Q: I have a green sofa and matching loveseat. They are not so pretty, but they're what I have. So, I'm looking for suggestions about wall colors that might make the sofa/loveseat look really great. I am moving into a new apartment and would really like to make great design decisions early. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
I am also looking for some pillows for the two pieces. Suggestions there would also be appreciated. New to designing, so I need all the help I can get. Thanks!
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Nomade Express Slee...
Go neutral. I think the "bones" of your room should be neutral. And your accents appropriately vibrant and colorful. I'd be going for a breezy beachy look...
http://img4-3.coastalliving.timeinc.net/i/2011/07/Beach-Cottages/South-Carolina/vibrant-beach-dining-room-l.jpg?400:400
If you're not a fan then why not try to Craig's list them and use the cash for ones you love?
White, crisp and fresh. Agree with the other comment. Keep the room neutral and add drapes with an interesting pattern that tie it together.
http://besttopdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/green-living-rooms-3.jpg
Just to be very straight-forward, i'm not sure paint will make that sofa look really great. I would consider selling it and getting something easier to work with.
Go for a muted gold
For the wall color:
I would get a few paint strips with several colors on either side of your sofa color. Choose one of those colors (lighter or darker, not matching) as your wall color and the sofa color will look more like a choice.
For accents:
I would start by looking at what you have to put in the room with the sofa. Is there a great color in an area rug you are using or in a photo/art piece on your wall? Use those for your inspiration and let your heart choose the form of accessories you love. Candles, books, mementos and everything else are more beautiful in your home if they have a story and meaning to you.
Good Luck!
I agree with the neutral advice from earlier poster. I painted my little house Sherwin Williams Divine White with super white trim. I get lots of compliments on my paint color. Might be nice with your green sofas. I would go with bold color accessories to detract from so much green.
Pillow shopping on Etsy is always fun! :)
I have a sofa about the same color (Ikea's Karlstad in Korndal green) and just moved into a new place, so I'll be eagerly awaiting what everyone else has to say...
In our last place, I used mostly white, wood, navy blue, and pops of bright color with the sofa. I have a few graphic throw pillows (one white with navy ikat-style spots, one white with a fuchsia, yellow, green & navy floral pattern) and a white throw. Our walls are white (Benjamin Moore's Atrium White) with pink undertones that really show through in our basement apartment.
I'd go for a dark, chocolatey brown. Maybe just on one wall, with something creamy on the others. We have that color combination going on in our bathroom, and it looks very clean and organic.
A neutral natural-fiber rug, like a woven jute or sisal one (something like this, maybe: http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Hand-woven-Zolen-Braided-Jute-Rug-5-x-76/5016994/product.html) would also look nice with the green -- nice earthy colors.
For a new couch try some consignment shops...a local one near a University here has amazing prices, around $100, they are clean and in excellent condition. Otherwise, I wonder if you can take the covers off the back cushions? Turn them inside out and change the uncomfortably pointy shape by re-sewing seams into a better, more squared off shape. Remove some stuffing and re-shape those to fit. That would make the couch look more acceptable. If you like throws, that and pillows could help minimize the color a bit more. Neutrals with accents of yellow and the green could look good.
I would paint and decorate with a few different green colors, to make the couch look intentional. Dark teal, turquoise, hunter green.
I have 3 couches I LOVE and I got them all for free from craigslist or friends! Really, bulky things like that usually if you have a way of moving it (friends with trucks) that is all that matters.
But if you want to keep it, play with purples and fuschias! In moderation...
http://www.yankodesign.com/images/design_news/2008/07/07/qt_table.jpg
Wall color cannot make a sofa you acknowledge is not pretty "look really great." You can add a lot of throw pillows (I would go with something like turkish kilim pillows that you can find really well-priced on ebay (much less than on etsy)), blankets, rugs, art, and colorful/textural window coverings to the room to distract from the sofas themselves - if you want to go for a kind of boho look. But those things cost money. If you prefer a more modern, streamlined style of decorating, then save that money and spend it on a sofa you don't need to cover up. You can get great deals on sofas - I just picked up a vintage Ethan Allen (so it's sturdy) that had been recently reupholstered in my favorite color velvet for $450 at the consignment store. If the seller had thought to put it on craigslist instead it might have been cheaper (and the seller still would have made more $$)
If you are going to keep these sofas and try to disguise them, find a textile that you like and want to use in the room - a rug, pillow cover, throw blanket, or drapery - and pull a wall color out of the colors in that item.
