How to Choose a Sofa Color for your Living Room | Articulate

How to Choose a Sofa Color for your Living Room

Unsure How to Choose a Sofa Color for Your Living Room?

We understand your stress. When you invest in a sofa, you’re making a huge home decor decision. As your largest piece of furniture, the color of your sofa will largely determine future modern decor choices. From paint color to throw pillows, your couch has a very wide range of influence. And while neutrals are tried and true, you might find yourself hankering for something a little different. Enter the Belez series.

The Belez Sofa in Mink Taupe looking cool and elegant.

The Belez Sofa in Mink Taupe looking cool and elegant. 

When you’re picking a new mid-century sofa for an existing color palette, you have the tough work of trying to re-anchor your space. Of course, there’s been a long-standing false dichotomy about whether your sofa should be a neutral element or a statement piece. Why not both? A neutral color has traditionally served to unify a room, whereas a bold color has meant that the sofa is the star. Instead, we’re seeing a preference for a new kind of neutral. How to choose a sofa color for your living room? With an eye to colors that are warm, sleek fabrics, and polished hardware, you can integrate muted colors into your space for a room that is color-forward without being overtly “statement.”

Matchy-Matchy

Matching your sofa to your wall color is a good, safe choice. Of course, that thinking ties you to a specific wall color and sofa color… for a long time. Instead, try thinking of your wall or sofa colors as the beginning of a palette. What is the neutral that will best work for your color choices? If you love pinks, reds, and oranges, your best choice might be a soft camel tan. Tend towards dusky blues and sage greens? Look for a grey with similar tones. Instead of planning your room around a single piece, focus on the colors that you gravitate towards naturally, and collect pieces in that palette.

Reds and pinks (like the Belez sofa in Terra Red and the Lucca pillow set in Pink) set a cheerful, yet sultry mood.

Reds and pinks (like the Belez sofa in Terra Red and the Lucca pillows in Blush Pink) set a cheerful, yet sultry mood.

Our Belez series is perfect for tonal selections. Considered the “new neutrals,” the hues are pearly and undersaturated. The Terra red sofa doesn’t scream for attention, but sets the tone of a room towards a warmth and comfort. Mink Taupe can trend towards yellows, blues, greens, or even purples. By rethinking “neutrals,” and by exploring the color wheels, you have a lot more options when faced with the question of how to choose a sofa color for your living room.

Consider Your Materials

Your lifestyle dictates the best material choice, but for this post let’s assume you’re a clean, functional adult who can take care of things. Quality leather is a timeless material. It ages well, cleans easily, and holds up to common household pests, such as dogs and children. It also manages to stay cool in the summer and get cozy in the winter. A leather sofa also allows for other textures to have play in your space without overwhelming. You can keep your space fresh and up-to-trend by adding funky throw pillows or a blanket, but rely on the solid goodness of a clean leather backdrop. Leather also tends to be available on that new neutral scale: deep chocolate browns, caramel tans, olive greens, and clay-reds. Of course, leather isn’t always the right choice for your lifestyle. Check out our post on whether a leather or a fabric sofa is best for your lifestyle.

The Cigar Sofa looking handsome in a beautiful space featured by our pals over at Glitter Guide.

Use colors that complement your existing decor for a cohesive look. An easy way to choose a color for a sofa is to base it around other colors already in the room. Using nearby colors on the color wheel will guarantee a match and take out some of the guesswork in trying to find the perfect sofa color for your living room.

The Psychology of Color

When you’re thinking about how to choose a sofa color for your living room, ask yourself: how do you want to feel in the space? Color psychology has a gigantic impact on the way that a room communicates its intent. For example, can you imagine a sensory deprivation tank painted an electric green? Or the inside of a bumping club, but in a sunny, soothing yellow? Color is as much about feeling as it is about aesthetic preference. As the anchor of your living space, your sofa is the communicator of feeling. Choosing a color that reflects your preferred mood, but that doesn’t compete for dominance, is a tricky balance to achieve. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of easy-to-incorporate colors for your modern living space, and how they’re said to affect your psyche. You’re welcome.

Red and Pink

If you’re looking to inject your space with some energy, red and pink tones are an excellent choice. Pink brings feelings of calmness, compassion, and cheer leaning into straight-up JOY territory. If you’re looking for some uncomplicated delight in your living space, a sofa like the Emil or the Mirage might be just what you need.

A Beautiful Mess's beautiful toy storage system, featuring our Pink Matrix sofa.

A Beautiful Mess’s beautiful toy storage system, featuring our Blush Pink Matrix sofa.

Red amps energy from yay to HOORAY. Associated with feelings of passion, love, warmth, and excitement, a red couch can be the antidote to living in places with a long, dark winter. And while a cherry-red couch may sound a little intimidating, please know that’s not what we’re thinking. Picture moody, clay-like reds, such as the Belez in Terra red, the Burrard in Cayenne, or the Alcott in Oxblood.

Taupe and Grey

Practical, organic, classic, down to earth, and dignified. Sounds pretty aspirational, but these are the feelings evoked by grey and taupe. While greys tend to complement cooler-toned living spaces, the brown notes in taupe make it a good choice for warmer treatments. Whether you’re drawn to the cool, sturdy Ceni, or the warm and organic Mink Taupe Belez, your living room is thisclose to feeling more grounded.

The Ceni wants to snuggle you, listen to you, and help you find the perfect Netflix show to binge.

The Ceni Sofa wants to snuggle you, listen to you, and help you find the perfect Netflix show to binge.

Olive Green

Life keeps getting busier. Having a space that is a designated “calm down” zone is a smart and aesthetically pleasing move. Olive green is the color of peace, calm, and hope. Maybe you’re working late on a big project, or having a tussle with your youngest. Now imagine doing that in a room where your focal sofa exudes peace and calm. Inhale… Belez sofa in Olive Green…. Exhale. Feel better?

Tan and Brown

Do you want to feel supported? Like your can rely on your living space? Resilient and secure? Tans and browns bring gravity and stability to a space. If you lead a chaotic life and need your living room to be like a sturdy parental figure, a brown or tan sofa may be the best choice for you. Take a look at perennial fav, the Sven Sofa in Charme Tan. Maybe you prefer the classically masculine Worthington, or the super mod Cigar.

The Sven in Charme Tan sitting pretty on beautiful blue floors. Elsie Larsen does it again.

The Sven in Charme Tan sitting pretty on beautiful blue floors. Elsie Larson does it again.

Black

Are you elegant? Maybe a little mod? Black is a classic color that exudes strength, and authority. If you want your living room to communicate that you’re confident and stylish, a black sofa is an excellent marker of taste. We love the super slim profile of the black leather Echo sofa, but the black leather Sven sofa looks so comfy and inviting…

Blue

If you’re not into green but you are into peace of mind, blue is for you. Known to promote calmness, serenity, and order, a beautiful blue sofa can centre your living space aesthetically and mentally. The sumptuous comfort of the Timber in Blue Spruce looks pretty dang calming. The pillow situation on the Kits in Pacific Blue also looks like it would promote some serious serenity.

We love the pink and teal combo in this CitySage design. Looking good, Kits Sofa in Pacific Blue.

How to choose sofa color for your living room? Simplify. Consider your wall color, what fabrics will work best with your lifestyle, and how you want your living space to feel. Once you’ve identified these three components, you’ll be surprised by how quickly the optimal color for your living room sofa will reveal itself.

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