i think the Ice Castle looks too cold and un-inviting.

I think bright red would look amazing with the blue sofa. Maybe get the extra seating in neutral colors and add red pillows, throw blanket, etc.

I love the neutral room you gave as an example, but that room is pretty traditional in style and furnishings. However your Ice Castle theme is pretty neutral as well.

Are you planning to use a lot of MidCen style pieces, or do you have a more eclectic style in mind? Or, are you secretly a traditionalist at heart? Knowing this might better help formulate a proper plan.

Some dark brown (tweed?) could put this into a very classy context. I think the thing to keep in mind (no matter the palette you choose) is to have a range of dark and light values to give each piece some punch. Mixing in some pattern helps in a similar way.

I love the idea of the neutral room as well, just for the warmth factor, but I would definitely use richer hues. Warm wheaty golds and rich browns with a couple more hits of blue would really make my butter melt!!!

I think that either a nice palette of rich browns or deep greys would compliment your sofa color

I love that couch. I think it would look great with a color scheme inspired by the neutral room, but add an accent of cobalt blue or a deep, saturated teal. That would keep it interesting. Have fun redecorating!

Have you tried plugging the couch color into a color scheme site to find something complimentary or pairing? Try http://colorschemedesigner.com.

Incidentally, I'm looking for a similar couch, but considerably smaller. Does anyone know where I might find a nice tufted and button loveseat? I'm looking for something under 65" with firm cushions, i.e., not the Corona from Macy's. Also, something that comes in a wide variety of colors would be nice since I have to match a neutral three-seater.

I've always enjoyed this shade of blue paired with a toned down yellow -- a yellow that's not lemony or buttery, but varying between a rich mustardy gold and a slightly brighter yellow gold.

Back when I was taking a class about Victorian society, I remember this scheme popping up all over the place. When the colors are brighter, they look more regal.

I find the last photo a tad too neutral, but if some more yellow came into it, I think it would make the gold accents on the mirror, lamps, frame, and table really pop.

Just as color reference: Victorian chair, Blue and gold fabric, Amy Butler's Nigella Stone collection

I picked Neutral Luxe. I would go with chairs in navy and then put two navy pillows on the couch. Then brighten up the place with smaller pillows and other accents in yellows, pinks and purples. I would paint the walls white (my current favorite is Picket Fence by Ralph Lauren) and have white accent lamps. I really like the gilt mirror and would definitely incorporate that into the room. Maybe add some other gilt or brass pieces - candlesticks, bookends, etc.

I think this is the perfect neutral room built out of COLOR.
Perhaps consider building a neutral room this way.

http://www.treat.typepad.com/treat/2008/04/i-just-received.html
(the Step Lively photo...from the cover of Elle Decor a few years ago. I am still obsessed with this room)

Concur on the rich browns others have mentioned, or a dark gray with warm tones. Throw in some white or ivory to balance it all.

I would go with a light grey wall and throw pillows should have grey in them as well. Great couch, by the way!

That is a similar color to what we have in our house but we complement it with tan, lavender, dark purple and just a few hints of fuschia, essentially bold rich 'cool' tones with warm metals like copper, it works for us :)

i like the warmer idea. its a beautiful colour, and you want to compliment it. i would paint a wall chocolate brown (like a rich yummy cup of coffee) and throw in some bright green or orange accents.

I chose Neutral Luxe, but only because you aren't interested in bright red. :) Too bad... Red would be great.

Gray walls, beige brown art and b&w photos on walls, dark wood coffee/end tables and book shelves.

royal blue, peacock green and black to ground it all.

I immediately think of green, ivory and brown with light blue. The ice castle look has been overdone and I don't think is a very inviting look for everyday use. The trends are really moving toward warmer, comfortable colors and textures. And you only need small doses of green for big impact.

Lorrie @
MyDesignSecrets.com

Love the sofa and the color. I immediately thought about the palette of the Amalfi Ocean rug: http://www.modernfurniture.com/modern-decor/rugs/amalficirclesoceanrug.cfm

Try using Adobe Kuler...it's a wonderful tool for picking color palettes. Love it!

I ditto the browns and tans: woods, fabrics, rugs, etc. Keep the room very neutral and the blue sofa IS your pop of color. Just be sure to pick up the blue in little touches throughout your room.

I'd go with a rich chocolate brown and a warm caffe au lait. Maybe add in a bit of aqua. The combination is beautiful and contemporary.

chocolate brown and ivory

I would love to see some charcoals and rich chocolates with bright whites and maybe some navys.

I have the same color sofa and was having a heck of a time 'matching' but then I realized that the color is actually neutral and looks good with everything. Even red, navy greens, hot pink and orange look wonderful with it. I would even consider a red and navy rug now where before I thought it would look odd.

