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How about c) a colored recliner?

I'm with karenw. I think you are verging on leather overload.

And you know I likes me some leather.

I would get a cloth chair that is neither black nor brown. Maybe dark gray or a brighter color? You could pick up on the colors in the pillows (which I can't see too clearly)

Put some red, orange or tiffany blue somewhere in anything. Going more black or brown will be overload. Break it up with color because that piece can be overwhelming when everything is in the same color family.

For 45 seconds, I thought I was incredibly clever in visualizing a brightly colored recliner... then I discovered four people got up earlier than I did.

My first thought was red, though orange would be more "now."

I love me some leather as well, but I think that brown or even something with a brown/grey/black pattern would be cool. I'd stay away from leather on the chair, you might as well just add on to the (very cool I might add) sectional instead :)

IF you are committed to leather, do something like a Marcel Breuer Wassily chair... to get some other kind of line/mass in the room.

Otherwise, I think you are going to end up with a Natuzzi Showroom feel...

I disagree about it needing to be a bright color, especially red which I think might look a little 80's.

It also needs to be low-slung, to match the silhouette of the sofa.

I think you can go leather, but maybe hide, like...

http://gusmodern.com/products/sofas/sofas3.htm

Granted, neither this nor Wassily is a recliner... but if you go one of these routes, it's less likely a future fiance will make you purge ALL your bachelor furniture. ;)

I agree. Unless it's completely matched to the couch, any other leather will just look like it is trying. If leather, and even if not: another color. If you want to keep with standard workable, go with a basic color (neutrals, grays), but not another dark leather piece.
Love the couch though. - A

needs more chrome in the room:

http://www.conran.com/conranshopping/showMoreInfo.do?productid=99794305

i think red- definitely - or maybe vivid green(not at all kidding)

You could also consider throwing in a pale yellow chair.

I'm really surprised that no one has specifically suggested an area rug. That could help define the space and add cohesiveness. And, perhaps, add some color - if Adam is comfortable with that.

I would vote for a fabric chair. And I like the idea of a recliner, but I'm also quite fond of the flexibility of a chair and ottoman, since the ottoman can serve a couple of different purposes such as end table or extra seating.

NEITHER! Black is too matchy-matchy, and brown would be horribly mismatched - dark brown anyway. If you must, choose tan. But I'd go for another color - grey, red, blue, just about anything but green.

I agree that leather would not be good. You'd be putting a whole 'nother cow in there, especially with a recliner. If your ENTIRE room goes leather, with your color scheme, you'd be risking getting into 80's Nagel print territory. (You'll cut yourself more slack in that department if you bring in some warm colors in either accents or paint. Just stay away from the color "wine" for goodness sakes.)

Do you need a recliner or could you be happy with a chaise lounge? Or could you go with one of the Scandinavian type recliners or one of the more attractive Zero Gravity Chairs, so you added some wood from the frame?

If you have the budget and really want leather, consider the Flight Recliner from DWR--I've tried it out, and it's really comfortable, though it looks very light and non-reclinerish. It comes in some great colors: leaf green, a really nice light blue, grey, and several others.

GO FOR A COLORFUL PRINT! Black and brown just too boring, and two solids is also boring I think.

If you want to stay masculine and neutral and not crazy about committing to a color with your furniture (maybe a pillow or something?), perhaps your next piece of furniture could either be something like a white metal. If chrome feels too 1980's to you, then maybe something gun-metal-ish? If your existing piece were brown leather, I'd think made some kind of wood for the next one, but I think that some kind of metal might work. Or a metallic vinyl?

Black and brown is not too boring. It can be, but not automatically.

What about suede or micro-fibre? A tan suede Egg chair would be sweet, give you an organic counterpoint to the low boxy (in a good way) sofa.

Plus, when investing in furniture ground up, I say get your color and patterns from pillows, rugs, art and accessories... not from your major upholstery. Keep neutral and investment-quality (as much as you can) with your furniture...

adam, as k suggested a chaise would look great in your living room.patrick (the other one mentioned an egg chair. these suggestions are a bit outside the recliner box, but their shapes would be a interesting counterpoint to the solid bulk of your sofa.
the chaise or egg chair and ottoman would do the same job as the recliner.