I'm with @nextthursday - i think a dark brown would do good things for this color.
What about stripes of muted turquoise and white? Something to draw your eye away from the sofa.
As for color schemes, honeydew/eggplant/coral, honeydew/muted turquoise/natural tans, honeydew/berry/dark brown wood/white walls
@Cathryn@CAROINTERIORS: Love your input :)
I second the multiple greens. If the room has a nice window I would do a leafy curtain (I am picturing these http://assets8.designsponge.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1_lizzie.jpg but http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70174983/#/90112017/ would also work) and then add lots of green leafy plants. Going too white is just going to make the sofa pop more but multiple greens will help it blend. I'd combine it with a sisal or jute rug and lots of natural wood. The vibe I'm picturing is something like these: http://amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com/2012/07/oh-yes-i-did.html (the 4th picture) or http://amberinteriordesign.blogspot.com/2012/07/5-things-i-aint-mad-at-part-3.html (the second picture). But that's just me!
@Fern&Olive: I love those leafy drapes. I think the key here will be to accentuate the green instead of trying to hide it. I also love green, white and navy palette.
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRFDcp9hOW10TYp8tQLvoGRgpQ6ABmh2Z5rbvaE-rXrXKEu2etv3_dE8kkq
http://media-cache-ec1.pinterest.com/upload/117234396520330931_hx1TTtfk_c.jpg
http://media-cache-ec3.pinterest.com/upload/201958364510004931_wX2egPuc_c.jpg
http://designers.elledecor.com/uploads/7d0145d9ffac180b7e7fd2fc41b7e569.jpg
http://www.mariakillam.com/wp-content/uploads/bloggerimgs/lh5.ggpht.com/_pCtYBqw7SEE/TTSnsL_sCEI/AAAAAAAALwM/26BdlUBvHYY/image_thumb%5B27%5D.png?imgmax=800
Why not get a nice large white linen sheet and drape it over the whole couch...then you can do any color you want :)
I love your statement, "They are not so pretty, but they are what I have". That describes a lot in my house.
That color green looks great with a mixture of chocolate brown, cream, and black (for instance, a cream fabric with a black and brown graphic). It also coordinates with cool grays and, surprisingly, certain saturated blues-to-blue greens (the bluer teals) if you want to go with something stronger.
I agree with @CallDoctorBison.
The sofa looks like patinated copper. Any color in the copper range might work:
http://www.crescentcitycopper.com/images/copper-weathering-chart-425x425.gif
I have to ideas for you:
Idea 1:Do you like dark brown? I think you can make a palette with brown, cream, black, yellow even dark green with patterned touches. I mean using colrful patterned accesories you can get great results. For example: a yelow and cream patterned rug + multicolor coushions with patterned design (brown, cream, yellow, dark green). If you don`t find all the colors that you want for the cushions you can add color with some fabric paint and a brush.
Idea 2: A palette color with blues (dark and light) and a darker and brighter green with some accesories in black and/or white.
I meant two ideas
I vote slipcovers. If you'd rather not, go with a white-washed beach palette: sea glass greens and blues, sand, white, etc. I'd go with a sand color on the wall.
So my first thought was ditch the sofas. But I understand it being all you have. I actually thought of going against the neutral idea and I was thinking of a bright happy color that might distract from the sofas...I immediately pictured an aqua blue...which I think might look good against the light green color of your sofas. I like the idea of getting swatches and seeing what looks best with your furniture. OR you can get slipcovers.
