I've been working on my interior and trying to give it a more luxury sport feel.
I started a thread on black suede inserts but after I did the, they left me cold. Not enough change.
I tried red leather piping around the inserts but hated that too.
My plains to do the inserts, speakers, and finally, when I'm happy with color, the seat inserts. Front and back.
I saw a Panamera, black with black and dark brown interior and it was amazing! I may go back and take a pic to post. It's really hot!
I did find an pic of an Audi with a tan and black with similar wood details. But it's a bit too light.
It's hard to get a good color with the drastic tones in my wood panels so I went with chocolate brown alcantara suede. I'll post pics of ideas and trials. I've gotten good at taking off the covers and panels without removing the door card so changing isn't an issue.
Here's the Audi
pic.

 

My chocolate brown doors. Remember I'm doing the seats inserts with the black stitching detail. So it will tie in even better. Also will order new mats with brown logo and edging on black if I stay with this color. It does pull out the dark tones in the wood.

 

Photo with flash. It's so hard to get an accurate color with a photo.
I like it and know the seats will pull it all together, but I'm not wowed.
Does it need to be lighter? Does it need stitching on door panels as well to look more custom? Something's missing.
I'm doing some kind of modification, so constructive ideas please! Not just "I don't like it"! I've already admitted I'm not thrilled!! Concept is good idea, just can't get right finished color! Or maybe this is good, just not pulled together yet!!

I've always thought these cars interiors looked a little ford for my taste! Too much vinyl.

 

I think your problem is the door cap. I have never really liked them and think they are too plasticky for such a beautiful car.

Problem is they are a continuation of the line from the dash top, so if you were to cover them in the brown alcantara, which I think would look quite nice for the door, you will end up wanting to do the same for the dash top, and that is far from an easy task.

I don't think embroidery or quilting or embellishment on the insert will help, it will just look over done then.

Another option might be something like:
Jaguar XK8 Walnut Veneer Door Cappings - XK8 and XKR Interiors

They would tie it more into the wood dash than the top. There is at least one member on here who did those: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...st-mods-81987/

 

I think the brown is too dark. In the Porsche it's the contrast between the tan and black that makes it stand out. The panels almost blend in with the black seats. Chocolate is too dark...IMHO.

Go lighter on the brown.

 

LOL,
Phil, I like your enthusiasm ( you started another thread on this). By the time you're settled on the color scheme, there will be 30 threads on your interior. But it's all good; I'm just jealous that you're doing stuff to your car that I want to do to mine. But, a kid in college and another one start in 2 years - trying to prioritize, but the wife insists that college for kids is more important . Oh well, at least some of us are enjoying working on their cars and I'm really happy that you can do it now.
Anyway, back to the topic at hand - forget the brown, and don't go lite brown - it doesn't work in your application. The combo does not create any contrast that, I think you're looking for. There are several ways to achieve contrast. One is to use same color (in your case black), but different material. Your interior is currently black leather/vinyl, so go for black suede inserts in the seats, the console and door inserts. Don't worry too much about the wood in the dash, since that's a different area from where you're applying changes. If the wood really bothers you that much, you can always have your wood sanded down and covered with a dark metalic stain - it will look more modern. I had that (it came from factory) on my MB E class and it looked really good and tied in with the all black leather interior. But I think that your current wood tint will be totally fine.
Another way to achieve contrast is by using different color on the seats/door inserts and the center console. I know that you don't like the red inserts, but that's because you used a wrong red (at least from the picture you posted, it looked wrong).
A friend of mine recently leased a 2013 Maserati GT - silver exterior with Red/black interior - that interior (color-wise) is striking. The red you showed in the pic was washed out, more burgundy than red. Find a bright red leather swatch sample and see it in the regular day light, not when a flash is needed. There's a reason you chose RED paint for your brake calipers - because it creates a welcomed contrast against the black wheels and the exterior. You can achieve the same on the inside, but the colors chosen must be the "right" color.
There's also a third option, but my thumbs are tired from typing on the iPad. Let's see what you think first of what I already suggested.
BTW, almost forgot - the interior of our cars barely looks like Ford. I have yet to see a ford where a whole tree and 2 cows were sacrificed to cover the dash and the seats. I do think that the designers could have been more creative iwhen designing the instrument panel and the center console instrument cluster. Otherwise, I prefer our design to the 2007+ models.

