Brown sofa living room ideas for every home

We’ve shared some of our brown sofa living room ideas with you below, all of which are incredibly easy to follow and guaranteed to make your sofa nothing but marvellous!

There are lots of interior techniques you can use which, in my experience, can be whittled down into two overarching themes – colours and accessories.

What colours go with brown sofas?

We’re sure you agree with us when we say that a brown sofa very rarely looks out of place because it’s such a classic colour.

Warm earthy colours, such as beige, brown, terracotta, amber, greige, sand and taupe, are among the trending colours of the moment.

So if you’ve got your heart set on a brown sofa or you already have one and want it to seamlessly blend in with the rest of your room, it pays to spend some time considering your overall colour scheme.

Colours that particularly work well with brown sofas are:

White

Brown and white are both neutral colours, which is why they are such an excellent pairing.

Simply painting your walls crisps white will immediately make a statement out of your sofa.

Alternatively, if you have other shades of brown in your room, in addition to your brown sofa, it’s perfectly acceptable to inject a flash of white with the addition of a white rug, cushions or throws.

Black

Black will always work well with brown, but only if you use it moderation, otherwise you’re at risk of your room becoming too dark and depressing.

Sofas in light brown against a dark wall or the backdrop of black furniture is a popular option, so too is matching dark brown with more industrial, contemporary-looking bookcases and tables.

Don’t forget our friend white here too, white, black and brown are a highly effective mix (e.g. white walls, brown sofa and black furniture).

Yellow

While it may sound a bit bold, a splash of yellow can work wonders with a brown sofa. Together, both of these colours are warm and naturally complement each other well.

Given the fact yellow is such a vibrant colour, you don’t have to go all-out with it either – a feature wall incorporating the sunshine shade with your sofa positioned in front of it should do the trick.

However, if you’re not brave enough to start painting or wallpapering your walls yellow, then pop some accessories that are yellow or incorporate it on your sofa for an equally-impressive result.

Orange

If you’re looking at yellow on the colour spectrum, then you may as well take a look at orange too, which isn’t too many shades away.

Believe it or not, it’s another vibrant colour that pairs brilliantly with brown, particularly dark brown; it all depends on whether you fancy decorating your living room, or wherever your sofa may be, with such a bold colour.

Remember though, less really is more – a orange bolster cushion here or textured throw there is all it takes to cleverly combine the two colours and give your room some instant depth and warmth. 

Green

While it’s not a colour that instantly springs to mind when selecting colours that complement brown, you’d be surprised at how well this colour combo works.

Green is everywhere at the moment, from muted and matte shades to big and bold leaf prints, and it’s predicted to stay around for the foreseeable too.

As for pairing it with your sofa, green works wonderfully as an accent colour (we’re thinking a green feature wall like the below, or even something more subtle like green cushions or art work).

Or it could be something as simple as having some green leafy plants positioned right next to your sofa.

Pink

Baby and blush pink were born to live alongside brown, with pink providing more of a softer edge to brown sofas and interiors overall.

Not sure about putting pink alongside your brown sofa? Don’t worry, a splash of it is all you need, e.g. a light pink feature wall, a blush throw or pink patterned cushions is all it takes.

Grey

Brown happens to be a neutral colour and so is grey, which means you can’t go far wrong by putting them side-by-side.

You may want to give the shade of brown and grey some thought though, as dark brown and dark charcoal grey can potentially make your room doubly dark. But a dark brown sofa and light walls or a light brown sofa and dark grey accent colours can strike the right balance.

You may also want to incorporate a flash of another colour – e.g. yellow or pink – to give your decor an extra lift.

Blue

Seeing as brown is a warm colour, you may not be inclined to want to put it with a cold colour, such as blue. But you’d be surprised at what can be achieved when you do.

For instance, light blue walls can really make a dark brown sofa stand out. Meanwhile, deep blue sofa accessories can make your sofa look effortlessly elegant.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with blue shades too; we’re thinking cobalt, turquoise and navy blue - what can be achieved is most certainly Instagram-worthy! 

What colour cushions for brown sofas?

Cushions are a must for making all sofas look their best, and the good news is there’s no need to feel restricted when shopping around for them.

Because brown is a warm neutral colour it goes well with other warm tones, e.g. orange, yellow and gold.

However, you’ll know from reading the colour guidance above that brown goes well with numerous other shades (not just warm ones), including neutral and pink colours.

When it comes to sofa accessories, remember to think beyond cushions. Throws can totally transform a sofa, so too can strategically placed accessories, including rugs, side tables, plants, lamps and bookcases.

Don’t just focus on your sofa (as stunning as it may be), consider everything around it for maximum impact.

If you’d like some practical guidance on the best way to dress your sofa using accessories including cushions, read this article, ‘How to dress a sofa (in 5 easy steps).’