Brown gains favor, but remains difficult to use

Relative to other room-enhancing products, paint is so inexpensive that it commands little attention. Just choose a nice color and brush it on the wall, right?

Wrong.

Not all paints are created equally.

For starters, the composition of interior paint has undergone major changes down through the decades, from the introduction of latex paint to the elimination of lead and solvents that were unfriendly to the environment and harmful to public health. It does need to be noted, however, that the removal of lead caused colors to lose much of their vibrancy.

New types of paint have come onto the market as well. One recent example is Benjamin Moore's Aura, which took the company three years to develop and which it describes as the world's most advanced interior finish.

Such a bold claim did persuade me to alert readers to Aura, especially since I get more questions about color than any other element in an interior.

Q: Paging through design magazines, I've noticed that the color brown now shows up in many high-style interiors. Is this just a fad? I don't like being a victim of fashion.

But I do like to wear brown clothing, so do you think I'd find it equally pleasing in my home?

A: I prefer the term "trend" rather than "fad" because I, too, don't want to be considered a groupie. And, yes, the increasing use of brown on room surfaces does seem to constitute a trend. Brown only recently acquired this cachet; it's a difficult color to use properly and it's hardly a universal favorite.

But brown has long been identified with a few of the world's most acclaimed interior designers. Billy Baldwin (1903-'83) may be the foremost example. He applied rich chocolate brown to all the walls of his Manhattan apartment, contrasting it with an abundance of white upholstery, carpeting in a leopard-skin pattern and brass bookcases. The combination still looks stunning 70 years later.

To see a more contemporary use of chocolate brown, check out the accompanying photo. Benjamin Moore's Aura has been lavished on this setting, which, like Baldwin's famous apartment, also features plenty of white. The window coverings, furniture and flooring all contrast brightly with the walls. And this luminous effect is enhanced by the accents of tangerine and by the white lacquer finishes on the wood-framed chairs and tables.

It's up to you to decide whether this sort of look -- or something like it -- would work well in your home. I can say, however, that brown generally has much more appeal when kept in the background and used in sync with sunnier colors. You definitely won't be pleased with a room that's just plain brown.

Rita St. Clair is a syndicated columnist with Tribune Media Services Inc. E-mail general interior design questions to her at rsca@ritastclair.com.