How to Design Around Plaid Couches

Designing With Plaid

• The important thing to remember when designing a room around a plaid sofa is that a little plaid can go a long way. This isn’t because the pattern is particularly flashy — plaid remains something of a staid classic in home décor — but it’s a pattern that must be properly balanced. A plaid sofa should be the focus of the room, immediately drawing your eye as soon as you enter, so it’s crucial that you choose complementary colors and patterns that don’t draw this focus away.

Light Colors

• When choosing colors for walls that will complement your plaid couch, go with light, fresh hues, especially if you’re designing a larger room. For example, a light mint-toned green will lighten up the space, drawing focus to your couch while adding a light, airy feel. Colors that are too dark can make your room feel dark and dull. Dark hunter green walls in a room with a red plaid couch will create an old-fashioned, masculine look, like a gentleman’s club from a bygone era.

Pattern-on-Pattern

• Although it may seem odd, you can achieve some surprisingly dramatic effects by adding elements featuring a plaid that’s different from the pattern of your couch. Pick up some fabric swatches of different plaids, in differing styles and colors, and see how they could complement your couch as pillows. Finding the right combination may take some experimentation, but you may wind up with a look that is both chic and unexpected.

Florals

• According to designer Alessandra Branca, a couch with a plaid pattern can be complemented by a floral pattern.

  "Mixing organic and geometric patterns is vital to a successful room," says Branca.

  One way to achieve this balance is to use floral-patterned cushions on your couch, or a floral throw. Another way to mix these patterns is to hang floral-patterned drapes or curtains in the living space in which your plaid couch will be, because the floral pattern will allow the sofa's striking pattern to remain the focus of the room without drawing attention away.