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Five Ways to Decorate with a Brown Sofa

Written on September 5, 2012 at 11:00 am , by

Everyone knows a brown sofa is extremely practical, which is why so many retailers sell them and so many of us buy them!  Dark brown is most forgiving when it comes to dirt and stains and for those of us with active families, a brown sofa is a smart choice. 

One complaint that accompanies the ownership of a brown sofa is an assumption that the color is blah or boring.  Not true!  Here are five ways to style a brown sofa so that it remains fresh and modern.

 

Lighten Up.   A dark brown sofa will not dominate a space when surrounded by lighter elements.  Paint the walls a pale neutral then choose artwork, accessories, and accent furniture in lighter or colorful hues to balance the darkness of the piece.  

 

brown sofa patterened pillows bhg

 

Crisp white ceilings and trim also keep the space light and bright.

 

brown sofa light trim bhg

 

Welcome Warm Tones.  Brown is a warmer neutral that plays well with wood and other warm tones, just think of all the colors of fall!  Choose accent hues in autumn colors such as deep red, mustard yellow, or burnt sienna to pair naturally with a brown sofa.

 

brown sofa colorful pillows and rug bhg

 

warm tones brown sofa bhg

 

Cool It.   Brown works equally well with cooler blues and greens.  Use accent chairs, window panels, or colorful pillows in cooler tones to add calm and color to a space anchored by a brown sofa.  

 

cool tones brown sofa bhg

 

brown sofa green accents bhg

 

Console Yourself.    Although this sofa is tan not brown, the same design principle applies.  Pull the sofa into the center of the room, layer a console table along the back, then fill it with books or other objects to take the eye away from the sofa and toward the decorative display.

 

tan sofa console table bhg

 

Embrace It.   Add accent chairs that pick up the hue of the existing dark sofa and cover the sofa with decorative pillows to lighten the visual weight of darker furniture. 

 

brown sofa and accent chairs bhg

  

Work with the existing piece by painting the walls a similar hue.  Use the power of contrast to create impact between light and dark with crisp white ceilings and trim.

 

chocolate brown sofa light pillows bhg

 

Brown sofas are cozy and stylish too when paired with pops of fresh color and the contrast created with white.   In what ways do you style your brown sofa or dark upholstered furniture?

 

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24 Responses to “Five Ways to Decorate with a Brown Sofa”

  1. September 6, 2012 at 8:10 pm, by HousebyHolly

    I just refreshed our family room and we just so happen to have a brown leather couch. A recent trip to a tag sale, led to a turquoise dresser for $5 that inspired the whole room. I hope you can check it out!
    http://housebyholly.blogspot.com/2012/08/hitting-it-from-all-angles-new-family.html

  2. September 8, 2012 at 10:03 pm, by Kate

    Wow Holly, well done! I love your light pillows with turquoise accents!
    Kate

  3. September 9, 2012 at 1:17 pm, by Deniseinark

    After years of negotiation, my husband won and we bought a dark brown leather sofa and love seat. I’m not a fan of the blue or turquoise and brown palette that’s been so popular, and I had never been able to make this room what I wanted to be. ESPECIALLY since I’m a bright color kinda girl. Then I went to work at Pier 1 and seeing the different ways our dark sofas have looked in different seasons showed just how versatile this color can be and now I have a whole new appreciation for this furniture. Still, I appreciate this article because now I understand the why and how a great look comes from these dark basics.

  4. September 9, 2012 at 2:29 pm, by Tammy Masson

    Wow! I sure needed this article! I’ve been thinking of asking this very question, as I am one of your most inept decorators/DIYers who follows you! I have a new dark brown leather couch, and this article has given me lots of ideas to consider to help me make my family room look good. Thank you so much!!! Again, I follow you because I love your decorating style, your creativity, your photography, and your writing style! You’re truly fabulous! (I’ve stumbled across you right near the beginning of your blog and have checked in nearly every day since!!!)

  5. September 9, 2012 at 7:31 pm, by Meagan

    Thank you so much for this article Kate! I have a dark brown leather couch and replacing it is simply not an option right now. It gets downright depressing seeing room after room with white or light slip covered couches all over blogland and magazines. I love seeing rooms that look different from the norm and I appreciate your recognition that dark couches can be lovely in rooms too. Thank you for showing some outside-of-the-white ideas :-)

  6. September 10, 2012 at 12:05 am, by Shelley Fosse

    I am so inspired! I have been gearing up to slipcover my large brown sectional-but it is huge and was going to be SO MUCH work. After reading this I really think my four kid, one dog, and one cat family may be better off sticking with the brown sofa and painting furniture and making curtains instead. Thank you!