I like Rural and Rueful's idea. I was thinking about those colors that are greens-that-are-almost-blue and blues-that-are-almost-green, plus a dark wood color and an ivory-cream-vanilla color. I have that palette and it works well. Red is a great accent color in that scheme.
I like those sofas -- they are a fine start to a room. You've gotten some great suggestions for dark brown, which I agree could look great.
Other good options are charcoal & crisp white with the green, perhaps with a few accents in orange. Navy could stand in for the charcoal, too.
What will be on the floor? I vote for a white rug unless you think that will be a nightmare to keep clean (depends on your lifestyle, kids, pets, etc.)
I have 2 green couch, which I love, (granted not the same style as yours) I painted the room they are in the exact same color as the couches. I like the way it looks in my house. You may want to do the same, the couch style may disappear against the same color walls.... just a thought!
Ah, the serenity prayer. Why is OP willing to change the wall color to suit the couch but unwilling to change the couch? Slip covers.
I like that you are working with what you have! The couch may not be the most beautiful but it's in good shape and looks comfy. Something chocolatey or a subtle gold would look good.
What would the couch look like if you removed the back cushions and those poufy arm rests on the sides? You could then maybe put some big throw pillows (ones made out of a cheap kilim would look great) along the back and I'm thinking it would totally look like a designer couch! If they are sewn down, you can probably pick them off with a seam ripper and a bit of patience, as long as you're sure there will be matching fabric underneath.
I just want to cast a vote against dark brown (unless it's dark brown wood). Dark brown paint or accent pillows seem like they would be very heavy with this green. And also kind of dated? I feel like there was a trend for home items in this green, dark brown, and then also a red-orange several years ago. That palette was definitely a thing for kitchen tools if nothing else -- stores like TJ Maxx used to be full of spatulas and stuff in those colors.
I can better envision the suggestions for neutrals. Since the couch has an interesting texture, focus on texture to give the room depth rather than color. I'd like to see light neutrals so that the room is light, airy, and fresh, and some dark wood tones to give some contrast and ground the other elements.
I was shopping at West Elm today and I feel like they have some good examples of rooms that are very natural and neutral but with a pop of bold color.
I'm telling you- chocolates, cocoas and all yummy browns look beautiful with that green!
I actually have brown couches with similar green walls-
First, get that sofa and love seat steam cleaned immediately! It will probably cost about $100, and brighten the color and refresh the fabric. Well worth it.
Painting the walls white, or a light neutral, will put a bright spotlight on the very thing you are trying to minimize. The best way to make something that cannot be changed in a room disappear is paint the walls the same color. In this case, I would go either a few shades lighter or about three shades darker. Then add pillows and accessories in greens, along with its triadic sisters, oranges and purples (I'd personally add some yellows, also but I like a lot of color). If the walls are light green, go for stronger, deeper colors in your accessories. If the walls are darker, go for lighter tones in the accessories.
Finally, use the power of white as your ally. When several colors are present, white helps them all play nicely together. White drapes hung ceiling to floor (IKEA is a great place to get inexpensive white cotton drapes), coffee and side tables painted white, a white throw on the loveseat, a few pillows with white backgrounds on the sofa, a few white accessories (frames or a vase) mixed in, white lamp shapes - all of these will "frame" your room, turning the green into a neutral while making your accent colors stand out.
"They are not so pretty, but they're what I have" is defeatist talk. You're considering going to a lot of time and expense to paint your living room just to suit ugly sofas. You need to do a cost/benefit analysis to see how much it will cost to trade up to nicer sofas compared to how much it will cost to paint the entire room. Consider your options a little more broadly.
IF painting the room still seems the better option, then you have two choices. If you like neutrals, then creams, tans and browns will suit green well. If you like colour, then shades of aqua work well with green, with pink accents to break things up.
I think there are some great ideas here, but I must admit, I think you might be looking at this the wrong way round.