I would find a piece of art that you really love or a rug and go from there.

im also for deep greys and or yellow

The bright red/ice blue combo is popular with a lot of people, but personally it makes me cringe. Out of all your choices, I'd go with the warm/neutral palette because it will feel cozier. Some of the rustic Illusorio wood pieces from Anthropologie would look great with this couch, and I'd also go with a pattern for your accent chairs. I also like the idea of combining it with a yellow, like akay said, but I'd go with a more modern floral pattern to liven things up. For the walls, you've got the space to be really creative with your color — Grab a ton of paint swatches and see what happens!

I checked out the links she posted in her comments, and after seeing that, I'd go for Akay's suggestions. The yellow-gold and blue pairing looks rich and fantastic.

I have this sofa in the same color and love it. We've paired it with a lot of gray, which looks really nice. A gray laquered TV stand, gray and turqouise throw pillow, pale gray on the walls. We also have a lot of wood and natural elements in there as well: a teak side table, cedar chest coffee table, wooden lamps with gray floral shades, and a wooly throw in ivory and brown. There is a pop or two of bright green in there as well.

I usually use a lot bolder colors when I decorate, but I love the sophisitication of this color pallete.

I agree that the "icy" look has been done--almost to death. I really like the yellow/gold look, too. It's a nice change from the orange and but still a bit in your comfort zone. I recently did a vignette in my store that has ivory, gold and a blue/grey. It's a bit more traditional than the look you're going for, but colors do play very nicely together.

www.christineschwalmdesign.com/retail-projects.html

I would go with a colour for the walls that is very popular these days -- a deep teal.

http://www.johannagrace.com/images/Dark%20Teal%20BF160new.jpg

http://shakinstyle.com/2007/04/decorating_with.html

It will make your living room very dynamic, what with the dramatic darkness of the colour, as well as the exciting and almost clashing pairing with the pale blue of the sofa.

The fluffy natural white flokati you have would work well with it (check out the article in the link above), as would a light natural sisal or seagrass. Teak would look beautiful against it (a vintage teak wall unit perhaps), as well as cognac leather.

Here are some ideas for seating:

The Koi K: 5 or K: 3

http://www.koidesign.co.uk/

I love both your ideas, but if it were my house I'd go for the Ice castle look. It always looks gorgeous.

Red, orange, lime, teal, pink, purple accents ... I can see any (but not all) of them working with either the icy or warm color scheme.

I'd use throws, vases, etc. to add pops of color as trends/my moods change. (I never realized how neutral lgt. turquoise could be!)

So many great ideas! To answer parttimedesign's question - we're open to using mid-century pieces but not glued to it. I definitely like chairs that have an interesting shape to them, so nothing too traditional.

oops, there were more suggestions for seating:

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=364860

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=364103

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=259767

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=325348

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=323021

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=319605

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=308619

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=289888

http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=266993

There are all sorts of exciting possibilities for your room; possibilities beyond the obvious "ice" and neutrals!

Good luck!

I'm thinking about getting the same sofa and am a little torn on what color to get. I always planned to get a neutral color (like camel or grey) since I thought I would be less likely to tire of it, but this color is really nice and seems to have a lot of great color scheme options. The rest of my apt is neutral (wenge table, walnut floors, ivory rugs, stainless coffee table, black eames lounge).

Does anyone have thoughts on a more neutral color for the sofa versus the blue?

That sofa would look great in a Deep Chocolate Brown or Dark Charcoal grey room with the white flokati rug - and the white/mirrored/neutral casework with some brass accents (Lamps?) and a pair of tall sexy wing chairs...

http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-116195-.htm

Red accents! Check out Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette sets and costumes- they use that colour alot.

mschatelaine:
those are some great finds on 1stdibs. I especially LOVE that they aren't the same 10 "classics" we see in just about EVERY MIDCEN HOME!

If you want bold, I would go with bright orange and bright white, especially with white metallics like nickel. (Personally, I think orange would look a lot better than red.) If you want something more muted, I would suggest moss green, paired with soft warm neutrals such as off-white, taupe, beige, camel, caramel, etc.

Oops, sorry, just saw that you're tired of orange and white! =)

I think if you are getting tired of orange accents you might become tired of the red.

I would go with rich neutral layering of either deep taupe and charcoal grey, or honey warm brown with beige/ cream colors in your rugs, accents, throws, cushions, etc then layer different shades of blues as cushions and gold or brass accents which are much more timeless than a bright color. You can always get a couple of small accessories in red or put out red flowers, a book or something you like.

