Rethinking Patterns: How to Make Your Sofa Make a Statement

June 29, 2015 Decorating, Guest Post

A patterned sofa can make for a striking effect in your living room. With the right choice of pattern, you can get your sofa to set the tone for your entire living room area. At a time when sofa choices are usually a neutral gray, beige or white, putting a bold pattern on the largest piece of furniture in your living room can have the power to make the statement that you like to have your own sense of taste and aren’t afraid to express it.

To help make up for the lack of character in regular, neutral sofas, many interior decor magazines try to suggest a convenient middle ground – cushions, pillows and throws that are upholstered in colored, patterned fabric. Patterned cushions on a sofa, though, never manage to make the bold statement that patterned sofas do.

Patterned sofas can be used to achieve different effects in a living room
Patterned sofas are a kind of focus piece for your living room. When you decorate with one of these, you should to let it take center stage. One of the best ways to do this is to make the surrounding environment as neutral as possible. Plain white walls, simple, neutral-colored curtains and a simple carpet that doesn’t draw attention to itself are a good idea.

Experimenting with a subdued paisley pattern: Paisley is a repetitive small-scale print. A paisley pattern on a simple, sky blue sofa can bring old world style to a living room. You can combine this with a Roman shade on your window with another small-scale print.

Sofas decorated with a neutral-toned British flag: The Union Jack has long been used as a design motif. It’s been used on curtains, recliners, rugs, cushions and even wallpaper. Using the British flag in your decor can lend your living room a distinctive, masculine air. If the flag is colored to be a bit neutral, as in a leather sofa that’s mildly tanned in blue, white and red, the effect of masculinity can be particularly emphatic.

A plaid sofa: Since plaid has been around for centuries, many people see it as an unadventurous choice. The comforting familiarity of plaid, though, can be made interesting with a few design touches around your living room. Placing floral-patterned armchairs, like the ones found on www.made.com, on either side of a plaid sofa can help liven it up. You can also try calling attention to the sofa’s plaid pattern by bringing in plaid bolsters and pillows in other color schemes.

A floral-patterned sofa: Mildly colored floral patterns feel comforting and homey. If you have a large living room that feels too empty, bringing in the coziness of a gentle floral pattern can quickly shrink your space. If your living room seems too small for your taste, you can expand it by taking the opposite route – a modern, white sofa with clean lines.

The material you choose can enhance the effect of the pattern
If you are interested in a patterned sofa for the bold statement that it makes, experimenting with different kinds of upholstery weave can make for some compelling effects, too. Your choice of upholstery material can affect how you perceive the patterns used on your sofa. A floral pattern can achieve two completely different effects, depending on whether the fabric is coarse or smooth. If you feel adventurous, you can even try upholstering your sofas in tough, outdoor fabric like Sunbrella.

Amy Grimshaw knows how to make a statement in home decor! She loves sharing her passion for bold design on decorating blogs.