Hi there!
I just found this website and it is just what I need, so hopefully you can help!
Just moved house and decorating living room - it already has a cream/beige carpet and we've painted the walls in very very light cream, almost white.

Then we got a light grey sofa and it just threw me off, because I was planning to get a beige one and have a cream/brown (I know - boring!) colour scheme, but now what!!

I still need to get arm chairs, coffee table and shelf/console table. I want to have a light scheme as the room doesn't get much light, so now thinking of getting light brown/tan leather armchairs, glass coffee table and similar glass console table (room is very small so thought glass would be better for making it look bigger).

What do you think about the grey and tan leather together? Should I add more colors maybe in accessories to make it more interesting but not make it clash? I'm not a fan of colored furniture, ie red armchairs..

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Mariasha

An interior designer could have worked with you, saved you a ton and you would not have gotten a gray sofa unless you wanted one. Not sure why you are asking for advice if you are intent on doing this yourself anyhow? Seems like you have it all figured out. I am definitely not an interior designer, by the way, but know they can work wonders even with clients who bother sites like this with trivia they have resolved in their own minds anyhow.

I have a different perspective than JPC. I think you should just remember to be creative and go with what your heart tells you. Your personal preferences trump the general hard & fast rules of color theory. There are some basic guides to help you find some harmonious palettes... but if you have your heart set on something... go for it.

And I'm not bothered at all by your question. ...And some photos of your space might help people give you better ideas.

Just Perfect Color wrote:

An interior designer could have worked with you, saved you a ton and you would not have gotten a gray sofa unless you wanted one. Not sure why you are asking for advice if you are intent on doing this yourself anyhow? Seems like you have it all figured out. I am definitely not an interior designer, by the way, but know they can work wonders even with clients who bother sites like this with trivia they have resolved in their own minds anyhow.

Wow, that's incredibly rude.

I'm with Darius. Your question isn't bothersome at all. Asking advice is positive, even if you have already come up with most of the plan already.

You might find inspiration as well on MyDeco - online interior design site (trust since I have blogged on there with links to here it isn't a problem to make the suggestion?); the community there love to help others out with interior design ideas.

The one thing that I always think important about a colour scheme for an interior is not how much light does it get but which direction does that come from? I used to have a south facing lounge where some colours looked very harsh; now I have a north facing lounge where every colour looks diluted and/or washed out but monchrome (black, white, glass and chrome) works well with the occasional warmer touch (inherited oak bureau and soft coloured soft furnishings plus leather shaggy textured rug).

As to the arm chairs differing from the sofa - I made a design for a friend which had a dark chocolate leather sofa (quite square shaped) combined with cream faux leather rockers (simple curvy lines without arms) to the styles do not have to be the same as long as the shades/tones harmonise.

Did not mean to be rude. And taken alone it would not be bothersome to me at all either. But if the person already bought all the stuff, knows exactly what she is going to buy next regardless of feedback? She was looking for accolades, not advice and it gets tiresome.

Of course I agree with Darius. Any colors will work. Some just work better together. As someone who has worked in the design professions for ages and with a specialization in color and lighting? It just gets old when this site gets bombarded with with these kinds of inquiries and affirmation requests. Bring on anyone honest requesting color help ahead of time and with such requests that do not screw working pros out of work too!? I would be the first to help.

These people post all over the DIY sites too. This one is on at four others I watch including one for pro painters and one for those that advise DIY painters. The person is arguing with pro painters about what paint to buy! She or he has her mind made up in this regard too!

Even if he/she were for real I do find it painful when people forget there are interior designers out there that can get better, in whatever fabric desired, furniture than is offered to the masses via most retail furniture stores and for whatever commission and fee arrangement you work out. Some could use the money.

I worry. If the design professions go away. We have nothing left but Target to define good taste I guess.

mariasha wrote:

Hi there!
I just found this website and it is just what I need, so hopefully you can help!
Just moved house and decorating living room - it already has a cream/beige carpet and we've painted the walls in very very light cream, almost white.

Then we got a light grey sofa and it just threw me off, because I was planning to get a beige one and have a cream/brown (I know - boring!) colour scheme, but now what!!

I still need to get arm chairs, coffee table and shelf/console table. I want to have a light scheme as the room doesn't get much light, so now thinking of getting light brown/tan leather armchairs, glass coffee table and similar glass console table (room is very small so thought glass would be better for making it look bigger).

What do you think about the grey and tan leather together? Should I add more colors maybe in accessories to make it more interesting but not make it clash? I'm not a fan of colored furniture, ie red armchairs..

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Mariasha

First time to this site, but thought I would give you a thought or two to think about. Even though your sofa is leather, you can use fabric on the arm chairs and if done properly it will actually soften the look. Keep in mind though the texture of your leather and keep you fabric texture compatible. When choosing your arm chairs you need to keep the same style as your sofa for the sake of continuity. If the sofa has nice clean lines the arm chairs should too. I would look for a fabric with a small to med pattern with touches of grey, cream, and a third or fourth color something soft like a dusky plum, soft teal or another color that you like that goes with both the gray and cream. I have suggested these colors because from what you wrote you don't seem want bright, loud colors. By all means though if you think you would, try it. You might also, consider using a solid color that has the same fabric texture as the printed fabric and I would pick out one of those colors from the printed fabric for the color of the second arm chair. I personally would not pick the beige or the grey, I would pick one of the colors that made those two colors work together. Then you can use the colors that are in the pattern on the first arm chair to use as accent colors. I hope I have helped some, but I realize that you may have your heart set on leather side chairs. Just wanted you to know there are other ways you can go and those ways are just as beautiful. Good Luck and post us a picture of that sofa
HUGS
HelenJo

Agree! Go for what you feel, and - unless you're in a rush - you can keep on modifying things until you feel it right!

'Grey' is a bit vague... there's millions of greys..

Check out living room palettes
and Check out room palettes that include grey