This picture has some of the blue layering in cushions and a nice neutral back ground-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/4176451731/in/photostream/

this blue with honey wood warm brown-
http://cptnrin.smugmug.com/photos/389354603_bHmSz-O.jpg

You could always do greys and creams? Dark Grey Wall (my fav), and then some cream accents?

Instead of red, what about using a berry color (fuschia?) to add some punch?

I did not read the comments. My suggestions are grays, darker blues, yellows, and some silver tones.

It's more work, but you could look for prints and textures that use that blue family as one of the colors to get ideas for a color scheme. You could use some combination of the fabrics you find for other upholstery items, curtains, pillows, etc, and then pull tones of the colors in them out for other things in the room like paint. Much more interesting!

I have a sofa in a similar color from room and board (mine is slightly more grey). And similar to your choice I went with a palette of offwhite and coral (instead of white and orange).

I'm now in a new home and the coral as an accent isn't working any more. I'm thinking through a new palette. Given that I'm working with a more muted shade, I'm considering oatmeal and plum with walnut accents.

For your shade of blue I'd try one of these palettes:

Ice blue sofa, with ivory and grey for your neutrals and splashes of violet and saffron for your accents.

Ice blue sofa with oatmeal and walnut for your neutrals, and keep your splashes of orange, but add peacock blue-green to the mix.

I firmly believe a room with fewer than 5 intentionally chose colors working together will feel as if there is no depth or texture. More than 5 colors and it won't feel cohesive.

Further, I also think that you should have 3 neutrals. Just about any color can go neutral, as long as it's muted enough. E.g, palest pink and yellow can be as neutral as ivory or grey.

I wish it were so easy to start over! I've got my "cloud" sofa(grey-green-blue ), a butterscotch leather armchair, maple hardwood, lots of oatmeal and ivory window treatments, and not a clue about what to do for rugs and new upholstery for my other armchair.

*sigh*

i love akay's victorian blue/gold suggestion! i also like the idea of deep red. sophia coppola's film Marie Antoinette had some gorgeous colors (light blue, red, gold) of the Versailles Palace and the queen's dresses & shoes.

I don't think you are asking yourself (or us) the right question with "what color(s) work?"

I think the better (and first) question is "What vibe do I want to end up with?" (cool, sophisticated, chic, traditional, feminine, masculine, warm, modern, sunny, edgy, punchy, playful, grown-up?)

From there, I'd then ask myself "What do I need for the room next... rug, lamps, art, chairs?"

Let the first question guide you to an overall feel, then let that style guide you to what you need next, and let the things you find that you love drive the palette. Just take a swatch of your blue with you.

Unless, of course, you've always wanted (as an example) a monochromatic, 40's inspired glam room, full of ice blue, silvers, and gloss whites.

In my living room I have a beige sofa, deep red shag rug (which looks AWESOME) and dark gray and ice blue throw pillows and some other red and stormy blue accents around. All my furniture is black and dark brown, and this color scheme looks great. Try some red (bright or dark) and some chocolate on that couch and you'll love it. I don't know how many other people are obsessed with black like I am, but I loooooove the look of dark wood with a light colored sofa.

For other ideas, see Centsational Girl's blog, she loves that color blue and has many lovely photos of her gorgeous house. http://www.centsationalgirl.com/

Also see Jessica Jones's blog at http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/
where she combines that blue with a nice yellow in her place.

Red and Orange accents.

I think the Ice Castle design could be made warm through use of texture. Get some textured features (a thick wool shag rug, sheepskin) and it will feel warm even though the colors are cool. If you have a hardwood floor, that's a bonus for warmth despite a cool color scheme.

I would go ivorys cremes whites and lots of gold accents.

I have this exact sofa in this exact color. I paired it with ivory, chartreuse, and gray (mainly the rug). Also red-orange accents. http://www.flickr.com/photos/scarlethue/2258530567/in/set-72157604347931916/

You can also see it in my old apartment here from apartment therapy small cool contest. It looks great with orange tulips. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/small-cool-2008-southwest/southwest-10-kelly-and-joshs-work-in-progress--047788

I echo akay's suggestions. We have similar colors in our living room - greys, blue-greys, light blue, ivory, soft golds, pops of a deep mustard yellow, and a lot of dark wood tones. We love it.

That said, I'd also suggest not trying too hard to create a particular "look." I've wasted a lot of money trying to do that - it never comes out how I expect it to, and I've always been unhappy. A few years ago, I sold a bunch of my stuff, made a major move, and just arranged my remaining stuff -the stuff I kept because I truly loved it - as it most made sense in my new place. Amazingly, it all came together beautifully. It's the most pulled-together look I've ever achieved, and I did it without trying. Buy what you love and it will be ok!

See how great pale blue looks with deep teal! Check this out:

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/inspiration/christmas-decor-inspiration-living-etc-104029?image_id=979540