Fall interior decorating trends are warming up to chocolate. Rich mochas, dusty cocoas, and deep coffee shades are cropping up in homes, bringing a depth to pallets that had previously been rather cool.
In the past several years color trends have emphasized color. Bright, energetic colors. And now the deep neutral of brown is oozing into homes and adding a comfort level that many of us “children of the 70’s” remember. Banish those thoughts of avacado green and harvest gold and imagine the possibilities of golden sand, crisp whites, and punches of turquoise, lime green and rosy pinks. The new pallets remind me of a garden with a rich earthy brown as the base, or anchor color and punches of vivid hues as accents.
Bringing in a new color can be as simple as picking up a couple of pillows, throw blankets and a rug. But chocolate brown is such a “safe” color that you can go all out and really pump up the depth by buying new leather furniture or changing your old carpeting. Even better, how about putting in a hardwood floor or other wood accessories. These brown accessories are alive with depth and give you several different shades to work with.
If you’ve decided to bring some darker colors into your home its important to counter this with some contrasting colors. If color isn’t your thing then try a pallet of neutrals. Imagine how beautiful a livingroom of rich chocolate browns could be with white accessories and accents. A few simple additions in dove grey or a lighter bisque color can really make a dramatic statement.
Another way to bring out the richness of simple browns is to add natural pieces. A perfect decorating tip for fall. Many gardeners bring in their favorite plants during the winter season. Use these treasured greens to boost the life of you house while the snow flies. Collect fall leaves and other earthy treasures and display them in homemade swags or wreaths. Make a spray of broom corn and prop it in a tall vase. Broom corn comes in fabulous brown hues which would make a beautiful theme for a home.
As with all decorating, feel free to incorporate the color scheme throughout the house but in varying degrees. Not every room should feature brown leather furniture or velvet cocoa curtains. Instead, keep your bedroom furniture the same as it was but pick up a new comforter or duvet cover with hints of brown. Or get creative and turn the area above your headboard into a focal point. Purchase a bunch of dark wood frames and create a photo arrangement (see http://interiordecorating.suite101.com/article.cfm/PictureHangingAndArrangement for tips on picture hanging) of fall photos.
If you love chocolate look to your favorite flavors to find colors you’d love to wrap yourself in. I personally can’t imagine anything more decadent than curling up at night on satin mocha sheets topped with a whipped cream fluffy blanket.
