Chocolate Brown Tones in Home Decorating
The rich luxury of chocolate is more then just a taste sensation. It is also a visual feast for the eyes that can create spaces that are stylish, sophisticated, and even a little regal. These dark brown hues are becoming more popular these days, and their ability to match up with a variety of contrasting tones is causing many designers to call chocolate the new black in interiors.
The first thing you have to know about darker brown tones is that they need to be paired with contrasting neutral or light colors in order to keep a room from getting too dark. However if you can find the right balance, you can create a palette within the space which is richly contrasting with a depth and energy that is hard to equal.
These colors can then be accented with a variety of more vibrant colors to stand out and create focal points within the space. Hues such as bright barn red, straw yellow, fern green, and crisp bright whites can all serve to create visual interest within the room. These will act against the backdrop of darker and lighter colors, uniting the dichotomy of the two in an attractive way.
One of the best ways to make sure that your colors are all matched and balanced is to use a guide. If you can find a pattern that features the hues you are looking to use, you can follow the proportions in that pattern, matching the amount of color in the space to that found on the cloth. In this way you have a built in plan to follow as you design the room. If possible, that same cloth pattern can then be used in an accent piece within the space to really draw things together.
You have a lot of choices when it comes to rich chocolate hues in furnishings for the space. Consider various leather chairs, couches, and decorative pieces as a way of bringing these colors into the room. Leather is one of the most luxurious materials around and is available in a wide variety of shades to match any décor.
Hardwood furniture is another option. In light colored rooms, you can place furnishings stained in deep rich tones which will stick out, popping against the lighter backdrop. If the space has dark chocolate walls and interior features, then consider lighter gold stained or painted pieces.
Fabrics look especially lustrous in chocolate tones, and you should consider rich brown colors for curtains and window treatments. Linens are also very attractive in these darker tones and can stand out against lighter colored rooms as impermanent accessories within the space.
Using chocolate tones in the home is a matter of finding the right contrast balance within your spaces. You want to feature the deep colors of the darker tones, but you don’t want them to overwhelm a room and plunge it into darkness. Use brighter colors such as reds as greens as focal points throughout, and use a pattern to check the level of your colors within the space.
This article is brought to you courtesy of PebbleZ’s line of natural, absorbent stone coasters, which are hand crafted from a variety of sandstone, slate, and mosaic pieces. The article itself was written by artist and designer Joey Pebble.
