How to choose the color of a sofa to match the interior: tips and ready-made solutions

General tips for choosing a sofa

Before choosing the color of the sofa in the interior, it is worth considering the basic rules:

• Ideally, the design of the room should be thought out before the renovation begins, so that the desired color combinations are clear in advance. If you have the opportunity, it is better to contact a professional designer during the planning stage.
• Choose the shade of the upholstery consciously and thoughtfully, because the colors we find ourselves among affect our state. If you want to buy a sofa with bright upholstery, you should think about whether this is a momentary desire? Will you get tired of the color after a year or a few?
• Focus not on trends and fashionable solutions, but on your preferences. If, for example, gray sofas are popular in all catalogs at some point, this does not mean that this will suit you too.
• Decide what you expect from a sofa. Will you unfold it every day and use it as a bed? Is the capacity of the boxes and their presence in general important? There are many sofa folding mechanisms on the market, from which you can choose a model that suits your request.
• Pay attention to the upholstery material: will stains be easy to remove? The question is especially relevant if you are looking for kitchen furniture or if there are small children in the family.

Selection by type of room

The second important factor when choosing a sofa is the type of room. Here again you need to focus on psychology: is the room intended for rest and sleep or for communication and leisure? Is the color “suitable” for the residents of an apartment, house or specific room?

Kitchen

The main thing to consider when choosing a sofa for the kitchen is its size. Plain white or beige sofas are better suited for small kitchens: they visually expand the space. Bright upholstery may look inharmonious: like a bright spot that will be difficult to beat.

In large kitchens and especially in layouts where the cooking area is combined with a dining room or even a living room, bright sofas, on the contrary, look great: they zone the space and visually expand it.

Note! When choosing a sofa for your kitchen, make sure that the upholstery is easy to remove stains. A great option is leather sofas.

An example of harmonious zoning of space in the kitchen

Living room

In living rooms, the sofa becomes the center around which the whole family and guests gather. Because of this, it is better to implement bold and unusual ideas in the living room: bright sofas and colors with patterns look appropriate and harmonious here. You can choose calmer options: in this regard, the living room is the most versatile room.

A successful and unusual combination of orange, lavender and white colors

When choosing a sofa for the living room, take into account the interior of the room, the amount of light in it (rooms facing the non-sunny side are best “brightened” with white furniture) and the size of the room.

A beige sofa brightens the living room

Bedroom

For the bedroom, choose sofas in neutral and soft soothing shades: beige, light brown, light gray. Often, especially if you choose a folding sofa for sleeping, darker upholstery in natural tones looks organic.

Remember that the bedroom should first of all be calm and comfortable. Brightness can be added with lighter elements than the sofa: with tulle and curtains, wall panels or paintings.

Kumo sofa bed is a great model for the bedroom

Children's

When choosing a sofa for a nursery, also consider whether the child will sleep on it. If so, it is better, as in the bedroom, not to buy sofas in flashy colors: they can interfere with relaxation.

In general, in recent years the trend of colorfully decorating children's bedrooms has been weakening. Practical considerations play an important role: too “childish” an interior will become uncomfortable for a teenager, and he will have to make repairs again and buy new furniture.

Sofa bed in a girl's bedroom

Here we have selected trending colors for 2022.

Gray wallpaper in the interior of different rooms:

Having chosen gray for the walls in the apartment, let's see how they will look in different rooms.

Bedroom:

Hallway:

Kitchen:

Children's:

Living room:

Bathroom:

Shade palettes and features of their use

To make it easier to plan color combinations, shades are divided into several groups: monochrome, neutral and saturated.

Monochrome palette

Monochrome shades are white, black and gray. These basic tones can be used in all styles and in combination with any other colors. Monochrome shades “dilute” the interior and give it harmony.

• White is a color that can visually enlarge a room and make it lighter, which is important if the windows do not face the sunny side.

Advice! If you are choosing a sofa for a small room, consider white or light models: they will “expand” the space. Dark small sofas in small rooms, on the contrary, are best avoided.

White sofa in the interior

• Black is a more “dangerous” option, which, however, looks great in spacious rooms and loft and minimalist styles. Perfectly balances other colors and adds severity and masculinity, suitable for work spaces and living rooms.

