The dark marbeling is actually more in the black to gray range. I had hoped it would be in the brown range since our walls are terra cotta, but the lights look just fine. Ours our set up with a dimmer and have a nice soft glow, even when turned up all the way, no hot spot where the bulb is. My husband was very impressed with the hardware and installation. I feel these were well worth the money we spent. I'm totally pleased with the purchase.