reupholster it (pricey) or get a slipcover (less pricey) and new pillows.

It's gorgeous! To me it's not feminine. The wood base and straight lines are very grounding. The obvious would be to recover it in a darker color or a tweed. If that's cost prohibitive, I would change the pillows and throw, have them be all one color or different tones of a gray or brown that would ground the sofa. Perhaps change the curtains, maybe an industrial style coffee table. Anyway, great lines and great value!

Small touches can help. Refinish the wood frame to something much darker, and swap out those colorful (& zebra) pillows to something you consider more masculine. No velvet or velour, no animal print, nothing shiny or ruffly or fussy. Darker colors in muted tones, in materials like linen or cotton would work. Maybe find a (non-floral) rug that compliments the sofa and the rest of your decor, and pull colors out of that for the sofa pillows, as well as a throw blanket to block some of that orange and gold floral.

Paint the fabric? I'm thinking that painting it may preserve the the florals somewhat, making for a tone-on-tone kinda look.

Also, the pillows are too many different colors. It all looks disharmonious. Pick a color scheme and stick with it.

I personally love orange, so I would keep the upholstery and paint the walls a nice navy/gray.

New pillows and a throw you deem to have sufficient testosterone in it would be the cheapest way to alter the look of the couch. As for rugs, the first kind that came to mind with the color of the couch was a cowhide. (Other AT readers, don't attack me. I don't eat red meat myself and do not believe in hunting as a sport, but if the idea doesn't offend you and you find one that appeals to both of you, that would instantly transform the couch.)

Swap out the curtains for a rich, dark navy curtain. Swap out pillows (or sew new covers for existing ones) with strong geometric patterns in darker colors. Think charcoals. Add a large striped rug. Repaint the inside of the window white.

It's the plants and the pillows making it look granny; ditto maybe the curtains. Get rid of them, maybe stain the wood darker; at least to get rid of the scratches. Think '60s Mad Men for the whole room and the couch will easily fit right in.

maybe try wrapping the bottom cushions in a tapestry/blanket for an easy fix like this:
http://www.stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/a-kid-friendly-baby-proof-yet-stylish-living-room-ohjoy-20.html

and I'd switch out the pillows too. Maybe keep the green one, but using masculine colors and patterns will help a lot to balance the floral pattern on the couch.

This sofa has terrific lines and is probably well built. Can you really not afford to reupholster? I'd do a little research in your area and see what it's going to cost and save for that. I'm 47 and wish I had put my money into a good sofa instead of several budget sofas that I no longer have.

Love it! And I love the color too - I woudn't change it. I would change the throw pillows to a solid, dark color - maybe a chocolate brown, and have fewer of them. I'd ditch the throw on the back, or match the throw pillows with a solid color.

Charcoal Accessories (a dark rug would ground it nicely). Also new curtains. Too much orange/beige, get some darks in there!

Gee, I don't know that its masculine, but that couch with those colors seriously has balls. ;)

Do you really like the color of that sofa? I agree that it has great lines but you probably can't salvage the color. Get it reupholstered or slipcover it. I've seen a lot of beautiful teal sofas lately.

Reupholstery and replacing the pillows are the only acceptable solution. I vote for gray fabric with white piping for the sofa.

Put it on top of a dead cow!

As fuzzyEgg suggested, painting might be your cheap and easy solution. There are lots of tutorials around for different paint options (upholstery paint or fabric medium from a craft store keeps it from becoming too stiff). That piece has great lines. Remember that you can always drape a fabric or a throw across the back or the back and seats as well, leaving the arms exposed.

Good luck! Hope you let us know what you decide and come back to show us the "after" image.

I think navy/indigo pillows and a navy/indigo rug would not only make it look more masculine but more modern too.

Dark colored (brown would be good) pillows would work. Square pillows, no shiny surfaces, and no prints. I would ditch the dust-collecting curtains and corral those haphazardly placed plants on a plant stand.

i agree with new pillow (covers) to start. How about leather and felt?

Is it the gold that makes you think feminine? To me, it's pretty neutral. Orange isn't a stereotypically gender oriented color and neither is gold. To me, you should embrace the color and go full Liberace with it. Gilded everything!

