How to Deal with Bad Furniture Selection
July 25, 2007 § 2 Comments
Problem: My brand new sofa now seems too big for the room but I don’t want to take it back. What can I do?
If you’re dealing with a big sectional or other large sofa that dominates your living room, here’s an idea for making it seem a little less imposing. Choose a wall color that will allow the sofa to blend into the room. For example, if it’s a light gray sofa, consider a lighter version of that color on the walls. What happens is the sofa will blend into the walls and allow you to notice other items in the room, like the wood furniture and artwork.
Just a note about selecting furniture: Try to avoid the urge to buy a large piece of furniture with a huge pattern on it, like a colorful floral. No matter how well the dimensions of the piece might fit into your room, the piece will dominate. If you love floral, try reserving the fabric for pillows and even window treatments. You’ll tire of it much less quickly and will not have to camouflage the sofa when the pattern begins to drive you crazy. It’s much easier to toss the pillows than the sofa.
Your Home & Color Coach 
Hi Barbara,
Thanks for all the good info in your website. I have a dillema in choosing my sofa in my family room, we colored the wall beige (light orange) and i have a tv stand and other furniture in white. what color should I buy for the sofa and loveseat? I want the room to be in warm color and modern.
thanks much,
Rose
Hi Rose,
Modern style often dictates a plain fabric on the sofa — no flowers, no plaids, no stripes, but maybe some interesting texture like microfiber. As for color, your palette is very neutral so far so you can go in almost any direction. Use something in your home for inspiration, like a piece of art that you’d like to hang in the room or some other object from which to extract some color ideas. Modern style is often monochromatic — for example you might like a chocolate brown sofa to go with your tan walls and white furniture. Then add a splash of color with throw pillows on the sofa. You’ll be on your way.
-Barbara
Your Home & Color Coach