Start With a Sofa

28 June 2022

Selecting furniture to decorate a room can be a daunting task. Where to start? What colors should I choose? What should my theme be? Should I even have a theme? My advice, it all starts with a sofa. The sofa is of course a metaphor for starting with one large item and working from there. You don’t have to include a sofa to make use of this advice but they are a comfy selection. The starting item could be a table, end table, chair, rug, or a large painting that will dominate the space. The important thing is to choose a large item you really like and select everything else to go with it.

So now you have your initial piece. What to do next? Your first item will start the decision tree. Is it highly decorative or simple? For instance, is the sofa ornately decorated with complex fabric or materials? or is it a solid color with minimalist qualities of simplicity and quality? If it is busily decorated you will want to select accent pieces to bring it down. In the case of a sofa, you could select throw pillows of solid colors to contrast with the highly decorative fabrics. Maybe toss a solid-colored blanket or shawl to add some interest. If the sofa is the opposite of ornate and simple but solid add decorative pillows and blankets to bring it up. Use the simple minimalist design as a canvas to paint on with your accent pieces. Personally, this is my preferred method but everyone has different tastes.

Another example is a table or dresser. You could put a cloth runner across it and maybe a vase with flowers or a bowl of objects to bring it up or down as needed. In this instance, you could alternate the principle on the same object area. An ornate table with a solid runner and a highly decorated vase or bowl. Alternate between solid and decorative to allow for contrast so the elements aren’t fighting each other for attention. Let your accent pieces shine rather than compete for attention.

As to colors, you will want to stick to a consistent palette. Don’t mix super bright colors with earthy tones. Try to keep the colors complementary. You can find color wheels online which will give you an idea of what colors to choose. Just search the terms “color palette” or “color wheel”. The colors you choose could be lifted from the original item. All the colors don’t need to match but you should keep the palate in balance. So start with a base color from your original piece then build the rest of the palette around it.

Once you begin to acquire things that match your concept you’ll have even more of an idea of where you are going with it. You might decide you like that the items match up and you want to keep everything in keeping with a theme. Or you could decide you like a mix mash of things to build a more eclectic design. Once you decide on the path you want to take select items accordingly. For instance, if you are going eclectic then things not matching is kinda the idea so you should avoid getting things that seem like they belong together and instead add to the chaos. You might have a vase of flowers next to an antique tricycle on a woven straw mat. Contrast is key.