Pls sell the couch to me before you change one thing about it! I LOVE the color of the wood AND the upholstery. Don't change either. I agree with other who have suggested chocolate brown pillows. The brown in a luxe velvet, linen or hemp would be NICE! A dark brown sisal area rug would also make it more masculine. Personally, I like the green too but I think one color would be best, brown or green. GREAT eye for GREAT find!

first and foremost, replace the pillows. get something from Brimfield in Chicago. trust me.

then if you're up for it down the road, change the legs on the sofa. could even make for a good diy project, head to home depot and get some dark stain

Sleek is more masculine - think clean lines.I would remove the pillows and go with three, flat (not round), bolster pillows across the back (if it would feel comfortable to do so). Maybe a dark grey with an orange pattern, or a geometric gold pattern? Or even that green velvet is looking pretty good.

Get throw pillows in haberdashery fabrics - wool flannel, pinstripe, etc. The sofa is perfect as is. What a find!

Paint the wood black and get some other pillows, greys, creams, oranges, nothing too brightly colored. Maybe also a masculine looking throw, grey wool or plaid with a touch of orange or golden yellow. I attached some example links below. Cheers!

West Elm has some pillow covers, I suggest the colors "slate" and "horseradish"

Paired with this throw from Ethan Allen would look phenomenal!

the thing making it girly are the pillows & fuzzy throw.

i second that motion. haberdash it up.

the thing making it girly are the pillows & fuzzy throw.

Love the Ethan Allen throw! Yes, hounds tooth, men's ware plaids for pillows. Think of a chic 1960 short cocktail dress with a guys plaid jacket. Hair upswept with gold earrings. I would not work with greys.....but stay with warm colors, browns and deep cream.

As many of the contributors here have suggested, a change of colour seems like the most straightforward option. The shape and base of the sofa are quite sturdy and don't appear overly feminine to me.

I'd suggest that the simplest and cheapest move would be to get a dark spread for the sofa, and possibly exchange the cushions for something with a less velvety finish.

i generally despise floral couches, but i like the orange color of this one. if i had that couch i would get some solid chocolate brown slip covers for the bottom cushions, if not reupholstered, and stain the wood to match. then replace the throw pillows with 3 navy blue or dark blue throw pillows along the back. just enough to cover large swaths of it. smaller doses would make the pattern more palatable.

I don't find it particularly feminine -- as others have suggested, it's more the many throw pillows that reinforce the granny-ness of it. It's actually a pretty ballsy choice, pun sort of intended.

Echoing earlier comments, I would suggest darker colors, esp. dark greys and blacks.

Rather than use "muted" tones, however, you can go for a slightly higher contrast aesthetic. High contrast might not make it less "feminine" (however on defines that), but it should make it a bolder more assertive statement. I think the fabric on the couch doesn't work as well "blended in" and works better "popping out."

i would ignore the calls for reupholstery, and especially painting. really? painting? i think you should lose the pillows and throw that you currently pair with it and opt for some neutrals... but i think the right teal would work very well too. you have a bright orange sofa. that's cool... it has a very mad men vibe... so look to the interiors of that show for inspiration.

Do not reupholster. A chocolate brown rug and pillows will help make this look more gender neutral. Stay away from animal prints. Purple will make orange stand out more, so I'd stay away from blues and purples, too. I'm a big fan of orange and grey so that would be a way towards a cooler color palette.

I'd suggest picking up some paint swatches and see what works and what doesn't. Once you've decided on a color scheme, it'll make shopping for rugs and pillows much easier!

First, congrats on an excellent score. This is appears to be a well made, handsome fairly tailored sofa. Traditional, but could work in a contemporary/transitional scheme. It's the orange and green/gold floral upholstery that is somewhat dated and femme. Simpler, more compatable toss pillows and a throw would be the most cost effective fix.

Given the bargain the couch was, I'd eventually want to recover it. I can't help but think how amazing and rich it would look in a dove gray velvet or micro suede, or a cream linen.