Black sofa in the living room

• Gray is a universal color that goes with all bright shades. Unlike white and black, this is a softer and more relaxing monochrome. Suitable for any room, popular in Scandinavian and classic styles, Provence and minimalism.

Idea! When combining some rich color and white or black, it is better to add gray elements: they will soften the space and make it more comfortable.

A gray sofa fits into any interior

Palette of neutral shades

Neutrals include all muted and not very saturated tones: beige, brown, light pink, lavender, tiffany, light blue and others. They are suitable for decorating cozy bedrooms and living rooms.

A good example of a sofa in a neutral shade is the pink Lucia sofa

Rich shades

Bright colors are used to create an accent and enliven a room. They have a tonic effect, so they look natural in kitchens and living rooms. Such colors can be called dangerous: it is important to observe moderation and not accidentally make the room too catchy.

Be sure to balance rich colors with monochrome and neutrals, and use two or more bright colors in the same room with caution.

A good example of a combination of bright colors

Color schemes when decorating a room

Color schemes are ready-made options that describe the principle of combining shades in a room. The names of color schemes are similar to the names of shade palettes, it is important not to confuse them!

Monochrome design

The simplest principle of combination is monochrome. In this case, the entire room is decorated in the same color scheme, but using several different shades and usually white, black or gray “for dilution.”

In a monochrome design, the sofa is often, but not always, the element of the richest tone.

Monochrome living room in white

Neutral design

Neutral design is the most comfortable option. All furniture and decor are chosen in soft colors that are comfortable to the eye, often a combination of black, gray and white or white and brown in different tones.

With a neutral design, depth and completeness are achieved not so much by combining colors, but by combining different textures.

Living room in beige tones

Bright sofa and neutral background

By choosing a sofa that will become an accent in the neutral design of the room, you can make the room more interesting and complete. In addition, this is a great way of zoning.

There are no elements in the room of the same color as the sofa, but the interior looks harmonious

Neutral sofa in a room with a bright design

In this case, the sofa and all the furniture act as elements that balance the bright walls, thereby achieving balance. The shades of sofas for this purpose are chosen to be basic, but not too harsh, for example, not pure white or black, but ivory or dark gray.

Dark gray sofa in a bright living room

Bright sofa and bright decor

A bold solution for living rooms is a combination of several bright colors in one room. Usually, in order for the composition to look harmonious, the walls are made white or white with a catchy pattern, and the furniture is chosen in different colors, but approximately the same saturation.

You can also play up the deep tones of the upholstery: for example, choose bright wallpaper and elements for a purple sofa.

Purple sofa in a bright living room

What wallpaper if the ceiling is lilac?

For different shades of lilac stretch ceilings, wallpaper in white, beige, silver or golden shades with various inclusions or patterns of darker purple, lilac or black is suitable.

Interesting materials:

How to convert tons of garbage to m3? How to convert thousand m3 to tons? How to transport a cat in the cabin of an airplane? How to transport medications on an airplane? How to transport a puppy on a plane in Russia? How to transport perfume on an airplane? How to transport a cat on a plane abroad? How to transport skis and boots on an airplane? How to carry an umbrella and a cane on an airplane? How to reboot the Asus Zenpad 10 tablet?

Choosing a sofa to suit the style of the room

If you adhere to a specific design style, then the sofa should fit organically into it. Designers have developed ready-made combinations for different directions to make choosing the color of the sofa easier:

• Classic

Solid neutral shades of brown, gray, white, beige.

Gray Angelic sofa in a classic style interior

• Art Deco

Red, black, blue sofas.

For interiors in the Art Deco style, dark-colored sofas are often chosen

• Retro

Rich warm shades: brown, yellow-brown, orange-red, beige-orange.

When decorating a room in a retro style, try not to make it too dark. For example, yellow-orange or patterned wallpaper will go well with a brown sofa, but it is important to consider the amount of light in the room.

Light brown sofa in a retro interior

• High tech

Acid and bright colors, often plain upholstery.

An example of a successful combination of blue and neutral shades

• Minimalism

Plain upholstery. Gray, white, black are suitable.

A characteristic combination for minimalism: gray, white, black and beige

• Provence

Delicate and light shades of blue, lilac, pink, beige. Sofas with neutral patterns fit in.

