For many living rooms, the sofa is the centerpiece. It’s the first thing people notice when they walk in. All the other pieces of furniture rely on the sofa to ‘work’. It truly can make or break a space. Knowing how to properly style a sofa is essential to making a living room really pop…. and it gives you an excuse to buy new throw pillows, because we all need more of those 😉
Today, we’re sharing with you 5 simple steps to a perfectly styled sofa that’ll make any living room come alive.
Choose Your Theme
To start, first you need to choose your theme. This might be based on the general style of the home (modern, traditional), an upcoming season (fall, winter, spring, summer), or a more trend-based style (boho, eclectic, mid-century). Choosing a theme is important because it will set the foundation for all your other choices as you style a sofa, and will make it easy to tie the room together.
This living room was part of a staging our design team put together at a luxury high rise- Hanover Montrose. Because of this, our team went with a more high-end theme to fit the property.
Choose Your Colors
Make sure you keep your theme in mind when it comes to this step. You might already have a color palette in mind, and if so, that’s great! If you need a little extra help, try checking out Pinterest for inspiration. A good rule of thumb for color palettes is one light color, one dark color and one accent. But remember- sometimes less is more, especially in a smaller space where too much color can easily get overwhelming. Being open-minded to playing around with color is key to style a sofa like a designer.
Incorporating color doesn’t have to mean throwing vibrant shades all over the place. It can be as simple as playing with pairing different neutrals, like how our team did with this sofa in a model at Harper’s Retreat.
Add Some Texture
Typically, this means picking out the perfect throw blanket- although there are also plenty of other interesting things you can use to spice up your sofa if you just get a little creative (think rugs.. tapestries.. the sky’s the limit!). Refer back to your theme and consider different textures that would work with it. If you’re going a more eclectic route, something with pom poms can be a fun pop. If you’d prefer a more glam route, try and find something with a metallic twinkle to it. Once you’ve picked your texture piece, drape it over the back or a corner.
The golden yellow throw, with its fun tassels on the edges was the perfect texture addition to this sofa in a model at the Aris. Our design team loved working in this space!
Fill In The Space With… Pillows!
This is easily the most fun step when you style a sofa- because who doesn’t like accent pillows? Don’t be afraid to introduce a complementary pattern (as long as it fits your color palette) into the mix, and make sure to mix up the variety with different sizes and styles of pillows. Finally, layer them on, starting from the corners and working in. The number of pillows you’ll need depends on both the size of the couch and personal preference- so just go with your gut and listen to your inner Joanna Gaines.
Pillows can turn an otherwise neutral couch into a fun point-of-interest, like in this model at Southmore our design team put together.
Don’t Forget The Surrounding Pieces
Even a perfectly-styled sofa will fall flat in an otherwise dull space. Make sure the other pieces in your living room match with the theme and color palette you have chosen for your sofa styling, and pay special attention to coffee and end tables to really round out the look.
This space was a corporate housing project our team worked on. The rug, table lamp and matching coffee and end tables really bring the look together and give the room a cozy vibe.
And voila! You have a beautifully styled sofa, and a living room that’s ready to dazzle.
Whether you’re staging a home to sell, trying to design the perfect backdrop for an Instagram or blog photoshoot, or simply just want to love living in the space you’re in, we hope this guide offered some useful advice and helped you learn how to style a sofa!
And if you’re having trouble finding just the right pieces to accent your space, feel free to stop by the showroom and have a look around our selection, or ask one of our talented team members what they recommend!
