Upholstered furniture is not only a convenient solution for a comfortable stay, but also an integral part of the interior of the room. To understand what color of the sofa to choose, you need to decide on the palette of the room, stylistic decision, upholstery material and other characteristics. In addition, the selected color scheme should please the owners and emphasize the advantages of the living room, hall, and recreation area.
Practical tips for choosing the color of a sofa
- Palette compatibility. First of all, the chosen color should go well with other furniture, curtains and interior items, as well as decoration. In addition, you first need to decide which item will act as an accent in the interior.
- Part of the style. The color should fit into the stylistic palette and emphasize the advantages of the chosen interior solution. It does not have to match the finish, but complement the overall harmony.
- The practical side. When choosing light colors, you need to take into account the need for more frequent cleaning and special care. Periodically, the upholstery will need to be removed and dry cleaned, as any dirt will be noticeable. Therefore, if there are children or pets in the house, it is better to choose upholstery in dark colors or with a pattern.
- First - samples. Good furniture stores provide each customer with samples of colors and upholstery. You can take them home and choose exactly the option that will harmonize well with the decoration, other furniture and other items in the room.
It should also be taken into account that the same colors may look different on upholstery made of certain materials. For example, suede and velor look good in noble brown, blue, green tones; for jacquard, unusual lilac, purple, turquoise, and red shades are used, and for cotton upholstery it is recommended to choose a practical gray-beige color scheme.
Advantages and disadvantages
It’s stupid to deny that light-colored sofas are dirty and impractical. Therefore, they require more careful care than dark furniture. Light-colored upholstered furniture must be cleaned frequently. And in some cases, resort to dry cleaning services, which costs a lot of money.
But light sofas have more advantages and they completely cover this drawback.
White color is pleasant, universal, does not irritate others, but calms. It evokes positive emotions and sets you up for a pleasant pastime.
A light sofa fits into the interior of different styles: classic, minimalism, hi-tech, country. Any room with white furniture looks rich and stylish.
White color increases space, unlike black. Ideal even for a small room, hiding imperfections. Any room with a light sofa seems unique and inimitable.
Choosing a sofa color type
Light type
This category includes sofas in white, gray, beige and other pastel, light colors. This category is neutral and is suitable for almost any type of room or stylistic direction of the room. The only drawback is the high staining of flowers, but this problem can be eliminated by purchasing furniture with an EasyClean coating, which can be easily cleaned using special detergents.
Dark palette
Deep colors can include regular gray, chocolate brown, emerald, indigo, purple, burgundy and even black. Of course, this color type of sofa is more practical and does not require frequent cleaning, but it must be used wisely. For example, such furniture can only be used in spacious rooms to create accents. At the same time, other finishing elements should be light. When choosing upholstery material, you should give preference to smooth fabrics that will not retain debris, animal hair, dust, etc.
Bright type
This category includes turquoise, mint, red, green, yellow, blue and other sofas that will be an excellent bright accent in the room. Such options are often selected for children's rooms, kitchens, and living rooms. Before choosing the color of the sofa, you need to decide on its practicality: it will depend on the upholstery material used, as well as the depth of the chosen color. For example, velvet and velor quickly accumulate dust and are difficult to clean from dirt.
Purple upholstered furniture in the interior
A purple sofa is not bad in monochrome against the background of lilac, lavender, lilac or bluish-pink walls. This palette of purple tones can be diluted with beige, silver or delicate green.
As a rich accent, a purple sofa is most suitable for a neutral gray interior. However, even in a beige interior, purple upholstered furniture looks royal.
Purple sofa in the interior
In a combined plan, a purple sofa and armchairs should be combined with khaki, golden yellow and soft green.
Color scheme
- Monochromy. The scheme is used when we are talking about a combination of shades of the same palette. For example, it can be blue and light blue, purple and lilac, light green and green. At the same time, the brighter one is selected for the sofa, and not for the walls.
- Analog circuit. The work is carried out with two shades that stand side by side in the palette (orange and red, green and blue).
- Complementary colors. Used to combine shades that are opposite to each other, such as red and green, purple and yellow, etc.
A more complex solution, which includes three colors at once, is called a triad. It can be classical, analog and contrast. In the first, 3 colors are selected through 3 sectors in the color wheel, at the same distance. In the second, all the palettes are located next to each other, in the third - opposite, one after the other. The use of four colors arranged in pairs is called a tetrad scheme.
Variety of gray
Gray color is multifaceted and includes shades from “dirty” white to the shade of wet asphalt, which many confuse with black. Between them there are several dozen tones, the most common of which are:
- Gainsborough is one of the lightest tones, close to the shade of silver;
- platinum;
- granite;
- lead – located on the border between light and gray tones;
- mother of pearl - may have impurities of purple or blue;
- smoky;
- pebble;
- nickel;
- charcoal;
- marengo or wet asphalt.
Combination of a gray sofa with a turquoise carpet Source mebelindesign.ru/
Light gray tones have a calming effect on a person, allow you to find harmony and balance emotions. They can be combined with any, including bright tones. Dark colors, when combined incorrectly, can visually weigh down the atmosphere.
A variety of decorative pillows for the sofa Source vobox.ru/
Depending on the situation, gray can be:
- Luxurious, especially if it is upholstered in expensive fabrics.
- Soft. This will be the case in combination with white or other light, pastel colors.
- Sharp if it is close to dark.
- Contrasting if combined with tones from the opposite color scheme.
