I got into that groove too...started with a chocolate brown sofa and it all multiplied from there. I added red accents to break it up and while I do still like how it turned out, it's quite the masculine looking room. What kind of sofa were you looking at? More leather, microfiber? I really love your current loveseat and how this room looks. Are you sure you want to get rid of it?

Here's my very brown Great Room with red silk drapes.

lindy - I am drooling over your beamed ceiling! My dream - but not w/ my 7'9" ceilings! I like the feel of your room. It's very warm.

The new sofa is a velvet. SO beautiful - and I can stretch out on it, not like the loveseat. I'm only kind of getting rid of it - I'm sending it to DH's office! I don't like the fabric in that when you touch it or sit on it, you can see where it was touched. The salesperson where I saw the new sofa called the "butt marks" (for lack of a better term). I want the room to have an informal feel, even though it's the living room. Cozy couch where I can read, that sort of thing. No one seems to go in there!

I think a sofa in dark brown will really anchor that side of the room. Your current loveseat is very pretty, but it seems a little washed out opposite those great dark brown leather chairs. I really like your wall color now - what color did you use? Can you tell I'm looking for a great tan wall color?!

I have brown sofa (formerly all leather, upholstered seats and back in brown velvet but still with brown leather facade), brown chairs, a beigish wheat color walls and taupish beige trim (which is a little lighter than the walls).

I like the monochromatic look with brown wood floors. I have used glass, silver and mirrors at every opportunity but with those colors, I can change my accessories and pillows to get a new seasonal look.

(red for winter) (blues for summer) (yellows/golds for fall) and (blues for summer).

You just need a few pillows,accessories to get a whole new look. I have some very inexpensive pastoral prints with a lot of blue and my blue & white collection and the rest of the time I generally use my "stuff" with a lot of cream and white and mix colors of pillows and throws in the room.

I also have a rug that I change out for seasons. It is easy to do when you came from a larger house to a smaller one and you have a lot of stuff in storage.

I think the mocha/brown sofa will make the room look perfect and balanced. I like the idea of painting the bricks too. That painting over the fireplace (love it!!) would be a great inspiration piece to use when adding pillows, throw and window coverings. I actually like the wall color but that's a personal call. You're doing a great job!!

Thank you all! I was a little afraid of it being too dark, but you have put my fears to rest! I do need assistance in the accessory department, though. I like the idea of the seasonal switch out.

juddgirl2 - the current color is Danville Tan - it's a deep, pretty color - has a lot of green in it though.

Wow, what a timely post! I'm going furniture shopping this Saturday and am planning on getting a leather sofa and two leather swivel chairs. I was going to get colors similar to what you currently have in your room. I just wasn't sure if I should get the sofa in the darker color and the chairs in a lighter color or vise versa. Now you have me second guessing myself and wondering if I should do all dark! My room color is similar to yours but a little lighter and my fireplace is stone. This room doesn't get tons of light either, which I guess is good for leather.

I don't want to be out of balance! Should I do all dark too? Those tables are going, and the sofa will be to the left and the chairs to the right.

Coleen, sorry for the hijack, but I didn't want to start a new post with pretty much the same question. Also, I really like your art above your fireplace...great colors!

The new sofa is a velvet. SO beautiful - and I can stretch out on it, not like the loveseat

I think that sounds heavenly! Were you thinking of keeping the blue accents? I love that! Maybe even look for some brown curtains with blue as the secondary color. If you paint the bricks brown on the fireplace surround, maybe you could alter the shades. Some light, some darker and maybe some gold.

I'm also a fan of that picture on the mantle!

Lindy

coleen - I like the sofa that you have in the photo. And I like the current wall color. And while the white fireplace looks a bit stark at the moment, I wouldn't paint it brown. I'd work on selecting window treatments and see if they help finish off the room.

If you are worried about the room being dark, focus on a lighting plan. I see two sconces and an eyeball in the upper left corner of the photo, but no table lamps.

I truly appreciate all of the insight and suggestions here! This is such a great forum!

I have no idea about the accents. I think with the exception of the art over the mantle I will be starting from scratch. So I'm going to try to look at it with fresh eyes. I was thinking of woven woods on the windows. I'm been envisioning that for some time.

We have recessed lights as well as the sconces and eyeballs (2) and there is a table lamp to the right. There is just not a lot of natural light in the room. I could use some more light, I agree, but I have been trying to get an electrician to come to add some outlets and they don't come back (even the ones who did MAJOR work on our kitchen renovation - but that's another post!)

That love seat will work great in the office, but it's too small and not cozy. Also, I think the whole room may be a little too "gold".

Thanks for the compliments about the artwork! It's our first "real" art and we agonized over it. We really love it.

Rosemary - good luck shopping. You have a huge space there - I'm envious of all your possibilities! Your King Charles Cavalier spaniel is precious!

I have to agree with graywings about not painting your fireplace brown. Brown, to me only works on certain things and I feel that box furniture and fireplace brick are one area that brown makes things look fake and not quite right. Perhaps painting the fireplace a creamier colour rather than stark white would look better. I'd even be inclined to paint it a dark colour similar to the wall colour, perhaps 4 or 5 shades darker even. Then, I'd probably try to get the mantel changed over to wood again, so that I didn't have to repaint other woodwork. I'm loving the wall colour, it's very similar to what my walls are, mine are called "King's Canyon Grey", which are actually CIL (Glidden) from the "master palette".

I like your wall color, and the color of the fireplace and mantel.

I guess I'll be the lone dissenter here and say that I would not also get a brown sofa: all the furniture pieces will just sort of disappear into each other, with none of them able to shine on their own. I would get a rust/terra cotta sofa, to pull out the color in your rug and as a nice complement to your beautiful chairs.

Not if you love Brown...go for what you like, your the one living there after all! I'd try not to make it looks like a Dr's waiting room,have seen a few in dark brown leather furniture with upholstery nails, very masculine looking etc.nice for a man's office, or library, but if that's the look your going for, just do it...

I also like the idea of a terracotta or rust-- i think it will better showcase your art elements (the painting and the rug). Your room is lovely.. so either would work. If you do go with the brown, I would definitely soften it up with pillows and a throw that are not brown or beige.

I really like your coffee table-- that's the style I have been looking for. I have seen them at pb and crate and barrel but yours looks nicer.. do you mind sharing where you got it?

Such great ideas everyone! OK - I think I've been convinced to NOT paint the brick brown - I think I'll do a slate tile (not black, though) instead with a white mantel.

I definitely need the walls lighter w/ the darker furniture - plus the fact that there is very little natural light makes it a bit gloomy. I'm thinking the BM affinity line "Hush" - has anyone used that? It still has depth to it, but it's lightened up a bit. Oh, and the ceiling will still be blue!

Oh, funkyart - the coffee table IS from Crate & Barrel!

If you decide to paint your brick, a putty colour would probably be a better complement to the browns.

JMHO, but I would paint out the bricks in near the same color you have on the walls, leave the trim white. Get the brown sofa. Use any color accents then that your heart desires. Your painting is a great place to start.