Decorator Tips for Couch Colors

Patterns

• Interior designer Wendy Monette shows in her designs that colors don't need to be solid on sofas. The use of a patterned fabric helps mix colors together, which then lets the piece work with a wider variety of other colors in the room. A pattern like houndstooth or other graphic fabrics creates a modern look.

Go Bold

• While you can play it safe and go neutral with the color of your sofa, designer Courtney Jones of Kohler Jones Custom Furniture offers a different suggestion. She posits that if you want to anchor a room with your couch, you should choose a bold color rather than a neutral one. This creates a clear focal point and should also influence the color choices throughout the rest of the living room.

Neutral

• Grey, white and other neutral colors will always have a place as useful sofa colors. What is important is knowing when this color is a good option for a sofa. Wrightson Stewart is a designer who uses neutral sofa colors to great effect by using them to contrast with vivid or dramatic wall colors. If you want to go extreme with your paint, then staying neutral with the upholstery works very well.

Avoid Trends

• Don't buy a couch in a certain color just because that happens to be the popular color of the day. A couch is a long-term purchase, so pick a color that speaks to you and fits your personal style, rather than making a choice based on the current hot color. Designer Darryl Carter points out that sofas in a current trendy color might look great for a short period of time, but will quickly end up looking dated.