November 17, 2016

How to Decorate around a Dark Leather Sofa to Brighten up Your Space

A leather sofa set in the living room is the go-to interior design option for most of us. After all, it's where families and friends get together to create the best memories.

Dark tones in a sofa, however, are harder to balance if you want your space to convey a warmer vibe.

Fortunately, you don't need to spend a fortune on buying another furniture set.

There are enough creative ideas you can try out to brighten up the area around your sofa. Here are a few of them:

1. Dark-Hued Walls and Dark Leather Sofa

This particular mix can become visually dull, with time. What first seemed like an edgy modern choice can easily turn into overwhelming redecoration efforts.

Sometimes, however, compromises need to be made. If your spouse enjoys a more somber, masculine approach, there's still room for small tweaks like these:

An intimate touch with a simple mahogany library and carpets in soft colors. Soft doesn't equal bright, so you can opt for dark pastels if you wish.

White brick or ceramic tiles fireplace could also do the trick.

Plants in bright ceramic pots. Green is both calming and energizing, so it makes for a subtle fix.

You can hang black-and-white family photos opposite or above the leather sofa. If elegant/minimal is what you have in mind, you can opt for abstract, oversized paintings - preferably in black, white or gray with thin black margins.

White curtains and large windows that let the light in are a good idea too.

Just picture the above elements around a leather sofa like this:

Looks lovely, right?

2. Contrasting Vibes with Bright-Colored Walls

Contrast can also become tiring at a certain point. Black and white combinations are quite frequent, but few succeed in conveying that homely welcoming feel.

Take this black sofa as a starting point.

Fancy, right? But pretty bland if you have a white or very light background.

So it might help if you redecorate with these guidelines in mind:

Add accents in the form of fun colors. Lime green, tangerine, coral, salmon pink, turquoise, ochre - they are a tonic to the eye and help bridge the gap between light and dark.

Mix up colors and textures. A common faux pas with dark sofas is trying to match the tone exactly. We need to go beyond and play with different textures and tones. Choose gray, neutral tones for the coffee table, library or extra chairs/armchairs. You can add a crimson velvet-covered lamp, pillows in different fabrics, wood wall coverings or a wool rug.

If you own a sofa set, separate it and place the components in different parts of the room. Disrupt with neutral pieces for a more lightweight overall effect.

When on a budget, focus on creating another point of interest inside the room. One suggestion would be to paint a wall in a pastel color and cover it with several vibrant white-frame paintings or artworks. An art-nouveau mirror in gilded frame could also balance the masculine apparel of dark-toned sofas.