How to Mix Color and Material With a White Leather Sofa

Natural Palette

• A natural-colored palette offers an artistic accompaniment to your white leather couch. A wrought-iron coffee table with either a wood or glass top and chunky side tables made from tree-trunk segments makes for distinctive complementary pieces. An assortment of tan, brown and cream pillows on the couch in varied textures -- suede, crochet and linen -- adds another dimension. One pillow that makes a statement, such as a bright yellow leather throw pillow or one covered in zebra hide, gives the couch a final, creative twist. Accessorize the surrounding tables with worn books, beeswax candles and natural findings such as seashells or pretty stones. Hang Audubon prints on the wall above the couch to complete the look.

Textured Monochromatic Scheme

• A white leather couch offers an absolutely stunning look when surrounded by a monochromatic color scheme enhanced with loads of texture. Start with a white area rug in an interesting pattern, such as a quatrefoil or damask print. Add a white coffee table in front and end tables on the couch's sides. Go for either glossy white or distressed white furniture – both finishes give the room dramatic visual texture. Just pick a finish that works with your room’s style. Pair brushed nickel or clear acrylic lamp bases with white raw silk shades, and accessorize your couch in white and off-white pillows covered with crushed velvet or rough linen.

Bright and Bold

• If you’re partial to bright colors, a white leather sofa makes a dramatic foundation for a living room. Pair colors such as magenta, sapphire, coral, chartreuse and turquoise with a white leather couch for a sophisticated look. With such a dynamic combination, accents in brass, high-polished nickel and chrome are not only appropriate, they’re theatrical additions that make your room stand out. A malachite wall color with a white leather sofa, brass wall sconces and a gallery wall of architectural photographs creates a daring decor statement. Another option is a coral wall color with turquoise accent chairs set on either side of the white leather sofa. Don’t be afraid to get dramatic and go for bold, bright colors for a more distinctive space.

Keep it Simple

• Just because you have a white leather sofa doesn’t mean that you have to make it the focal point of the room. Keep it simple by decorating the room with the couch in mind, but without the goal of turning all the attention to it. A Kilim rug stretched out underneath a white leather couch gives the space a rustic look, but a sisal rug turns the room into a streamlined, Zen place to relax. Since white is a neutral, you have tons of flexibility with which to work. Pair your couch with your grandmother’s antique Victorian chairs for a transitional look, or combine blue and white elements with modern furniture to create a Swedish-inspired atmosphere.