In today's modern solutions, white is essential for any type of interior, especially for the living room, regardless of the desired style, whether classic, Mediterranean, Scandinavian or modern. A living room decorated in white, be it a white sofa or white furniture, will make the living space relaxing, bright and cozy.
When it comes to home design, choosing furniture for the bedroom, kitchen or bathroom seems quite simple, since these rooms have standard pieces of furniture without which the house would not be fully equipped and could not be functional.
Arranging a living room requires more attention when choosing furniture, as it may have several features. Additionally, the living room should be properly equipped as it is the most used room.
Pros and cons of a white sofa in the interior
Like any item in an apartment or house, a white sofa has its positive and negative sides.
Advantages:
- looks expensive, solid;
- is able to visually expand the space;
- used in many styles;
- versatile and not boring;
- creates a “calm” interior;
- appropriate in rooms with any decoration, color;
- suitable for rooms of any size;
- looks good even in dim lighting.
There is only one drawback: impracticality - the upholstery will have to be washed often and cleaned in other ways. The problem is solved by purchasing removable covers that are easy to wash in a machine.
Upholstery selection and care
In a typical apartment, the sofa is most often placed in the living room. But will this be appropriate or does the white sofa in the living room interior look beautiful only in the photo? After all, the room is a walk-through room, it is constantly bustling with life, and there is a high risk that the furniture will constantly get dirty and quickly cease to look presentable.
Which upholstery to choose
Even if the family has children or animals, this is not a death sentence for beautiful light furniture. Here are the solutions.
- The upholstery is made from modern materials that are resistant to mechanical damage, easy to clean, do not fade in the sun and do not turn yellow - pay attention to flock, microfiber and nylon.
- A removable cover, preferably made of fabric that can be machine washed at home - this way you don’t have to constantly take it to the dry cleaner. A good option is 100% polyester.
- If you like a spectacular leather texture, choose patent or artificial leather - these are durable coatings that are not afraid of moisture and dirt and do not require complex care.
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Size, types of designs
By design, all sofas are divided into the following:
- straight - classic;
- corner – small or large, left or right;
- modular - various configurations;
- island - rectangular, round, etc.
Depending on the transformation mechanism:
- "book";
- "accordion";
- click-clack;
- "dolphin";
- Eurobook;
- withdrawable or telescopic;
- "puma";
- pantograph or “walking”;
- “lit” (the most compact);
- “folding bed” (American, French, Italian).
According to their intended purpose, sofas are for the office, hallway, kitchen, children's, living room or bedroom. There is also a division according to the number of seats - for two or three, for four or five people or more.
If there is no sofa suitable in price, design, or design in the nearest stores, then with certain carpentry skills, it is possible to make it yourself, or, in extreme cases, cover it with white furniture fabric with another one that is more suitable in appearance.
Which upholstery to choose
The choice of upholstery material directly depends on the chosen interior style, the location of the furniture structure, the ability and desire to spend time, cleaning products, and cleaning from dirt. The smoother, denser the upholstery material is chosen, the easier it is to care for. Removing dust from seams, folds, and dirty spots should be done as early as possible, preferably immediately after their detection.
Textile
The upholstery fabric is selected to be as resistant to abrasion as possible, resistant to deformation, smooth, and easy to clean with a sponge, soap solution, and special cleaning agents. Materials made from natural fibers are pleasant to the touch, cool in winter, and refreshing in summer. Synthetic fabrics get dirty less, are much easier to clean, and do not change color for a long time. The price depends on the density of the textile, the manufacturer, texture, and design.
The most popular:
- microfiber;
- velvet;
- velours;
- wool;
- matting;
- with the addition of acrylic, Teflon.
It is most practical to purchase furniture upholstered with textiles impregnated with dirt-repellent compounds or to purchase removable covers made of linen, cotton, and other materials.
Leather
Leather furniture looks elite, expensive, beautiful, requires minimal care, and is easy to clean from dirt. This upholstery is very durable - with proper care it can last up to several decades without losing its attractive appearance. Genuine leather is a fairly expensive material; in budget options it is replaced by artificial leather or suede, which is much cheaper but will last much less. The main advantages of artificial material are that it is not afraid of the sun's rays, many household chemicals, uniform coloring, texture, indistinguishable from the real thing.
