What color accessories should I put with a dark brown leather living room set?

Question

My husband and i bought a new leather sofa set. It is so nice but it's very dark. I knew it was dark but i didn't know what to expect after we got it home. I like it but I want to know what other colors can i use to brighten it up. I have kind of light hardwood floors, beige walls and white trim, fireplace trimed in white. I have two mustard color vases on the fireplace. my set also includes a ottoman that I am using in place of a coffe table. I don't have end tables or lamps yet. Please help!

Answer 1

I love brown and blue together.. a Baby or Aqua Blue would lift a dark brown lounge - then anything lighter creams, beige etc also!!

Answer 2

PJPeach's answer was very good, but when selecting accent colors it is important to see if your shade of dark brown is warm or cool. Some dark browns can have a bit of purple, red or black especially if it is a leather couch. This can greatly affect how well other colors will go with it. Try getting paint chips and holding them against the couch. They will help bring out the color in the couch and help you to make the best choice. The burnt orange suggestion will make the room feel very warm and welcoming, and other earthy tones will do the same. If you want to zap energy into the room, try lively reds (but not necessarily bright). Golds will really tie the room together if your walls are beige, but might make the room monotonous. Again, the shade of dark brown will really affect the decision you make.
I hope I was of some help. Good luck and make sure to keep the decorating fun, not stressful.

Answer 3

I would definitely keep with rich earth tones. Consider painting the trim on the fireplace a sage green. Bring in a silk tree in a corner of the room and purchase a can light that reflects up the tree for a pattern on the ceiling and some drama.

Consider cinnabar pillows, lamp bases and natural colored lamp shades in a linen fabric.

Use the mustard, sage and cinnabar for pillows, a throw, ceramic pieces, perhaps a large floor vase.

Bring in earth elements like stone, sand and water. Ex. end table or coffee table with marble base and glass top; find a small tabletop water fountain; make a clock for the wall over the fireplace with a piece of rough limestone (how very one-of-a kind!); a large piece of gnarled and aged driftwood to accent your fireplace (place on mantle or make it the mantle!)

Answer 4

cushions--mustard and brick red tones
artwork--gold, ruby-red,amber,cream,and brown tones
lots of plants--use plants with bold architectural leaves that are not too dark in color.ie: bamboo canes, aloe vera, cactus
if you have room, you need to incorporate another piece of furniture into the space which is upholstered in a light patterened fabric.
An area rug or carpet that incorporates the same tones as the artwork and has a light, but bold pattern.
side tables should be light and open, not blocky or heavy. something with slender legs.
bronze or copper lamps with amber-colored mica shades look really warm in a brown-themed space.Up-lights hidden in the corners behind large vases and furniture can really brighten the space up at night and give it a lot of mood.
Try to avoid anything too fussy or frilly in the window treatments, because this sounds like a modern, slightly masculine, urban style that youve got

the use of bronze, copper and iron will warm the space up, and compliment the brown leather (especially if its a red-brown)
chrome, silver, and aluminum will cool it off.

you might consider getting side tables that have slate tile insets on the tops, the colors in the slate would look great in this room.

black could be effective if used sparingly.

windows would be great with roman shades--maybe a solid color with a bold stripe.

get some color chips from a paint store and hold them up to your sofa and walls, it'll help you to get an idea about which tones will best match your space. theres so many different shades of dark leather that its difficult to tell what will work with it til you see the colors side by side.
I think you'd do well to avoid blue, white, grey and purple.
green could be good, as long as it in the sage/olive family.

your best bet is gold,amber, brick,cinnamon,sienna,mustard,cream,beige,copper,bronze, and black.

Answer 5

I think that it would look really attractive if you used a kind of brick red for your accent pieces --- pillows, throws, vases, maybe even in your lamp shades, if you can still end up with enough light. It might be nice to just have one real attention-getter light fixture with the red and use it as an accent light for mood lighting.
If you don't care for the red tones or feel that they would make your room too dark, you could go with a soft creamy yellow in your pillows and throws and accent with more of the same shade or a variation of yellow or amber shades.
A monochromatic color-scheme, using lighter shades of tans and browns could be nice, as long as it doesn't slip into boring.
And don't forget the life that a few live plants can bring to the room. Enjoy. This is going to be fun.

Answer 6

Try jewel tones like sapphire, ruby, or emerald. Or get a floor rug with lots of bright colors and pull a couple of those out for pillows, drapes, extra to pull the whole look together.

Answer 7

we were in the same situation we didnt realize how dark our furn. was until we got it home. I love red, so we used a kind of a drker shade of red and it kind of pulls the attention away from the dark sofas and on to the more decorative wall art and lamps

Answer 8

you should decide if you want to stay with the earthy tones or not if so, I was thinking a sage green or some other mellow but contrasting color.... i know the turquoise and aqua blues are "in" right now - but I am always going against the grain.... whatever accent colors you decide to pull in i would use the floor covering to pull it all together ....good luck

Answer 9

i would say musatrd colored pillows or turquoise ones. brown and turquoise are really big right now!

Answer 10

gold or either light blue would be great