How to Decorate a Living Room With a Red Leather Couch or Sofa

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Things You'll Need

  • Paint

  • Accent furniture

  • Pillows

  • Rug(s)

  • Curtains or drapes

  • Throw

  • Art/pictures

  • Accessories

Decorate your living room around your red leather couch or sofa in a way that makes it a prominent piece in the room or in a way that minimizes the bold color. The colors you use around the sofa will depend on the theme and style that you'd like the room to reflect as well as the shade of red in the sofa.

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Step 1

Paint the walls in a color that plays off of the red leather in the way that you want. For a bright red modern sofa, paint the walls in a bright white to make the red of the leather couch "pop." For a darker burgandy sofa in a formal living room or comfortable, country style room paint the walls in a light sage green or warm beige or taupe. Paint the walls in a golden hue for a Tuscan inspired room.

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Step 2

Arrange accent furniture around the room that complements the sofa and style you want to create. Dark wood bookshelves and tables work for a formal room. Distressed wood works for a worn or country look. Chrome and glass tables and shelves can be used in a contemporary room. Shelves, entertainment units and tables should be proportioned to the size and heft of the sofa.

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Step 3

Scatter toss pillows on the sofa to tie in accent colors. For a red, black and white modern room use white pillows or bold prints such as stripes, polka dots or zebra print. For a country or masculine looking room, use forest green and deep red plaid or stripes if the sofa is deep red. Incorporate patterns using other colors to break up the red and tie in accessories from the rest of the room.

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Step 4

Place a rug in front of the sofa. A bright white thick rug would complement a modern look while a worn or Oriental rug could tie in a country, masculine or formal look. Hang curtains or drapes that match or complement the pillows and rug. Drape a throw over the arm or back of the sofa in a solid color or muted print that's located elsewhere throughout the room.

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Step 5

Hang artwork or pictures on the walls to complete the look. For a country style room consider family pictures in frames that match the wood from other furniture pieces. Black and white or bold contemporary art would complement other modern decor. Pictures of rolling hills or vineyards would work for a Tuscan style room.

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Step 6

Add a few small accessories around the room to make it comfortable. Candle groupings, houseplants (artificial is fine), lamps or a few knickknacks on shelves, side tables or sofa tables.

Tip

Thread the entire theme or color scheme throughout the room. For example, if you are using the colors black and white with a contemporary style, consider this: paint the walls white, use a white rug, black tables, black and white pictures with small touches of red (to match the sofa) in black frames, a white throw over the sofa, white pillows (or black and white prints), a grouping of white candles, white lamps and a red vase with white flowers.

Warning

Consider a different colored sofa (if you haven't purchased it yet) if you aren't absolutely crazy about the color. Red is a bold color that may not make you comfortable if you don't love it.

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