Styles for a white sofa
This piece of furniture is suitable for most popular types of interiors:
- loft is a fairly large, round “antique” structure, placed in the center of the room. Blends perfectly with white brick walls;
- neoclassical - made of natural wood, has carved or painted legs, a voluminous back;
- Provence - light, mostly wooden, decorated with a bedspread with floral motifs, most often not foldable;
- minimalism is a strict geometric shape, without any decoration or splashes of other colors. Merges with the walls in a monochrome interior or sharply contrasts with them in a two-color interior;
- futurism – asymmetrical, with figured cushions, individual decorative elements in “acid” shades, most often modular;
- high-tech - modular design, has shiny metal legs, other chrome-plated parts, a clear shape;
- baroque - voluminous, luxurious, with high backs, wide armrests, exquisite patterns;
- Japanese - low, with a low back, rectangular or slightly rounded. Upholstered in linen fabric, complemented by a rug and wicker chairs;
- Scandinavian - good quality, most often large, roughly shaped, on a wooden base, with natural upholstery.
When purchasing furniture, the documentation accompanying it will often indicate the style for which it is intended. Bedspreads, pillows, and other accessories are selected in accordance with the style.
Combination with other colors
The color of snow or paper goes well with all elements of the color spectrum. Let's look at the most successful combinations.
With gray and black
The combination of three achromatic colors is a solution for those who love strict monochrome interiors, where the purity of shapes and clarity of lines prevail over the variety of colors. The main advantage of such a color solution is that all three colors are easy to combine with each other, it is almost impossible to make a mistake. The most important thing is the proportions of light and dark tones. The smaller the room, the more light colors it should have. This palette is popular in “brutal” styles (loft, hi-tech, futurism, minimalism), but can also fit into classics or scandi.
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With pastel colors
Another win-win combination is a milky, pearlescent or smoky shade plus any pastel colors. In combination with various textures and natural textures (wood, rattan, linen, wool, stone) they give a bright and very cozy interior.
The white sofa in this case is usually supported by a simple monochromatic finish, and pastel shades are used in the details. These can be beige, light pink or blue curtains, blankets, decorative pillows, carpet, as well as paintings and other pieces of furniture.
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With bright flowers
White furniture perfectly sets off bright colors. Without drawing attention to itself, it will emphasize the strength of red, the energy of green, the cheerfulness of yellow or the depth of blue. Looks beautiful in combination with rich brown or purple.
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What to combine with
White color goes well with:
- black;
- bright purple;
- gray;
- sky blue;
- red;
- plum;
- brown;
- green;
- sunny yellow;
- purple;
- scarlet;
- dark asparagus;
- amber;
- ultramarine;
- signal red;
- ruby
These colors are available not only in the structure of the sofa, but also in the surrounding environment - carpets, armchairs, curtains, etc. It is not recommended to combine white with excessively light tones:
- creamy yellow;
- lavender;
- tea green;
- beige;
- pebble gray;
- apricot;
- pale sand;
- silver;
- biscuit;
- spring green;
- honey;
- orchids;
- pastel pink;
- zinnwaldite;
- thistle
Against a dark background, a snow-white structure looks even whiter, so it can be shaded with contrasting pillows and bedspreads. In a bright room, especially a light gray or pale greenish color, a white sofa will look faded, and the background will look dirty and old.
The all-white interior is not very convenient to use, and if not properly maintained, it looks dirty and faded. It’s easier to make a white sofa one of the few light accents in a more “non-staining” environment.
How to choose the right shade
Being an achromatic color, white still has many shades. It depends on the undertone how it will be perceived: warm or cold, pastel or active.
Warm shades include milky, mother-of-pearl, ivory, flower bud, alabaster, creamy, vanilla.
Snowy tones, smoky, platinum, boiling white, linen, and diamond are considered cold.
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Consider several parameters to choose the right shade for your sofa.
- The location of the room and lighting features - in a room where there is a lot of light and the windows face south, you can use cool color variations. And for a room where there is not enough natural light, it is better to choose warm colors.
- The rest of the palette - if the room is decorated with warm pastel colors, pay attention to the upholstery in the color of baked milk or ivory. For strict monochrome interiors with mirrors, metal and stone, snow-white with a tint of gray or blue is suitable.
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Application in the interiors of different rooms
A sofa is a fairly universal item; it can be easily used in almost any room: bedroom, living room, kitchen, hallway, nursery, dressing room, office. A miniature sofa can be placed on a loggia or balcony, in a spacious bathroom. For tight spaces, choose a corner, compact straight model, placed in the corner, near the wall. For larger rooms, any configuration is suitable, but this furniture is placed away from the walls, preferably almost in the center. It becomes the only “bright spot” - an accent element of the space or combines beautifully with snow-white curtains, tablecloths, flooring, rugs, wall moldings made of foam plastic, and plaster.
The selected design should not take up too much space, block approaches to the table, closet, balcony, exits from other rooms, or make it difficult to carry small-sized furniture and household items.
