Opinions on Paint Color with Dark Brown Leather Couches

My husband who is a designer/remodeler suggests a sage green or a pewter grey. Good luck! Let us know what you decide on! :)

M.

I am partial to the orange family... Like a nice faded terra cotta looks BEAUTIFUL with chocolate brown. Take a flower pot to the store to match the color (and I also recommend painting a good size swatch on the wall to see what it looks like in different light). Good Luck!!

We have a very brown living room (walnut stained floors, lots of wood trim) and we used a very light putty color on 3 walls (looks like white) and a dark red on the fireplace wall.

But when I read the description of your room, I thought of an orangish color, which I think would go nice with the brown and the beige carpet. Sort of a bronze/adobe fall brownish orange, if that makes sense.

A tip I've used successfully is to look for a fabric pattern that you really love, and that looks good in the room, and pick a color out of the pattern.

What about a burnt orange or a khaki/olive green?

I would go with a burnt orange or a maybe a sage/olive color green - even just on one main wall. And add some decorative pillows to help add color too. I think you should add some accessories first before you paint. That might be all you need.

Hi I am a designer and based on your description I would go with colors of the outdoors, golds, olive greens,burnt orange or even a brick red. What's really hot is the slate blue and chocolate brown. I always advise my clients who are not visual people to go into model homes and see what things look like, you can always pick up great ideas in model homes.
Good luck and don't stress because it's really not that hard.

If you are trying to lighten your room, I'd go with a shade of yellow to gold. Look for somethinf in your house, a dress, a stuffed animal, a game piece etc. that you like with your room and then take it into a paint store. Any of the paint stores can match a color you bring in from home. You can make up your own color! High tech is fabulous!

How about a burgundy, a really deep red. I love love love that color and it looks great with beige and brown. But I wouldn't do all the walls that color, maybe just one or two as an accent color.

Hi! How about a nice warm goldish yellow tone. It would be perfect for fall and would blend nice with your other colors. Think nature - brown trees and yellow leaves! Look at Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel,Restoration Hardware for the right yellow tone: it's a hot color this season. Or also maybe a sage green would look nice. You could always add color with throw pillows and accessories if you are afraid to commit to paint. Good luck, and happy decorating!

There is a really gorgeous house near here that is done in shades of brown on the outside- light brown brick and dark brown shutters. Their door is turquoise and it looks AWESOME!! It's a really popular combo now in stores for clothes and for decorating things (check out pier one and crate and barrel, etc. online to see what I mean.) I would paint the walls a light turquoise and get a couple of cool throw pillows or a throw for the back or arm of the couch, a flower pot or bowl or something and you are all set!

It depends on how much light your room gets. If it gets tons of light, go with a strong, dark color (red family). If it's very dark, go with a more bright, light family (light yellows, oranges, blues).

I love a light blue (not baby boy's room baby blue...but a light almost grey-blue) paired with brown.
A pretty sage green would go well too.
Good luck, I always have lots of trouble picking too.
You can buy small sample containers and paint some squares on the walls. Colors change a lot in different lighting. I had colors I thought I loved during the day, but by dinner time they looked really different...

I would try a light blue/grey or a nice sage green. I always find it really hard to pick paint colors. A decorator friend taught me this. Instead of just looking at the paint chips, buy some of the paint (Benjamin Moore offers small trial sizes of some of their paint) and paint it on a board or cardboard a couple feet in size - in one paint store they sold the cardboard. You can also buy small rollers that are designed to be used for testing painta and are disposable.

That way you can try the colors you like and put them in the room to decide.

Also, Shermin Williams makes larger paint chips too.

I agree with one of the other moms,getting a few decorative pillows for the couches with splashes will help.

Since you have great nutrals how about some fauex painting with other colors. Beige is dark and absorbs color. Choose a lighter base like an egg shell or lighter. Then add in some of the colors in the room. You might want to add some light blues and greens. I would not uses a straight solid because you sound like you are board with that. I have great faith that your taste is good. From what you have in furniture, window dressing and rugs I know you will find the right touch for your walls. Do not second guess yourself that is all our downfalls with decorating. MOst of us have good and great taste but are afraid we made the wrong decision. You could get the little bottles of test paint. Most people are affraid of color. I had the guy ask me 5 times when I bought bright yellow orange if I was sure. I put it in a very dark hallway that makes everything look grey. The wall pops now. YOu may want to try a pop like I did. Good luck.

Red colors look especially nice with beige/brown tones as do a lighter tourquois(sp?)/teal colors. Look for color pattern fabrics to add as throw pillows and bring out one of the colors in the fabric.

I would go with sage, reds, or gold's. We have dark brown leather furniture in our family room. My family room is painted a gold-brown faux finish. The paint color was actually called peanut butter, but with the faux glaze it looks more gold to me. Our family room is off the kitchen which is sage green. I would definitely stay away from light blues they really don't go with the brown leather in my opinion.

Get Color and Cololr Splash on HGTV are great shows about how to chose color. You can check out tips on HGTV's website.

You also can just add color with pillows, blankets, display peices and pictures which would make it easy to change if you wanted something different as time goes on.

Good luck.

L

What is all the rage now are "spa colors". By that I mean Brown, chocolate brown light blue, or seamist. Check out sites for the colors.

Hi
I painted one wall a deep cranberry red and left the other 3 walls an off-white/lt beige and I LOVE it. I used an eggshell finish (not shiny). Adds some nice impact, warmth and interest to the room without being overpowering. Then to keep the color going in the room, I also used the same cranberry color with leather throw pillows on my dark brown leather couch/loveseat.

I did the same thing in my office at work (3 off-white walls; 1 dark cranberry) and everyone who's seen it loves it! (We have dark burgandy carpeting in the office).
J.

I agree with the others about going with a soft blue. Just be careful because we were looing for a blue/gray and it turned out looking like a little boys nursery!