Here you go--I'm posting several photos in different light because Cognac changes considerably with light conditions and the seasons.

demifloyd, thank you so much for posting the pictures. I had come across an old post of yours and saw some of them. Your home is beautiful! I thought it was you that EK was talking about when she mentioned Cognac. I have to admit I am a little scared of this color - it looks completely different in your pictures than it does on the little swatch I have up on my walls! The swatch is definitely darker than your pics show. It looks great with your furnishings and painted trim, but my trim is stained (med toned oak) and while I think it will blend with it, I'm nervous about the orangey/peachy tone of it with the trim. Any thoughts for me? Thanks again for posting your beautiful pictures.

Thank you, polkadots. Yes, EK developed Cognac for me, and Bronze, in an attempt to create a color I had in mind. Bronze was actually closer to my original request, but the Cognac seemed to work better with the light in the house.

It's difficult to describe because of all of the EK colors in the house, this one changes the most. It actually looks like each of the photos I posted, at different times. I like it least when it looks peachy, which tends to be in the summer daylight hours. It always looks rich and gorgeous at night time, and in the spring and fall it takes on a beautiful warmth from the lighter green, and later, yellows, of the leaves in the trees surrounding our home. Tonight it looks like a warm caramel, but without any noticeable brown, if that makes any sense!

I think it will go great with oak trim, but you might be happier with Camelhair, although I haven't seen it other than photos and my sample. I think Ovenbird, who used to frequent this forum, also used Cognac and was very happy with it.

It does have some orange in it, and more green which I had asked EK to add--even my trim color, a SW color (which is the only paint that is not EK), has a lot of green in it so if you don't have greens or paints with green, you might not be happy with the Cognac. However, if you have muted colors with sagey greens, I think it would go well.

My best advice is to paint each of the colors on your walls and live with them in different lighting conditions for a few days or a week before making your decision. You will know after doing it.

Good Luck and be sure to post photos with whatever you decide!

Ok...not nearly as nice as Demi's, but here are mine with stained trim:

Demi, thanks for the thorough description - I really appreciate it. I do have greens so that should be fine. I am considering the Camelhair - I asked her to cut it by 50% so I am anxious to see that. I will just have to wait to look at the bigger samples next week. Thank you.

Summie, wow, is that the same color?? I cannot believe how different these pictures look than the sample I have. It's freaking me out! Thank for showing it with stained trim - looks nice with it. It is just so much lighter than I expected. Do you have a lot of light in there? Do you like the color? Thanks!

I knew someone else had used Cognac--sorry I forgot it was you, Summiebee! Thanks for posting the photos--it does look great with stained trim.

Demi...please help me :) First what is EK? (what brand) My brain's not picking that up, and did you use the bronze? I have the most fabulous bronze silk ever spun for my master suite (which will be done in venetian plaster in a deep honey color) but I'd love to do bronze in the master closet (a small room). A real rich bronze, not the normal stuff I keep finding...Tell me more?

Your home is lovely, and RICH and I don't mean expensive :oP (Ok that too) but RICH in textures and tones, which is exactly what I'm going for in the new house. My master bath is done in deep chocolates and ivory marble as well as a tan travertine and venetian plaster, and the lighting fixtures are antiques I've refinished in bronze...I want to carry that through the suite with the gorgeous silk and then into the closet in a more intimate color (deep and rich). I would imagine, given what I see of your home, that the bronze would accomplish this?

Thank you for your kind words, igloochic. I love rich tones, fabrics and antiques, as well--your plans for your home sound just fabulous; the colors, materials and textures are all rich. Your master bath is the original color scheme I had planned, but as you know--homes tend to have a mind of their own and I wound up with pale blues and greens and travertine in our masterbath, with the richer browns in our bedroom, DH's study and lighter browns in my dressing room.

