Need Paint Color Ideas for My Living Room!

by Jennifer
(USA)

Dilemma:

I want to lighten up my home and need help with paint color ideas!

In my living room I have a wooden wall that the sofa is against, so that makes the room a lot darker. The paint color will need to blend with the wooden wall behind the sofa. My furniture is dark brown leather and I have a dark brown entertainment center as well.

I want to paint my dining area as well, any suggestions? My table is also dark wood and the chairs are tan with black leather backs.

Critique:

Jennifer, it's not the wooden wall that's making your room look dark - the wood looks light and golden on my monitor.

The real culprit here is the brown leather furniture. The color is very dark, and the white background creates a harsh contrast.

To soften the contrast and create a feeling of flow, I selected Biltmore Buff (from Sherwin Williams). This paint color matches the wooden wall and looks natural next to it. It also calls out the golden tones in the throw pillows, and ties the entire room together.



I would also add a touch of lighter green and orange to your decor (via throw pillows and other accents) to break up the brown-and-gold color scheme, and brighten up the mood of the room even more.

Now from what I understand, you have a similar color situation going on in the dining room, and it looks like it's an open area. To avoid jumpiness and color clashes on the corner, I would suggest that you paint it the same color as the living room, and repeat the green and orange in accents for better overall flow.

P.S. If you like this paint color idea, make sure you test/sample it first by making a large paint color swatch before buying paint in full-sized cans, because the color may look different in real life.