Adam...I think you should go for a color and find something that's not leather...it could be can be subtle...what about grey or a pale blue or even lavender or violet? If I had $$, I'd go for mohair..then as many others suggested an area rug and some pillows to warm up all that black leather.

I agree with the others... a pop of red (or some other color you favor), or a great mocha colored microfiber chaise or armchair. I just got one of those swivel rockers - I get so many compliments on it!

LOL thanks folks! I didn't realize AT put this up on their front page and I'm very grateful.

As for the area rug, already put it in (the swirl rug from CB2). I do agree with the all leather look. Unless it was a perfectly matched chair, i think I should go with something with a little more color. I do like some of the stuff I've seen with more retro-modern color patterns. That could be a lot of fun, but I think I'll need to think about the color that's right for me (an orange sounds terrific btw, but I might go with a chocolate cloth style).

Also, I'm not worrying so much about the fiancee factor...unless they make wedding dresses in men's sizes, I don't think that's gonna happen any time soon. ;-)

oh and one other note...i was thinking of maybe going with a midcentury modern style chair, which i think will look terrific with this more contemporary couch...

Some type of fun swivel chair would work well. Hightower Group has a great selection at:

http://www.hightoweraccess.com/pricelist/swivelchairs.html

Pick you favorite. Peace - Annie

my two cents! that is one god awful sectional. how about you replace that before you purchase anything else?

sholwa--
how 'bout you instead use those two cents to buy yourself some diplomacy?

Sholwa -
Ouch. I didn't realize my quest for a recliner would result in your nasty critique. I actually think the sectional is VERY nice. That pic isn't the best, but everyone who's seen it has been very impressed. It's unusual, but I like it.

You probably wouldn't like my taste altogether. But I really don't go for that whole conventional Pottery Barn look. ;-)

Hey Adam--
Since you are putting in the Swell rug from CB2 (right?), I like the idea of picking a chair that's organic, leather like the sofa, but in a color like the neutral background of the rug... so I still say something like the Jacobsen Egg chair... but in a pale ivory leather.

hey patrick, thanks for the input...you've always been very helpful. I'm actually thinking of a reproduction of the eames lounge chair. :-) I'm not a big fan of white myself, and although it is black leather, i really love the walnut finish on the wood. But I can't figure out if those reproductions for half the price of what DWR is charging is worth it. From the pix, they look exactly the same, only I know DWR have the rights to repro it from Herman Miller themselves.

Oh and btw, yes, the Swell rug is from CB2. i'm still debating whether I like it or not...at this point, it's kind of too late to return. One of those kinds of rugs where I don't like some of the individual colors, but together they all seem to work.

Hard as hell to match pillows with tho...

Hi,

I am buying a new sofa this weekend. It is dark brown. What color of pillows and curtains should i use for the room. I have a small living room with a combined dining room. The carpet is a neutral beige and the walls are a creamy beige.

It's the carpet that "itches" my tastes. Find a matching area rug and put down some wood flooring to clean up things and give some lines and defintion to the couch, which already looks very nice with the current throw pillows. Go to that RugScout website to find a matching area rug.

I find that wood floors, because they define the floor-wall line so clearly (verus carpet that blends the wall-floor line in the eye), seem to make rooms looks larger (which might help here too).

You need something on that wall that thematically matches that couch too. Something personal. Perhaps some large personal photos, developed in black and white, and framed in black.

And the yellowness of the light detracts - get a new shade that takes away the yellow or switch to brighter white bulbs (blue tint to the bulb).

I've got a black leather couch and loveseat and bought a recliner in tobacco brown leather. It gets universally good reviews. The recliner doesn't look recliner-y (no handle on the side, for example) -- it's just comfy and big enough to sit side-by-side with the cat. :) I think unless you really were able to tie in a fabric chair with pillows that incorporated the same chair color on the couch, it might look too thrown together. But I really loves me some leather.