Have a black and tan -- decor, that is

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Why is it that when black and tan are used together, the look is smashing? There is something very sophisticated, classy and rich about the combination.Take a sofa that is all light tan, add pillows that are black mixed with tan -- it doesn't matter what the pattern is, be it plaid, paisley, geometric, floral -- and the combination will truly lift that sofa up in design caliber.Let's do a bedroom in black and tan.A bedspread that is black with tan is very attractive to both male and female tastes. Granted, the motif has a masculine quality to it, but it still is very pleasing to the female eye as well. Couple the bedspread with a light-colored wood for the bedroom set, and the room will be picture-perfect.The floor can be either light-colored wood with rugs in strategic places, or it can have a light tan carpet. Here, the plusher the carpet, the better. There is even a carpet available that is 100 percent cotton. All cotton carpeting offers a bit more pampering to the feet than the normal nylon or wool carpet. The 100 percent cotton carpet will soil easier than the nylon or wool, but keeping this carpet in the bare-feet-only bedroom probably means easier maintenance than if it's used in more traffic-oriented areas of the house.This bedroom should have neutral, cream-colored walls and woodwork and neutral, cream-colored window treatments. But the curtain rod can be a black decorator rod. Another choice would be a cornice upholstered in the bedspread material, but only if the ceiling is high enough to carry the heavier black color. A chair in the same or coordinating pattern to the bedspread is needed.Finish this room off with special accessories. Pick lamps that accent the bedspread pattern. Pictures on the walls should do the same. If family pictures are used, opt for frames that match the wood on the furniture and matte the pictures in black. If art is the accessory of choice, it would be wise to choose it in the black and tan used in the room instead of adding other colors.Clean, sophisticated, classy -- that's the look you get with black and tan. It works whether the decor is traditional or contemporary.(Rosemary Sadez Friedmann, an interior designer in Naples, Fla., is author of "Mystery of Color," available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.)