Lovely sofa -- I adore the upholstery, so much character -- and it would be so expensive to reupholster.. It's my experience that men don't like pillows at all. So: Nix 'em altogether. Focus on darker curtains, a rug underneath, and coffee table and lamps that pick up the lovely wood legs of the sofa. For the walls -- darker paint -- something to pick up the greens in the sofa -- also would add masculinity. Dare I say it: Avocado -- yes! With this sofa, you are admitting you dig the retro -- so go for it.

Sweet find! If this couch found it's way into my living room, I would sand and stain the wood pieces a darker brown and keep the upholstery as is-just add some mixed retro prints for the pillows.
Long term I think the sofa would look really cool if it were reuphostlered in a charcoal grey with different brightly colored upholstery buttons!

Treat it like a suit and tie. Reupholster in a solid charcoal gray. Add pillows in houndstooth, polkadot, pinstripe, and/or plaid with small touches of color.

Change out the spindly legs.. Get it reupholstered.. Or throw it out, like the previous owner did.
Costs would be as much as buying something new a tad more attractive though.
IMO it's not so much Feminine as Suburban Geriatric .
The sofa equivalent, of an old skool helmet head Granny Hairstyle.

I wish that I could see the arms.

Short of reupholstering it, I would say switch out the pillows for navy with minimal/subtle/geometric patterns or textures. I think having so many colors (while I love purple and green, my two favorites, especially together) and a fanciful pattern... it's a little too much for this sofa. To be more masculine, you have to tone it down and give it some manly pillows in somber, cool hues. Considering the colors that (I think) are on your sofa (orange and gold ish?), navy would be your best bet.

Something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Global-Textiles-Ribbed-Decorative-Pillows/dp/B008HCUOYK/ref=sr_1_8?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1357175124&sr=1-8&keywords=pillows

Similar idea for rug, too. Rugs USA is having a huge sale right now, too.
Maybe something like this one in "blue rain": http://www.rugsusa.com/rugsusa/rugs/rugs-usa-marrakesh-trellis/smoky-grey/200SBHAC1D-508.html

I have a chair that belongs with that couch! We had 2 chairs and 2 loveseats that were covered with plastic, when I was a kid, and now I have it in my own house. The cloth is silk I think. It is prettier in person. I think it's manly enough as it is, but I am biased.
I agree with the people who said change the curtains, and pillows around it.

The sofa is great and I love the fabric. The color is going to make this piece the focal point of your small apartment. Don't try to tone it down, play it up. I think more Bollywood than Mad Men, exotic and lush with some intense colors and textures. Have fun!

I think the orange sofa is awesome! I'd change out some of the pillows for some not shiny, mid-tone green ones to pick up on the sofa without being too girly. Think plain or modern prints. If you don't already have orange elsewhere in the room, I think you have to add a few orange touches to bring it out. I have a big orange sideboard in my living room and green accents as well (obviously I'm a fan of this combo) and it looks great with green or chartreuse - the colours are also popular now so it should be easy to find accents whatever your budget / preferred shades. Looks like because of your carpet you might as well keep the beige curtains - you might try to bring orange, green and beige together cohesively with pillows and decor, and maybe ground it with a chocolate brown rug as someone suggested. I just did a quick easy search, there's tons of great, not girly options:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/72847485/decorative-retro-throw-pillow-cover-lime?ref=sr_gallery_27&ga_search_query=green+orange+brown+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+brown+pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61939843/2-x-16-caramel-orange-sage-green-brown?ref=sr_gallery_18&ga_search_query=green+orange+brown+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_page=5&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+brown+pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87210777/18-custom-decorative-accent-pillow-in?ref=sr_gallery_34&ga_search_query=green+orange+brown+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_page=6&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+brown+pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/111655653/designer-p-kaufman-linen-throw-pillow?ref=sr_gallery_16&ga_search_query=green+orange+off+white+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+off+white+pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/111704933/pillow-cover-green-red-leaves-yellow?ref=sr_gallery_6&ga_search_query=green+orange+brown+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+brown+pillow

http://www.etsy.com/listing/45312452/2-18-inch-orange-brown-green-gray-print?ref=sr_gallery_21&ga_search_query=green+orange+brown+pillow&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=CA&ga_page=4&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=green+orange+brown+pillow

I'd mix 2 or 3 modern patterns on throw pillows and throw in a solid color like dark brown.
Stripes, plaid and maybe a geometric print would work well. Try and vary the scale on each pattern (S, M, L) this tends to work when mixing patterns.

