Even after spending hours on end on Pinterest looking for décor inspiration, nothing prepares you for the actual decorating process. It’s even harder when you have a loveseat and sofa. In such a case, there’s so much to consider. From deciding whether to create matching pieces to the floor space arrangement, the entire process isn’t a walk in the park.
You don’t have to match a sofa and love seat. While matching your furniture pieces makes decorating easier, it’s an antiquated approach. The best way to go about it is to buy complimenting furniture or use different design elements to create a difference.
Although having a matching sofa and loveseat makes decorating easier, it’s out of style. Fortunately, you won’t have to go through too much hassle to get your living room looking Pinterest-worthy. We’ve provided a comprehensive guide on how to work with a sofa and loveseat and offered some decorating tips to make things easier.
Choosing a Pair
You’re ready to design your living room and can’t wait for the transformation. You go to Pinterest and create a board with all the images displaying what you’ve envisioned for your space. But there’s one problem. You can’t decide whether to match your sofa and loveseat or use contrasting designs. That’s Pinterest for you.
While the social platform offers a lot of design inspiration, the plethora of choices makes it challenging to narrow down to one design. So what do you do? Do you go for the matching furniture pieces or take a risk and go for different designs?
Matching a sofa and loveseat is a safe choice. While it may make the entire design process easier, it won’t add any exciting element in your space. You need to incorporate a harmonious mix of patterns, colors, materials, and textures. Not to mention, the room needs to have several unique and surprising items that elevate its aesthetic appeal. The following tips will help you achieve an amazing look.
Avoid Matching Sets
Matching furniture sets are out of vogue. Today, if you want to make a bold statement in your interior design, you can’t afford to play it safe. However, this doesn’t mean you should go crazy with the designs. You should go for complementary furniture that doesn’t match entirely and doesn’t clash either.
A good rule of thumb is to go for a sofa with neutral upholstery or solid color and a loveseat in an entirely different style and complementary color. For a soothing mix, use your rug colors as inspiration. Reserve the bold colors for the sofa and the brighter ones for your loveseat.
If you already have a matching sofa and loveseat, you can still elevate the look using throw pillows. Just make sure the throw pillows don’t match. The colors you choose should complement each other and should go well with the color of the upholstery.
Match Your Sofa with the Wall Color
If you have a small space, another cool way to style these two furniture pieces is by matching the sofa with the wall color. Doing so makes the small room appear bigger than it is. Use a different complementary color for the loveseat to achieve a harmonious and show-stopper kind of look.
However, if you have concerns about space, it may be a good idea to consider scrapping the loveseat altogether. A loveseat takes up to much space compared to individual chairs. Besides, only one person can sit on it comfortably. Therefore, you may want to consider replacing the loveseat with two chairs. This move will not only save space but also give you more sitting space.
Accessorize to Keep the Space Modern and Fresh
If you already have a matching sofa and loveseat, buying a new set of furniture or changing the upholstery may cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, you don’t have to break the bank to elevate the overall look of your living room.
One way to achieve a modern look is through accessories. You can use mismatched throw blankets on the loveseat to achieve a contrasting look from the sofa. Alternatively, you can add throw pillows with contrasting patterns to add more life to the space.
Another pocket-friendly alternative is using slipcovers. These cover the entire sofa or loveseat. Therefore, you can easily achieve the contrasting designs you need without creating a dent in your wallet. The options are endless!
Source: HomeSteady
Texture and Materials
Your choice of material will also go a long way in coordinating your sofa and loveseat. When it comes to material, it’s crucial that the materials match. For instance, a leather sofa and love seat will blend well together even if they’re not the same color.
The same case applies to texture. You should go for the same texture for both your sofa and loveseat. If both the sofa and love seat are tufted with buttons, for instance, it doesn’t matter what color they are. They’ll mesh well together.
Likewise, matching patterns like paisley in colors that complement each other will elevate the entire look of your living space. Therefore, if you’ve not already bought your furniture pieces, you may want to consider these design elements before settling for a matching design. Some of the best materials for sofas and love seats include:
- Leather: If you’re going for sophistication, leather doesn’t disappoint. Besides, it’s very durable.
- Linen: It’s an elegant material that adds a touch of class to any room. However, it wrinkles and stains easily so it may be best for low-traffic areas.
- Wool: It may not be the most sophisticated material but it resists fading, staining, and wrinkling very well.
- Cotton: It’s a family-friendly material that you can combine with other fabrics to get more sophistication and durability.
- Nylon: It’s a strong upholstery fabric that resists stains and adds strength to other fabrics when combined with them.
- Polyester: Perfect for blending with other fabrics to achieve a wrinkle, fading, and crushing-resistant fabric.
Matching Styles are Acceptable
As we’ve mentioned, different style elements bring your sofa and loveseat together despite their different colors. One of these elements is the overall design of the sofa and loveseat. You need to ensure that both pieces of furniture have similar styles. For instance, if your sofa has rolled arms, you need to ensure the loveseat has the same design.
This way, even if you go for different colors, the little design elements will bring the pieces together and make them look like they belong in one set.
Consider Your Color Scheme
Another way to determine which colors to use for your loveseat and sofa is to consider your overall color scheme. At the end of the day, you need all pieces to mesh well together and stay within your overall color scheme.
Therefore, if you already have a sofa and you want to get a loveseat, you need to ensure the loveseat blends in with everything else. Consider the wall colors, the colors on the sofa, and even your rug. If the sofa has a multicolored material, it’s best to go for a loveseat with one of the low key colors on the fabric.
Alternatively, if you already have a multicolored loveseat, you can buy a sofa in one of the low key colors on the loveseat. This way, you maintain your color scheme without adding too much conflicting design elements. A sofa with a solid color and a love seat with an accent color would also be an excellent match. Besides, this combination would create an extremely cohesive look.
Source: Home Guides SFGate
Final Thoughts
If you were thinking about getting a matching sofa and loveseat, now you know it’s a bad idea. Matching pieces not only make the room appear monotonous and boring but also make your living space appear dated. The last thing you need is to have a living room that seems like it was decorated in the 80s. If you’re going to spend your hard-earned money on interior design, you should get your money’s worth.
Buy furniture pieces that have complementing materials, textures, and colors that don’t match entirely. Also, consider using different accessories to create contrast if you already have matching furniture pieces. And remember, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. For this reason, it’s crucial to stay true to your taste and preferences. After all, you’re the one who’s going to be utilizing the living space.