I would not spend money on paint/cushions/drapes/throws to work with a sofa I did not, at the very least, like a lot. Personally, I would not want to live with the lines of that sofa (sorry). I would put it on Craigslist, take the few hundred bucks extra you're going to spend on 'camouflage' for it (which I don't think will work all that well, anyway), and buy something nicer. Even if it's just another Craigslist sofa with a better shape/colour.
But that's just me.
That color couch looks like an art deco color. I would look up an art deco color scheme and use that with that green.
The green upholstery is quite ok---I like it. NAVY blue is a great complementary color and will neutralized the green. Use as much navy as the room will bear. Add bottle green accents in very small doses. Use an old wine shade as a third color---perhaps in wall art or on the floor, but sparingly.
Bounce light around with one or two mirrors, and mercury base lamps. Avoid yellow, gold, or copper. Add throw pillows in garden flower watercolor colors---florals or plaids. Remember less is more. Lastly---for the grace note: all white flowers---real or silk, or both. Big blooms :)
Seriously. Get rid of them. They are not going to look good with slip covers, and like Blandwagon said, why design a room around two sofas you don't even like? Sell them on craigslist and start looking for something you do like. The resale shop I go to has cute sofas for as little as $65.
I see the floor as a bigger problem than the sofa....
As the floor looks a bit purple, I would go for a bright purple rug, I would remove some of the cushions of the sofa and I would put some bright cushions matching the rug. I would paint the walls probably light green. I would stay only with two colours purple and green.
I think that whatever changes you make, you have to like them, in case you decide to change the floor and the sofa in the future.
Good luck
Some inspiration for the colours:
http://www.susandennis.org/makeover/mural/livingroom.jpg
When I bought my current sofa, I chose "celery" green (it actually looks a tad more blue than a celery stalk) and painted the living room a pale lavender. Other accents in the room are deep reds, dark greens, and several shades of natural wood. I love the room and spend lots of time in it!
No matter what, pick a flat finish. The upholstery has some sheen, and if the walls have sheen as well, there will be a fight.
The problem with white, neutrals, and chocolate brown is that they are all going to make that couch pop out as the most eye-catching thing in the room. If you are willing to be daring about color, outflank the sofa color with something deeper and brighter like Behr's Peas in a Pod or Apple Orchard. The sofas will recede into the surrounding flow of green, and their pale color will practically play as if they were white.
I also have the green karlstad sofa in my living room. I used Navy and a very light Aqua as my accents. We built a really large bookcase and painted it cool jazz by either glidden or behr (at home depot) and i think it would be a really nice wall color--everyone always comments on what a nice shade of blue it is. I also have a few splashes of a medium grey. Our bedroom and living is one giant open space and our bedroom is aqua yellow and grey so i use the colors interchangeably in both rooms and it seems to work. I found that this painting by Jenny Vorwaller was a really great green color palette, it's called ripples. http://society6.com/JennyVorwaller/Ripples-qzn_Print . If you are more of a neutral person I originally really liked this palette for green: http://s62363.gridserver.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/cm1_02110911.png but it just wouldn't go with our bedroom and was a bit two feminine.
If the sofa is what you have to work with, so be it. Work with it. I would paint the walls a creamy ivory color, and when you are able to replace the sofa you won't have to worry the wall color. Just take it one thing at a time.
I would not paint the walls chocolate brown. It may look good with the green, but if you are in a rental, it may not be a color the landlord will allow you to use. If the light is not good in your room, the brown will look drab and dreary and dark. Who needs that?
Navy blue may look good for accessories. Go to the paint store and get few color chips of colors you think may work. Try them out against the couch.
You also may find a print for throw pillows that have colors in them that would look good with the couch. Ikat patterns are interesting.
Good luck.
I know this isn't the question you asked, but I agree with everyone that craigslist is the answer (unless it is terrible in your area, or bedbug-ridden, or whatever). @Blandwagon put it most compellingly, I think.
In case you are not completed your wall painting - try lemon yellow or combine white with lemon - it should freshen up this shade of green