I agree with changing the curtains, maybe a dark brown. I love brown in interior, it feels so warm and inviting.

Personally, I'd get rid of those pillows. Get pillows that are dark, with a solid matte color (the couch fabric looks shiny enough). Same with the curtains, go dark.

But if the fabric really bothers you, and you have the money, you can always reupholster it.

I love the couch! But I would switch out the zebra, purple, and green for navy blue. Get a saturated navy blue rug, and it will modernize the sofa as well as make it a bit more masculine.

You might consider a wide, tailored border trim for the curtains, something very close to the window frames - persimmon. No pillows or if you really need them, something with a coarse woven texture (they can still be soft if the fabric is a loose weave).

Try to channel Don Draper, and embrace mid century modern colors and textures. Ditch the shiny pillows, and reupholster the bolster pillows in chocolate brown or charcoal gray velvet. I'd also make the drapes match. Switch out the rug for a rich chocolate brown. Paint the walls a light grayish/smokey blue. Nice find!

go with black mohair

I love the fabric of the sofa but I'd change out the pillows. The animal print is a little feminine to me. Great find!

I have a floral sofa that caused the same issue. I added black and white pillows in more modern, geometric prints. It balances out the the frilly.

it is a statement piece, as-is. keeping plain beige 1950's curtains & rug puts focus on sofa. it does not seem feminine except for too many pillows & simple fix is only the two bolsters across back, aligned w/ cushion seams, still in purple. green makes it look tired. unclear why window frames are red, but they now draw eye away from focal point; a quart of white or beige paint will amend. the right vintage coffee tables--a matching pair increases formality of sofa, people can access middle cushion, and tables are movable to unfold bed--also can address the masculine/feminine concern.

That sofa is awesome! Pair the orange with either navy or cool charcoal. So, get rid of those pillows (or cover them in navy or charcoal) and consider curtains or a small rug in those colors.

You could either keep it simple with one shade or vary it within that shade. If you go with charcoal, orange also looks good with lighter greys (as in the header of this site). It'll create a more subdued, moody, sort of sexy-office vibe. If you go with navy, you could simply go with paler blue (which risks becoming feminine again), or you could go... how do you say this, "martini-atomic-flamingo-party-retro" with any shade of turquoise.

With either look, definitely add something chrome-- lamp, picture frame, side table, whatever.

Also consider the texture; the sofa looks like it's dressed for prom, so don't add to that with velvets, satins, sequins or lace. Ground the prominess with matte cotton, rough linen, metal, simple lines, or similar. Though some shiny metal or a shiny lampshade would be cool.

One final thing to consider: just because you feel it's too feminine, that doesn't mean you necessarily need to make it more masculine. You might instead be happy with making it more sexy. Adding some low lighting (lamp on a side table, for instance) will help tremendously in that regard, as will adding some flowers or more dramatic foliage to that plant collection I see you're already rocking in the windowsill.

I think while it is orange, it will naturally be a statement piece. Embrace that. The pillow suggestions have been good. I especially like the idea of round bolsters at the back, but I'd add two at the arms. I suspect they are needed for lounging.

I'd go with earthy neutrals on the darker edge to balance the gold.

Charcoal grey curtains, throw rug and a pillow or two. 2 Ebony side tables on either side of the couch.

If you are classing the orange and yellow as the femininity of the sofa then you will not be able to stop thinking of it as feminine, you should try to complement the sofa within your apartment, by placing objects in your apartment that are or include the colour of the sofa, but is considered a masculine object perhaps.
You could use cushions that are soft and darker than the sofa itself, ones that also complement other colours in your home.

I agree with jamie02: to reupholster can be expensive, though it may be the best way to go. An alternative, which I would strongly suggest, is to have a custom slipcover made. Select a solid color. A dark color will make the sofa the focus of the room, a light color will make the sofa blend in and make the space feel a little larger. Use pillows for color and texture impact. For pillows, get a good insert and just purchase covers that can be switched out.

If you like the wood finish on the legs, then leave it as is, just complementing them with an appropriate fabric and color.

I've done the custom covers for old sofas and it made them look like new.