Hector Manuel Sanchez
- Choosing the perfect couch is a delicate dance between embracing timeless elegance and introducing a touch of novelty to prevent it from appearing stale in the blink of an eye.
- The days of jewel-toned velvets and pastel sage greens are fading, as they’re being swapped out for more subdued, earth-inspired shades such as olive and rustic copper.
- The popularity of cool-toned gray is waning, as warmer, richer neutral tones are gaining preference.
Your living room’s couch is likely its largest and possibly priciest piece of furniture. Alexis Earman, the visionary founder of The Woodbury Home in Wilmington, North Carolina, acknowledges that selecting the right one is a complex task. “You’re aiming for something that’s both classic and invigorating, not something that’s so fresh it feels dated in a matter of years,” she shares. “Color selection is often the most challenging aspect of this decision.”
While each color has its merit, there are certain hues that are losing their appeal. The sheer size of a couch means it can quickly make a space feel outdated. Designers are noting a shift in the preferences of their clients, steering clear of these particular color choices.
Hector Manuel Sanchez
The vibrant velvets of emerald, royal blue, and amethyst, which were all the rage in the late 2010s, are now feeling too bold for the contemporary eye. “These hyper-saturated colors can be overwhelming in today’s design landscape,” asserts Cheynne Ely, the owner and principal designer of Cheyenne Paige Interiors in The Woodlands, Texas. “Instead, muted, moodier shades like olive, rustic copper, and soft plum provide a fresh twist on velvet while remaining grounded in the natural world, making them truly ageless.”
Selecting a less-intense color can offer greater adaptability. Should your personal style evolve, you can count on these hues to blend seamlessly with your evolving decor. This allows for the purchase of a high-quality couch that’s both stylish and future-proof.
Earman is not a fan of gray couches. “They can sometimes come across as a bit stark and monotonous, lacking the warmth and adaptability that other colors can bring to a room,” she clarifies. “They don’t integrate as easily with changing color schemes as softer off-whites or rich, earthy browns do.”
While Earman acknowledges that gray can be effective, it’s becoming more challenging to keep it feeling contemporary when compared to the more organic, inviting hues currently trending. If you’re set on incorporating gray, consider a deep charcoal shade or one with a hint of blue to lend it a chameleon-like versatility.
Whether or not this trend is universally accepted, Ely is steadfast in her stance. “The soft, pastel sage of the early 2000s now appears a bit lackluster next to today’s more robust, earthy green tones,” she remarks. For an updated aesthetic, she suggests embracing olive, forest, or mossy greens. These shades not only pair beautifully with marble and wood but are also enduring from both a visual and quality perspective.
For those who still prefer sage, Ely advises choosing a deeper shade, less of the pastel variety she described, or one with a touch of warmth. This approach can achieve a similar look while exuding a more modern vibe—and perhaps with less propensity to show stains.
