Decorating With Mismatched Couches

Disguise With Slipcovers

• If you inherited couches or are moving into a new place with both your and your partner's different furniture, you can make the mismatched sofas work with slipcovers. Either purchase slipcovers, or if money is an issue, slip large sheets over the offending sofas. When using a sheet, tuck the excess fabric under the cushion. Although cheap, using a sheet can be troublesome because a sheet won't stay in place like a slipcover will. You will be constantly adjusting the sheet, especially if the sofa has two or more cushions.

Draw Attention Elsewhere

• If you find the sofas' lack of cohesion offensive but don't want to bother with a slipcover or sheet, invest in a large piece of decor that will draw attention away from the sofas. For example, a rug can draw attention to more attractive furniture, such as a buffet or hutch. A large piece of artwork, carefully hung between the couches, will draw the eye to the wall and not to the surrounding furniture.

Define Spaces

• If you have a large room, use the couches to define different seating areas. Create two distinct entertaining areas such as the party space, where one couch is by a bar, and the quiet space, where the other couch is by the bookshelves. Use lighting to further enhance the differences of the seating areas. Over-sized hanging pendants, especially those with Moroccan etchings, define a party space, while table lamps enhance the intimacy of a quiet corner.

Celebrate the Differences

• Whether you intentionally bought two couches that don't complement each other or if you can't bear to part with grandma's ugly yet super comfy couch, highlight their differences. Purchase throw pillows, ottomans or foot stools that match each other and complement both couches. If the couches are in fun, bright colors, enhance the differences by painting the living room walls a neutral brown or gray.

Embrace the Eclectic

• Your house should reflect you and your personality, and this is perhaps most true for the living room. The living room is used for entertaining guests and should show who you truly are. Don't rely on home decor catalogs or home design television shows to define your style. Show off your fun side with kooky family photos or your trove of ceramic frogs. Embrace the eclectic collection that you have assembled over time. If you purposely want mismatched couches, they should still be in the same style, such as the clean lines associated with modern design or the overstuffed comfort of country, or else the room will look like an odd amalgamation of styles. Couches in the same shape but different colors look styled and deliberate. Apartment Therapy concurs: "Don't get too stuck on one and only one style. It's okay to mix them up to reflect all aspects of your personality."