve throws, powdery pink pillows and froufrou lilac floral arrangements. Choose an area rug in an amusing design that incorporates a combination of luscious chocolate browns, perky purples and playful pinks. Braided rugs come in endless multi-colors -- a large, oval, braided rug would be a sweet "cherry-on-top" of this light-hearted living room
Tags: living room, browns with, chocolate brown, chocolate browns, dramatic living