  7. September 10, 2012 at 9:17 am, by C.A. @ How To Be A Heroine

    Thanks for the tips! We don’t have a brown sofa, but we do have two very large brown club chairs. I always fret about how to decorate around them. These are some great ideas!

  8. September 10, 2012 at 9:18 am, by Etsy Find of the Week: Martha & Ash « embrace my space

    [...] so I recommend you take full advantage of any such decorating double-threat!  Take a look at this article to see how many different style directions you can take a regular brown sofa using different [...]

  9. September 10, 2012 at 10:48 am, by Joanne Herda

    Oh YES! We LOVE brown sofas and chairs. They are the staples of our living area. The color adds a distinctive area in our space, which we need since it serves as a living room, dining rooms, sitting area and kitchen. We have another brown sofa on order now. We keep with the throw pillow vibe to add warmth, interest and natural elements. Here is how how brown sofa and chair looked a few months back…. http://doublewideinthesky.blogspot.com/p/living-room.html

    I made some changes since then, but you get the point ;) Thanks for this great collection for future inspiration!

    -Joanne

  10. September 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm, by Kate

    Thanks so much for sharing Joanne!

  11. September 10, 2012 at 2:23 pm, by Kate

    Thanks so much Tammy!

  12. September 11, 2012 at 5:18 am, by Kathleen meyer

    Please do one on decorating with a red sofa! As a lover of turquoise & green I’m completely stymied on how to pull a room together with this color. It’s a great comfy sofa so I don’t want to get rid of it. Has a skinny beige stripe in it too.

  13. September 11, 2012 at 11:53 am, by Erica

    I needed this article. I’m in a major brown sofa dilemma. I bought it not because it was my prefered color of choice, but like you said because it was practical with two dogs. Now I’ve got some great ideas on decorating with them. :)

  14. September 14, 2012 at 9:59 am, by Evie

    Oh my! I have two dark brown leather sofas and a room that needs a makeover. This has given me some great ideas to lift that room. Thank you.

  15. October 8, 2012 at 4:09 am, by Decorating Your Home with a Brown Sofa - All Things HomeAll Things Home

    [...] Read the full article here: Five Ways to Decorate with a Brown Sofa [...]

  16. October 8, 2012 at 1:19 pm, by nicole

    can you suggest a blue paint color like the shade in the 5th picture (with the green curtains)

    Thanks!

  17. November 5, 2012 at 7:27 am, by Jen

    Love all these ideas!!! Do you know where I can get the fabric in the 2nd photo? The one with the brown and orange color scheme?? Lhas a feedsack fabric look… If you could please email me, I’d be so grateful… Thank you- Jen

  18. December 12, 2012 at 1:02 pm, by Color Psychology: Decorating With Brown

    [...] to decorate with brown, check out Kate’s post from BHG Sensational Style where she discussed Five Ways to Decorate with a Brown Sofa. Now that you know how to decorate with Brown, how would you apply it to your color scheme? Would [...]

  19. January 11, 2013 at 8:32 am, by cheap leather sofas

    Love the ideas, brown is a fantastic colour for a new sofa.

  20. January 14, 2013 at 3:03 pm, by cheap leather settees

    love the post, love the ideas and of course love the brown sofas, especially with the crisp white ceilings. Brown is a fantastic colour to choose for your sofa as it can be used with so many different colour schemes. Find cheap brown leather sofas here to spice up your room.

  21. January 25, 2013 at 3:08 pm, by more Etsy sales

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  22. February 10, 2013 at 11:31 pm, by sharon

    Where can I find the accent chair in the fifth picture? This one that is striped with the blue and green

  23. February 22, 2013 at 3:53 pm, by Ashlee

    I have tan walls, white trim and black interior doors. I purchased a chocolate brown micro fiber furniture piece because I have two dogs.

    However, I have also made black & white curtains (horizontally striped) for my living room. How can I tie all this together?

    I’m having trouble! Help!

  24. February 23, 2013 at 2:02 pm, by Wendy Marshall

    The room up above that is the fifth one down the page has a beautiful wall color. Can anyone tell me what color that is?