As you may know if you are following on Instagram, we are in the process of creating our new house. We are renovating the house I was born in – that is a big country house of the 70s, dividing into two and then enlarging one part – to create inside our home and studio.
Starting from the last May, we have been working in the renovation of the first part of the building – the new house for my parents. We created a new kitchen in place of the previous master bedroom, we rearranged the interior layout, updated all electrical and heating systems to be more efficient, using a new photovoltaic system, new insulation and doors+windows.
At the same time, we are designing the other part of the building – our new house. We started from the living area, that will be the first one to be completed. I will show more in the next months about the project more in detail but today I would like to share with you some tips regarding the living room area design.
Especially, about the process I follow for choosing the right sofa and its color – bringing to you also some colorful news in collaboration with Italian sofa brand egoitaliano.
|| Be inspired: Top sofa trends from the last Salone del Mobile in Milan
How to choose the right color for your sofa
1 / Always start from a moodboard
My process for selecting furniture for an interior space is always the same for many years now – and it always starts from a moodboard. The moodboard is a collage of inspirations, images, colors, graphics, which together create the interior I have in mind.
I start from the mood I would like to achieve for the space, the whole style I would like to create – and the I put together all visual elements that help me to get that mood in that specific space, together in the same board. This is the starting point of the interior project and the tool I use throughout all the process, to check if my choices are consistent with the look I want to get.
Creating a moodboard – imagine in this case for a living room, is a process that forces you to get clarity on many points even before starting with the real selection of materials, furniture and decor.
Moodboard: Japandi style home in Tuscany
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2 / Get clarity on some first points
Neutral or accent color? Dark or light? Once doing your moodboard, in fact you will realize to have the reply to many of the points and doubts on choosing the color of your sofa.
In fact, once you have the idea of the mood and the style you would like for your living room – the choice for a neutral or an accent color for your sofa will comes pretty natural. A sofa in a neutral color is a popular choice ( especially among the most undecided ones! ) even if the latest trends show how bright and bold colors, for a more maximalist style, are making a huge comeback.
|| Discover more: Design Trends 2023 free webinar – watch now
Neutral sofa – warm or cold?
Even if you are going for a neutral sofa ( maybe thinking it would be an easier choice ) you will then realize that there are infinite options of colors and selecting the right one is not that easy.
The first thing to do here is to identify if the color scheme for your living room is a warm or a cold one. According to this, you will then choose the correct neutral color for your room. By placing together different neutral colors ( ex beige, taupe, grey, whites ) but with a warm or cold undertone, you will suddenly realize how different they are.
|| Discover more: How to choose the right white paint for your home
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Sofa in accent color – work with the colors schemes
If you are going instead for a sofa in an accent color, the process for selecting the right color is even more fun. If you may feel overwhelmed by many different color options – there are also some rules in interior design that can help you choosing the sofa color.
In fact, you can find some guidance in the six color schemes for interiors: monochromatic, complimentary, salt-complimentary, analogous, triadic and tetrad. Choose the color scheme that is most appealing to you ( and works better in your moodboard), a color wheel and start selecting your color!
At egoitaliano you can find more than 600 colors and finishes available – so it’s actually impossible to not find the right color for your own sofa.
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4 / Create a material board to check if you choose right!
Still feeling insecure or need to double check? One thing I always do in the final process is taking a small sample of the sofa fabric and putting it together with the samples of the other materials and finishes inside the room. This is what is called a material board and it provides a visually fast guidance to the whole decoration.
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Last tip: Don’t overdo with matching
According to the latest design trends, the coordinated living area is totally out. It’s much more actual to play with different colors and elements, pairing for example different sofa and chairs, but also different materials for the smaller furniture and decor.
Also, in this way you can have more freedom in adding color inside your home and more options for furniture and decor choices. Remember that furnishing and decorating your home should be a fun process not a stressing one – and the first one who should enjoy your space is you!
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Browse for colourful sofa options from egoitaliano here
