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Color Combo: Dark Brown and Crisp White


In the right context, neutrals can be as rich as bright colors. Classic combinations like black and white stand the test of time thanks to their ability to adapt and evolve in relation to other colors. For a warmer take on a high-contrast pairing, dark brown looks great against a crisp, true white. It's a sophisticated combo that stands on its own, deepens when you add a range of neutrals, and looks equally good with a bold accent like orange or red...

 
 

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Comments (15)

Love white and dark brown. Who am I kidding, I love white and any color. My question is, besides a hotel room, what kind of room would have two queen size beds?

posted by orchidday on June 26th 2009 at 7:49pm
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The old Dazor task light looming over the mini-phrenology busts in the first picture rocks my world. So do neutrals, because they're the antithesis of my personality. They soothe me. Too much bright color and my brain descends into entropy... well, more entropy than usual, anyway.

posted by rosenatti on June 26th 2009 at 8:00pm
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I love brown and white. I love brown. I think I first came to appreciate it with a Martha Stewart Living issue that was about browns - khakis, taupes, earthy, red - and the colors that went well with them. Of course, the photos were to die for. A dark brown, almost black, velvet sofa with white piping. It was so yummy, I swear I could taste it.

I have my Flor carpet tiles for my bedroom, called Spice, from their outlet store. The tiles are really Flor's Martha Stewart Cinnabar/Branch - that is, cinnabar red with dark brown. When I look at it, I feel faint. :)

posted by magicsbm on June 26th 2009 at 9:31pm
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I just got a foot stool from Restoration Hardware on sale, and realized that it was on sale because the top was white suede. OK, it was really well built (sturdy chrome legs) and would provide extra seating. I then got a really beautiful artisanal pillow from West Elm, also on sale, which fit just on top of the white suede, and is perfect for putting feet up on.

I put the foot stool with the artisanal pillow in my living room, and I suddenly realized that I was going with various browns and white, with accent colors of yellow. And it looked good. And it was all by semi-accident.

posted by AustinSarah on June 26th 2009 at 11:01pm
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I also wanted to comment for week-end sales events that I scrolled through the online Pier One Import sale and found that a really nice iron two-shelved mirrored console was still available for $89. I bought the same console on sale at one of the stores. It was an impulse buy, but the quality was really outstanding. The iron frame is very sturdy, the mirrored shelves are antiqued and have little cut glass flourishes on the edges of each shelf. I don't have a linen closet, so I used it in the bathroom; the top shelf with vitamins and prescriptions arranged in baskets and bottom shelf with folded fresh towels. For $89, it's a good buy.

posted by AustinSarah on June 26th 2009 at 11:14pm
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This is the perfect palette for many couples, when one is decor-minded and the other would prefer a man cave.

posted by Lisa (Montreal) on June 27th 2009 at 7:33am
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Ha! Lisa you know....
Number 8 is a hotel room - that is insane.

posted by annalyssa on June 27th 2009 at 8:30am
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Hot fudge sundae colors -- what's not to love?!

posted by SherryBinNH on June 27th 2009 at 1:36pm
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Brown is fine, just don't put it with green or orange for me.

posted by hrhprincessfiona on June 27th 2009 at 2:00pm
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I love love brown! The more I've integrated it with all my black and white....the more I enjoy waking up and looking at it every day.

Your place is beautiful!

posted by baileyb on June 28th 2009 at 8:43am
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This makes me love my Brown and White living room even more...
(especially w/ the orange, blue and green accents)

posted by bepsf on June 28th 2009 at 11:26am
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Love Love Love this color combination. We are in the process right now of changing over our entire indoor decor to dk. brown, white and various shades of grey. But I do think it is important to incorporated some colorful accents throught the design to give the space some elements of life. So we are going with shades of soft greens and some glass, pewter and alabaster accents.

posted by Botany on June 28th 2009 at 12:01pm
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Two words: Catherine Memmi

posted by KT575 on June 28th 2009 at 5:17pm
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I thought my projected scheme for my living room based on Champagne, Brandy and Rope (the closest to the colour of my leather lounge suite) from the BSS 5252 colour range was totally eighties, but maybe I'm not far off the mark. I am inspired by my favourite flavours - cream, caramel and chocolate with delicious fruit-coloured accents.

posted by Battling Betty on June 28th 2009 at 9:27pm
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We are doing this combo in our family room. I'm looking for a white leather round ottoman or a metallic silver leather (or pleather?) round ottoman. It has to be round. Must be pure white, not off-white. No more than 36 inches wide. Best I can find is from L-Z-Boy for $900. Anyone have any ideas?

posted by cscs on June 29th 2009 at 2:44pm
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