Your sofa is an investment, and we understand that finding the perfect new piece for your home requires lots of time and attention. When customers come to visit our showroom, we put their minds at ease by helping them narrow down their favourites and consider where the sofa will live, their lifestyle and their interior preferences. One of the major considerations when it comes to investing in a new sofa or suite is the colour – for many people, the rest of the room is designed around this so it’s an important factor. We’ve pulled together our guide of questions to ask yourself when it comes to picking out the best sofa colours for your home.
Which room is it for?
First, think about the room that will house your new sofa and how you spend your time in there. If it’s going to be in a main living area, you may want to go for a muted, neutral shade that will work easily into décor updates over time. For a playroom or family room you could have fun with a bold colour that brings energy and joy into the space. Or if you’re looking to add an armchair or love seat to a bedroom or office, that’s a great opportunity to add an accent colour such as on-trend greens and blues.
The size of the space can also influence the colours you work with. If it’s on the smaller side, you may want to opt for a lighter or pastel fabric so as not to overwhelm, whereas if there’s space to comfortably fit two sofas you could go bolder with a mix of sofa colour combinations such as pink, green and mustard. Think about opting for two complementary colours to give it a contemporary feel.
What’s your current décor?
It’s important to consider your vision for the rest of the room, whether you’re planning to keep it the same for the foreseeable future or give it a refresh. Is your new sofa going to be the focal point of your room and a starting point for a new scheme or does it need to blend in seamlessly with your existing paint, wallpaper or furniture? If your sofa is going to be the showpiece, you have the freedom to go bolder and brighter, whereas if it’s going to play more of a supporting role, choose an understated shade that works with the palette in the room.
One key feature to consider is your flooring as it can change how your sofa looks and can’t be changed too easily. A dark sofa will blend into a dark floor, so it may be best to go for a lighter fabric, or if that’s not to your taste, choose a model with lighter legs or add a rug to create space between the floor and sofa.
How would you class your interior style?
Of course, you should choose a sofa in a colour that you love. What brings you joy? Daringly bold shades, calming neutrals or somewhere in between? One way to look at it is by thinking about what’s in your wardrobe and which clothes you generally gravitate towards. If you regularly opt for pattern and bold colours then you’ll likely love a colourful sofa for years to come, but if you sway towards a more neutral wardrobe, you might be best sticking to a subtler colour that you can add to with accessories.
Do you like to follow interior trends and change things up regularly or are you committed to your own style? If you like switching things up regularly then a versatile grey or beige sofa may be your best option as you can easily style it up in line with new trends or when your taste changes.
What does your day-to-day life look like?
Have a think about your everyday routines – who will be using the sofa (human or four-legged) and how regularly? With kids and pets, if you’re worried about stains, it may be best to stick to a darker colour which is more forgiving to stains and marks.
Do you need a relaxing escape at the end of a busy day at work, or do you want to feel energised when at home? To create a calming sanctuary, choose warm neutrals and carry this palette throughout your room. If you’d like to inject personality and energy to give you some motivation, going bold is the way to go.
Are there any finishing touches you plan to add?
Of course, your sofa isn’t going to be the only thing in the room, so consider what else you need to either make it stand out, or blend in seamlessly. If going for a colourful sofa, balance it out around the room with a few accents of the same colour in your accessories. Or if you choose to go neutral, you could make a statement with other furniture pieces such as cabinets and sideboards and draw attention to other homewares.
Colour FAQs
Part of choosing your sofa is considering the other colours in the room – often, walls and flooring are the other considerations that play a part in the room’s palette. Our in-house stylist has answered some of the most common colour questions to help you choose confidently.
What colours go with a grey sofa?
Grey is a super popular sofa colour as it lends itself really well to moving trends. It’s two ends of the spectrum for this colour – either complementing with light, airy neutrals such as beige, white, or stone, or going for a rich colour such as jewel greens, deep oranges and warm mustards. While there are few limits to pairing colours with a grey sofa, we would steer clear of pastels or earthy tones such as browns as they can feel quite flat.
What colours go with a black sofa?
If you’ve got a black sofa then you already have quite a striking piece in the room, so you want to focus on creating balance so as not to overload the senses. Dusky, soft colours such as sage greens or dusty pinks are a lovely way to keep colour in the room without going super bright. And of course a monochrome palette never goes out of date, so dressing with textured white cushions and neutral shades will always be a failsafe option.
What colours go with a teal sofa?
It’s no wonder teal has become such a popular sofa colour choice, with blues and greens sweeping through many homes in recent years. Teal is a lovely rich colour that plays well with other colourful hues, so don’t be afraid to mix and match. We love seeing it with deep ochre tones, or pops of pink. You can also play with pattern – colour-clashing vibrant prints to make this feel nice and cosy with an injection of fun. This sort of palette also works well with other shades of blue, such as a popular navy blue sofa.
What colours go with a mink sofa?
A mink sofa colour has become a popular choice in recent years – a little different to the classic grey with enough richness to bring some warmth into the room. It can be a tricky colour to style, so we’d advise paring it with light, crisp neutrals so as not to date it. There is a fine line between mink looking striking and contemporary, compared to dowdy and tired, and keeping a fresh, clean palette is key for the former.
Ultimately, it’s best to trust your instincts, especially if you’ve had your heart set on a specific colour for a long time. You could try creating a mood board and testing out your fabric samples with images of other items in the room. Explore our made to order sofa collections and order your favourite fabric samples.