White sofa in Provence style in the living room

• Country

Natural tones: yellow, green, beige, brown. Sofas with a combination of different colors and bright colors are suitable.

For country style, it is important to choose natural and deep upholstery tones.

• Scandinavian style

Soft and soothing shades, plain upholstery. Grey, white, beige.

Simple sofa shapes with white, gray and beige upholstery suit Scandinavian style

Advice! The most universal colors of sofas are neutral and light or medium-saturated. These colors fit into any interior, and this is the simplest solution. It is only important that the color of the sofa does not completely coincide with the shade of the walls: for example, the color of the sofa with beige wallpaper should be several tones richer or lighter.

What to choose for the kitchen?

Look at ready-made design projects and catalogs of furniture stores, copy what “responds” inside and relate it to your capabilities. Take into account the size of the room and its shape, the placement of windows and doors. It is better to decorate the kitchen in art deco, hi-tech, Provence or loft style. If you like a glossy work apron, pair it with cute and spacious caramel cabinets. Fans of calm, cozy interiors can take a closer look at chocolate tones, “morning coffee” colors and creme brulee.

Why don't we focus your attention on light shades? They are impractical. In the kitchen it is customary to cook and eat, the hood and stove work here, meat and vegetables are cut. Be prepared to either constantly wipe everything down, or think through everything down to the smallest detail and be extremely vigilant. In general, decide what is more important: beauty or practicality? As a compromise, we offer easy-to-clean glossy surfaces.

Principles for selecting color combinations

The last point that must be taken into account when deciding how to choose the color of the sofa to match the interior is the rules and methods of combining colors with each other.

Itten Circle

The Itten Circle is a tool that helps designers and artists choose harmonious color combinations, and an excellent cheat sheet for those who are thinking about what color of the sofa to choose.

There are two popular options for the circle. The first consists of 12 compartments, the second “continues” each color with several of its shades: from more saturated to less saturated.

To decide on a color palette, it is easier to use a circle with 12 compartments.

Below are 6 color combination options. You can visually scroll through the circles, changing colors to find the right combination.

Itten circle: color combinations

It’s easier and more convenient to use Itten’s interactive circles, which can easily be found on the Internet. For example, to find out what color of the sofa will go with beige wallpaper, just select the beige color and choose from ready-made color combinations.

Advice! Use the Itten circle if you choose a sofa with a pattern or upholstery in several colors. The combination of colors in the sofa should be in harmony with the color scheme of the room and, especially, with wallpaper and curtains.

A living room in gray tones looks complete thanks to lilac elements

Ready-made color solutions. How to correctly combine the color of a sofa and wallpaper

A table of ready-made color solutions can help when choosing a sofa to match the color of the wallpaper. Please note that most interiors use more than two colors. To select such a combination, it is better to work with the Itten circle.

Also think about the color of the curtains in advance: usually, like the sofa, they become the second large element that attracts attention. There is even a classic rule: curtains and a sofa should be the same color, and there should be few other similar elements in the room.

However, today designers adhere to this rule less and less. For example, if you are thinking about what kind of curtains will go with a brown sofa, it is better not to choose dark tones, including brown ones: then the room will look gloomy even with light wallpaper.

Advice! Consider the amount of light in the room: if there is not enough light, it is better that the wallpaper or at least the sofa and curtains are light. For small rooms, consider interiors with a predominance of white.

Table of solutions for matching a sofa to the color of the wallpaper

Calm, but not “pale” bedroom

In this room you can relax your body and soul, replenish your reserves of strength and energy. That is why, when creating a design project, the character and preferences of the customers are primarily taken into account, and not fashion trends and the characteristics of the room. It is important to make the atmosphere harmonious, and beige is also useful for this, and it can cope with the task on its own. Both furniture and walls can be made in the same color palette. It won't seem very boring here.

Designers advise paying special attention to pearl gray, which will bring a little coolness to the space. You know that it is useful to fall asleep in a ventilated, fresh room, and here a similar principle works. To “revive” neutral sets, get cute decorative items or textiles in blue. Choose a bed, wardrobe and dressing table of the same color and look at the design projects of bedrooms, made in the style of minimalism or classics.