I am visualizing what you've described and it will be gorgeous! I have in my hand a sample of the EK Bronze--EK is Ellen Kennon--an interior designer that makes a line of specialty full spectrum paints, which use many different colors as opposed to just three. Some people can't tell the difference in full spectrum paints and regular paint; many others notice it right away--to me, they look richer and change with the lighting conditions. I used her paints in my new home when we built two and a half years ago--many others here on this forum have used her paints in their homes as well; others make full spectrum paints, too. EK paints have to be ordered through Ellen Kennon's business and she sends the forumla to a local ICI paint dealer.

I actually sent Ellen a copy of my house plans, hardcover books and a pair of silk bronze evening slacks--that's what she used to try to make up the bronze color I wanted--isn't that service? www.ellenkennon.com

I'm thinking the EK Bronze is probably too light for what you're describing, but I will be happy to send you either a sample of the paint or a card painted with it, if you will email me through Gardenweb. The reason I went with a lighter color she made (a friend--interior designer that helps me with my window treatments--said it looked like the color of Cognac--thus the name!)was the Bronze was too strong for the large space. I still might use it in a small "away" room I'm working on upstairs.

EK Mocha is a very rich brown that I used in my DH's study--I don't know if you'd be interested in this. Adobe is a little lighter, but has more bronze tones than the Mocha; Adobe is in our master bedroom. Ellen Kennon will take any color and work with it to make it richer, brighter, muted--whatever you want.

I hope you will share photos of your home!

Ellen Kennon Mocha:

THank you so much for the education. I'm wandering over to her site right now (ok when I'm done typing). But I will email you for a sample swatch if you would be so kind!

I absolutely LOVE that mocha! I'm going to work it into the new house! I can see this new obsession is going to be a problem heh heh

I was going to go with a soft butterscotch as the neutral in the new place (it's a rental) but we ended up buying a butterscotch yellow leather sofa so I'll have to shake up the wall color a bit. I want to stay with the earth tones (because I love them) and because I have a couple hundred yards of silk to get rid of....ummm I mean decorate with (left over from a wonderful trip to the fabric market in LA). They're all in earth tones of gold, burgundy, deep browns and bronze's.

The bronze does sound like a strong color, but for my closet area (a room that is 9' x 14" or so) it may be just perfect. I had a cabinet builder make me built-in's that circle three sides of the room, and all hanging spaces are covered with closet doors so really you'll get an impression of walnut everywhere when you enter. On the other walls the shelfs carry on overhead, and the end has a desk built into it, with the one window which I'll use a fabulous striped bronze/burgundy/amber and camel silk I picked up some time back. I'm using honey colored tiles on the desk's backsplash (why does a desk have a backsplash? Because I bought too much tile for the kitchen backsplash and if I don't use it, my DH will shoot me) and then I'm throwing in a little broze colored glass block tiles as a trim. So basically you'd see the bronze paint behind doors, and in a couple open areas deep into the shoe and hat storage, and on one wall.

I'm waxing poetic...this might be the only room that gets finished in the house...I guess I'm dreaming of how nice it will be LOL

Anyhoo I'll pop you out an email, and thank you so very much for taking the time to share!!!

DH would like to add that he does NOT thank you for finding me another place to buy paint...but we'll just ignore him ok?

Polkadots. No... We have horrible lighting in there IMO. I think we are going to replace them with recessed can lighting soon. I really like the color, but I wish I would nothave painted the ceiling per Ellen's suggestion. It is a rich, warm color really. Maybe the flash is washing it out? I'll do a pic with no flash if you'd like.

I tried the Camelhair because I couldn't imagine anything I like more than the color of a camelhair coat. It didn't work at all in my room. And the Cognac is a fairly vivid color. I think so much depends on lighting and orientation of the house to the sun, furniture, and flooring. I wish you well.

Red

Thanks Summie and Red. I am dissapointed becasue I received larger samples of Camelhair 50% and Cognac today and they just don't seem right in my room. They look great in other people spaces, I wish they did in mine! Red, you are so right about the lighting, orientation etc. This room of mine is a real pain because it has northern and southern exposure, a huge 2 story ceiling and bad artificial light. I am totally discouraged at this point, but will keep trudging on...I just taped up a few more samples and will look at them in the morning! :o)

Oh, and Demi, that Mocha looks beautiful in you room!