- 1). Select your color palette. Choose a light, neutral color for the walls; light colors expand the space. Shades such as beige, cream, ivory, sand or white would be good choices. Light shades of blue, green or peach would work well as accent colors with a dark brown sofa and curtains.
- 2). Lighten up a dark wood or carpeted floor with an area rug in one of your accent colors.
- 3). Complement the dark brown sofa with a lighter-colored chair. Select a chair in the same neutral color you used for the walls or one of your accent colors. A patterned chair could include some dark brown.
- 4). Add other necessary furnishings that are small in scale or less solid. With its see-through surface, a glass table has the effect of adding light and creating more open space; it would work well in a small living room as a coffee table. Choose a slender, contemporary floor lamp instead of table lamps.
- 5). Install a valance in one of your accent colors over the dark brown curtains. Use curtain tiebacks to pull the curtains off to the sides of the window.
- 6). Place patterned pillows in your accent colors on the sofa. Patterns will help break up the effect of a solid mass of dark color.
- 7). Keep accessories to a minimum. A clutter of objects or artwork will only emphasize the smallness of the space.
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