 

Well, most of the work, I do myself or trade out. I'm a jewelry designer and all these guys have wives that like jewelry! Lol
I really tried a lot of reds. There's just something about the wood tone that fought with every red I tried. Maybe I didn't use enough, or needed to do bigger panels but I didn't like it. Gray was dead. The brown worked the best. I hate the photos because they just don't look like the actual color. It's really hard to photograph suede.
I cut a couple pieces and taped to the passenger seat and back seat as well and it finally started to make sense. I even drew in black stitching lines. Also covered the rear speakers.
AND, your issue with the top caps is dead on so I mocked up a piece of piping in brown and stuck in the groove between the card and cap and wow! It really pulled it together.
I may cover the center console cover as well because I'm tired of burning my elbow in the sun!! Black stitching of course.
I'm attaching a photo of a BMW that actually looks closer to my actual colors.
I'm sorry I keep posting new threads about my interior but I really use the opinions that are genuinely given and bounce my ideas off of them.
I'm also changing the red details on the exterior. I've seen several corvettes in town with the same color scheme so I want to distance my jaguar from them. I'm actually using an XJS bronze badge in the grille and changing the wheel caps to the new British flag with JAGUAR in the middle. Saw them on a new F type. The look oddly retro but fresh. They're a titanium etched design. Really nice!! I'll leave the calipers red for now. BT even thought of bronze for them.
Again, I'm sure some of this will change, save the badging, but that's what the forum is for! Putting it out there and seeing others ideas!

 

I was joking about the number of threads - it's what the forum is for. Sorry if it came through with a negative undertone, but I meant it in a good funny way.
I had no idea that you are a jewelry designer (how would I have known it ?). A good friend of mine is a jewelry designer/diamond setter - works in NYC on 5th Ave, but that's neither here nor there. Anyway, if you're ever come to NY (perhaps a jewelry show at the Javits Convention Center), send me a note - we'll meet up, have a drink and talk about our cars.
Back to the thread topic. It looks as if you picked your color choices, but it almost seems as if you want someone to talk you out of it. I'm not going to be the one to do it, but I can give you suggestions which may help you to come to a decision.
Over time I've collected a small e-album of car pics on my iPad. They're mostly pictures of high end cars with custom interiors/exteriors. There are some of our model Jag as well. I will attach some of them here for your reference. If anything, perhaps it may help you in determining what you like and what you definitely don't like.
By the way, I think that the seat inserts as well as the door panel inserts can use some quilting (IMO) or did I already mention that in a previous thread?

 

Hey, I didn't take anything negatively!!
It's hard to read into a comment. It's all good!
You are right about wanting someone to talk me out of it. But, that being said, after I added a bit more of the dark brown into the car as a test, it did pull it together. I always planned red but it seemed to fight with the wood. And the more gold/light tones just seemed to "in your face".
Eventually I'll get it right, that's what this forum is for. Bouncing off good or bad ideas. I think once everything is done, and it all ties together, the dark brown may just be the right thing for me. It's gonna take the door panels, seats, floor mats all matching. Adding stitching to the doors is easy. The only thing that has to be right from the get go is the seats. I'd rather not do them twice. Everything else is fixable.
I'm at Javits twice a year for the gift show so a meet and great it easily do-able. I'm partial to Tre Merli or the Pegu club. (Spelling may be wrong!) they both have a French 75!
Your pics are very helpful. I need to see many to make a decision!
I'm still leaning towards the dark brown. It's subtle but very rich looking. I'll post some pics tomorrow of the mock up seats. They really make a difference.
As long as the car runs like it should, I'll probably always change it. It's my project car. Experimentation is the spice of life!! Lol My XF on the other hand, stays as is!!!!
Isn't it more fun to watch me try, try, try again with it than see another stock, factory car get posted?!?!

 

Update!
Even though the dope speaker covered just fine with the suede, e rear speakers are a no go. The fabric won't allow the base to "breath" and a terrible sound ensues!!
I guess I'll get some black speaker cloth to cover them in. Or possibly brown!!