Caramel is a warm, neutral color that invites a myriad of color combinations into its environment. Determine whether warm or cool colors dominate your decorating scheme and use the caramel brown sofa as the anchor to your room. Dress the sofa up or down depending on the look you want to achieve.
Determine the Hue
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Caramel might seem a simple color to match, but investigate your sofa further to determine whether a hints of gray, khaki or gold dominate. Once you know your direction, building the colors of a room around the sofa becomes easier. Grayish caramel gives off a cool, modernist feel, while khaki invites earth colors to surround it. Gold emanates warmth, leaving color choices that lean toward the traditional or monochromatic.
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Ultra-Modern Decor
Pick up on the gray tones of the caramel sofa and use slate as a coordinating color. Include a warm color such as red or yellow for a punch. Add slate piping to the cushions of the caramel sofa, accent with gray throw pillows or place the sofa against a feature wall painted enamel gray. Hang a painting incorporating gray, caramel and your warm color or a series of sepia photographs, matted in ecru and framed in black lacquer, above the sofa. Berber carpeting in oatmeal or an area rug featuring slate and caramel over a black, distressed wood floor ties the elements together. A giraffe-patterned rug adds whimsy. A loosely woven throw in black and laced with caramel threads, casually draped over the back of the sofa, adds texture.
Tip
Don't forget overall wall color: stark white with slate painted on a vaulted ceiling brings the height down, while trendy gray adds to the modernist tone.
Earth Tones
Some caramel colors emit a khaki hue that can be used to wrap the room in earth colors. Choose orange, poppy or marigold to complement your rich caramel sofa and add depth to the decor. Paint the walls taupe with a hint of green and frame over-the-sofa artwork in gold or poppy. Pick up the same colors with a geometric-patterned area rug over cream wood or tile floors. If the room allows, paint a feature wall in your dynamic color or add a shiny Venetian plaster to the wall. Fern and brown accents in pillows, throws or tabletop displays tie into your decor.
Go for the Gold
A monochromatic look surrounding a caramel sofa is elegant and sophisticated. Include side chairs upholstered in gold brocade to complement the sofa and position it against a soft camel wall color to make the room feel cozy while still maintaining its Old World styling. Add textured, oatmeal weave upholstery over a poof or parson's bench and include neutral woods in side tables. An Abyssinian carpet laid over an oak floor adds dimension and color without intruding. Accessorize in crystal and frame artwork in gold to complete the theme.
Warning
Don't go overboard with the gold and crystal accessories or your room will start to look like great-Aunt Mildred's salon. Be selective, creative and make each piece a stand out on its own.