Every so often, we homeowners find ourselves in a conundrum – how to pick out the right furniture for certain rooms in our homes. Most often, it’s not the materials, designer, or comfort level of said furniture that is the hardest decision. No, choosing the right color is the biggest challenge! Whether you’re starting off the new season purchasing a new love or seat or restoring a retro-colorful sofa, what are the strategies to ensure it matches the space’s color schemes and emotional intentions?
This blog will cover some of the fundamental tips to not ending up with buyer’s remorse on your exciting new furniture purchase.
Colorful Sofas – What are the Ground Rules for Colorful Furniture?
Without an interior designer or color specialist by your side, shopping for new furniture can be an intimidating experience. Even if you’re not buying new furniture and simply having some restored or reupholstered, you don’t want to select a color or even texture that will clash with the emotional intentions of your space. But, fear not, there are some rules you can follow that will lead you down the path towards creative success!
- The louder the color, the more counterbalance is needed.
No one is going to stop you from buying an electric blue, green, or purple leather couch (maybe your spouse), and that’s fine, as long as the rest of the room has enough contrast and neutrality to balance out the power of the loud color.
If you decide to buy an extremely colorful sofa, it will act as an eye-catching centerpiece in the space – which is why it so desperately will need some counterbalance from the other color arrangements. For example, picture a fiery hot-rod red leather sofa in an entertainment space; it would work well with rich charcoal gray or earthy warm brown walls and a natural wood-stained floor. The sofa can not overpower the space and cause headaches because it is subdued with deep absorbing warm/neutral colors.
You can also balance the bold-colored sofa with lighter colors such as wheat-tones accents or soft feathery colors easier on the eye. The softer tones will allow the bold sofa to take center stage without competing for your attention. Using less saturated colors to balance out your colorful pieces will create the sense of balance we are after!
This color strategy works on a spectrum; if you keep it in mind, you’ll never have to worry about overpowering a space with too much color.
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- Don’t Plan on Painting Just Yet!
As a color expert and interior paint consultant, I’m usually a proponent of painting interior areas in small amounts to improve existing color schemes. Painting is the right way to go if you want to create a new color palette or rescue an imbalance in your design. The best time to paint is when a strategy and plan are involved!
When people buy a colorful sofa, loveseat, or lounge and think, “well, if it doesn’t work with our interior design scheme, we’ll paint the room!” I strongly recommend reconsidering. It’s not that painting the room to match the furniture cannot work; it’s the fact that there’s usually collateral fallout from impulsive painting.
When color specialists and interior designers choose paint colors for a home, it’s not willy-nilly. Lots of thought and consideration go into choosing specific colors for walls, trim, accents, and built-in furniture. If a homeowner impulsively throws a new color on their walls to match a new piece of furniture, chances are it will open up a whole new host of color issues that have to be resolved.
If you are buying a piece of furniture or planning on choosing a colorful piece to add to your home, I suggest starting with a plan to know what your bolder choice is, and what your softer colors will be. Include your paint color choices before you make your purchase. That way, you will know the size and placement of your bold colors or accent walls and when and where you will want your supporting furniture pieces and paint colors to fit in!
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- Textures Have More Impact than We Realize!
Have you ever had that experience of being really excited about a design scheme or color palette you have picked out for a space, and then when it all comes together, it feels like something is missing? That would be the absence of texture in interior design. Texture adds visual interest, dynamics, and dimension to interior spaces. So, when choosing furniture, it’s important to consider what its textures will bring to the space.
If you’re in a space rich with textures such as various woods, woven fabrics, glassworks, art pieces, metals, etc., it may be a good idea to choose furniture that is less expressive, balancing out your design by bringing some calmness and neutrality to the space. If your space is void of texture, then highly-textured elaborate furniture can bring some much-needed life and eye- candy to the space! Once again, it’s all about balance.
What’s Your Preference!?
What is your experience with colorful sofas and other pieces of furniture? Have you tried something that just didn’t work? Were you able to make it work by adding some accessories and other colors to the space? Please share your stories/opinions; I love hearing from you!
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Great advice, Amy! Color and texture all work in concert together in a room and adding a piece is like adding a line to the symphony – it all still needs to work together and balance and enhance other elements and these are great, practical ways to make sure it does just that!
I could not agree with you more Janet! I often think of the texture as one of the “colors” in the room. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading this weeks post!
This is such great advice, Amy! I appreciate the examples you used and definitely agree about the texture! And it is so important in the moment of purchase to consider the context of the rest of the home and how the new piece will relate – or alter the balance. Great post!
Thanks so much Crystal, I am so glad you agree when the balance, it is everything!
Such great advice Amy! I think most people choose furniture colors without considering the impact it will make on the overall space. They pick a bold color they like and then struggle to make it work. Your advice to consider the whole room, including the textures, is so important!
I am so glad you enjoyed my post Linda, every part of a design is important, including the textures!