White table in a gray living room Source roomester.ru/
Features for different styles
Popular solutions for modern interiors are mixes of designs that combine the characteristic features of each. When choosing a certain direction or their combination, it is important to consider the appropriateness of the colors of the sofa used. The table shows popular interior styles and recommended colors for furniture upholstery.
| Stylistic direction | Color spectrum |
| Classic and neoclassical | Rich, deep shades close to natural are suitable. A universal solution would be grey, beige and brown. White and black are used as shade. Also popular are golden, dark blue, coffee, red, and amber. |
| Minimalism | Only monochrome, strict tones are used, such as blue, beige, graphite, gray, black and white. |
| Scandinavian | Monochromy is also preferred for him, but the shades should be more natural. Preference should be given to beige, white, turquoise, cold green. |
| Mediterranean | It must convey all the beauty of the marine theme, so coral, green, blue, turquoise, azure, beige, peach and milk predominate. Brown should be natural and rich. |
| Vintage | The color scheme is restrained, the use of faded patterns and colors is acceptable: light blue, pale green, pale blue. If the sofa becomes an accent, it is acceptable to use purple, brown, and blue. |
| boho | Usually, in this style, it is the upholstered furniture that becomes the center of the interior. Therefore, they choose rich colors such as orange, red, blue, raspberry, turquoise, chocolate, caramel. |
| Eco | The basis is naturalness. The color of the sofa should be warm and natural, so milk, beige, yellow, green, gray and brown palettes are chosen for the interior. |
| Pop Art | Rich, non-standard colors are appropriate here, such as silver, pink, rich blue, orange, gold, crimson, bright red, etc. Shades should be clean, without inclusions. |
| High tech | Like minimalism, it requires clear, restrained colors. The sofa can be black, gray, white, metallic. Leather sofas add a special effect. |
| Provence | A cozy, warm solution that dictates the use of pastel colors with floral prints or stripes. Preference should be given to olive, terracotta, beige, gray, and peach tones. |
These solutions are basic examples of excellent color combinations, but they can be expanded and complemented by the most unexpected options. The main thing is to maintain a combination of palettes and achieve complete harmony in the interior by correctly “fitting” the sofa into it.
Green upholstered furniture in the interior
A green sofa in the interior is calm and serene. It conveys these qualities to the living room. Green upholstered furniture is good in all acceptable color schemes: in monochrome, as a bright accent, and in combination.
Green upholstered furniture in the interior as a bright accent
Green sofas in a monochrome scheme against pale green walls
A green sofa in the interior will look great against a background of various shades of purple. If it is a rich and quite dark purple, an olive or khaki sofa will be more suitable, and bright green furniture will harmonize perfectly with soft lilac walls.
Yellow and pink surfaces are also suitable partners for green upholstered furniture. You can try combining it with orange.
Recommendations by room type
The color is selected not only according to style and personal preferences, but also according to the type of room. Each palette has a certain influence on a person, so in the bedroom it should be calm, in the nursery it should be cheerful and bright, and in the living room it should be conducive to relaxation and comfortable pastime.
Living room
When choosing the color of a sofa for the living room, the location of the room relative to the cardinal direction, the style of the room, and its size are taken into account. For example, the larger the area, the more interesting the color combinations can be. Particular attention should be paid to living rooms with irregular geometry or with several zones separated without the use of a partition.
The living room is intended for spending time with family, relaxing after work, communicating with friends and loved ones. Therefore, the color scheme is chosen to be cheerful and cozy. The upholstery can be ornamented or patterned. It is worth considering that this is where pets, if any, will be located most of the time, so a palette that is non-staining and easy to use is selected. Universal colors for the living room include beige, brown, and gray.
Bedroom
The room is designed for restful sleep and restoration of energy. It should be as comfortable and convenient as possible, allow you to relax and recharge with positivity. Therefore, it is important that the color of the furniture goes well with the decoration and has the right psychological impact on a person. Most often, calm, neutral tones are chosen, such as gray, blue, pale pink.
If a pattern is needed on the upholstery, it should be discreet, have smooth outlines, without sharp corners. In addition, it should not differ from the main color scheme. If you use bright accents, then only in the form of pillows or blankets.
Children's
When choosing the color of a sofa for a children's room, you need to take into account the child's wishes, since children are more receptive to colors than adults. We need a palette that will charge with energy, stimulate constant activity, or vice versa - calm, encourage relaxation if the child is hyperactive. Simple natural tones stimulate brain activity. Green, blue, yellow, pink colors are simple and clear. Sofa cushions, bolsters, and other textiles can be used as bright, cheerful accents.
Kitchen
The choice of color for the sofa in the kitchen depends on the size of the room. The smaller the kitchen, the lighter the sofa should be. At the same time, it must have a special coating that is easy to clean and does not absorb dirt. Contrasting combinations can also visually increase the internal volume. Orange, red, yellow perfectly stimulate appetite and lift your spirits. But, you should not overdo it when choosing the level of brightness, as excessive saturation can cause headaches and discomfort.
As for large rooms, it all depends on the decoration of the areas. For example, the recreation area can be done in calm, pastel colors. But bright, cheerful shades are good for communicating with friends and relatives. Patterns and velvet upholstery should be abandoned, as should the use of white and black.
When choosing a color palette, it is important to pay attention to the shape and size of the sofa itself. The larger the dimensions of the upholstered furniture, the more neutral and light the color should be. For example, dark blue or purple colors are acceptable for small structures, but massive products in such shades will lead to a visual reduction in space.
Psychology of Gray
The gray shade is often chosen by business, purposeful individuals with a rich spiritual world. It helps people focus and relax. But, depending on the general illumination and the saturation of the color itself, it can have a different effect on a person. If used in doses, it will have a calming effect. But if there is too much of it, it can lead to a decrease in vital energy and even despondency.
Living room decoration in gray tones Source stroy-podskazka.ru/
Photo gallery
The gallery contains photos of finished projects using sofas in different colors, which will allow you to choose the right solution for any room.