In the living room
The living room is the most spacious room in the house, and the sofa is often its largest element. It is used to receive guests, sleep, play with children, and watch TV with the whole family. Place the structure with its back to the windows or along another wall, but preferably opposite the television screen. A modular sofa is very convenient here, allowing you to assemble several different versions of the “designer” with various poufs, cabinets, consoles, etc. The white sofa here is combined with armchairs of the same color, and other furniture in snow-white or contrasting shades.
In a very spacious room intended for a large family, in addition to the snow-white one, they put the same sofa in a different, contrasting color, but decorate it with white pillows. To create a unified concept, the pillows for the white sofa are made in the same bright color.
When the room is made in warm colors, the shade of the sofa is chosen close to sand, cream, golden; for “cold” living rooms, bluish, mint, pinkish undertones are preferred.
In the kitchen
For kitchen furniture, materials and coatings are selected that are easily cleaned from drops of grease and pieces of food and do not get wet. Suitable for natural leather, faux leather, smooth fabrics. The kitchen sofa should be placed as far as possible from food preparation areas - refrigerator, sink, cutting surface, gas stove. A powerful hood will solve some of the problems with the settling of fat suspension and burning on furniture, preserving its original appearance for a very long time. A snow-white sofa looks good opposite a white set, combined with dark or bright floor and wall tiles, or a white brick kitchen apron.
In the bedroom
In the sleeping area, a folding sofa is used for night sleep or daytime rest, forming a single ensemble with a bed, dressing table, and window curtains. It is draped with a snow-white, black-and-white zebra, colored bedspread, and decorated with pillows of all shapes and sizes. If the room is used exclusively for sleeping, dust will have to be removed a little less frequently than in other rooms. A light, plain sofa looks good against a background of colorful wallpaper, a patterned carpet, decorated with multi-colored pillows of all shapes and sizes.
In the nursery
A sofa for a children's room is usually equipped with removable covers with zippers - it is difficult for children, especially younger ones, to keep clean, so the upholstery will have to be cleaned often and the covers will have to be bleached. In a boy’s room, a snow-white sofa, combined with a blue carpet, a sky-blue ceiling, ship or pirate motifs, and matching prints on the walls, creates a nautical style. In a girl's room it is complemented with lace canopies, deep pink curtains, floral wallpaper, images of fairies or flying ponies, creating a romantic style for a little princess. A teenager will love the black and white interior with a sofa under the loft bed and voluminous pillows.
In the hall
Many modern apartments have a fairly large hallway, allowing you to place a small but full-fledged sofa in it. A folding one is not needed here; a straight one, placed along one of the walls, or a corner one, used as a zoning element, will do. In a narrow room, it is important to leave enough space for free movement - if one or two people live in the apartment, then 80-100 cm will be enough; if there are more than three residents, the passage width is at least 120 cm. A sufficient amount of dirt and dust is carried from the street into the hallway , especially if there are children and pets. Therefore, it is advisable to use removable, easily washable furniture covers.
Principles for selecting color combinations
The last point that must be taken into account when deciding how to choose the color of the sofa to match the interior is the rules and methods of combining colors with each other.
Itten Circle
The Itten Circle is a tool that helps designers and artists choose harmonious color combinations, and an excellent cheat sheet for those who are thinking about what color of the sofa to choose.
There are two popular options for the circle. The first consists of 12 compartments, the second “continues” each color with several of its shades: from more saturated to less saturated.
To decide on a color palette, it is easier to use a circle with 12 compartments.
Below are 6 color combination options. You can visually scroll through the circles, changing colors to find the right combination.
Itten circle: color combinations
It’s easier and more convenient to use Itten’s interactive circles, which can easily be found on the Internet. For example, to find out what color of the sofa will go with beige wallpaper, just select the beige color and choose from ready-made color combinations.
Advice! Use the Itten circle if you choose a sofa with a pattern or upholstery in several colors. The combination of colors in the sofa should be in harmony with the color scheme of the room and, especially, with wallpaper and curtains.
A living room in gray tones looks complete thanks to lilac elements
Ready-made color solutions. How to correctly combine the color of a sofa and wallpaper
A table of ready-made color solutions can help when choosing a sofa to match the color of the wallpaper. Please note that most interiors use more than two colors. To select such a combination, it is better to work with the Itten circle.
Also think about the color of the curtains in advance: usually, like the sofa, they become the second large element that attracts attention. There is even a classic rule: curtains and a sofa should be the same color, and there should be few other similar elements in the room.
However, today designers adhere to this rule less and less. For example, if you are thinking about what kind of curtains will go with a brown sofa, it is better not to choose dark tones, including brown ones: then the room will look gloomy even with light wallpaper.
Advice! Consider the amount of light in the room: if there is not enough light, it is better that the wallpaper or at least the sofa and curtains are light. For small rooms, consider interiors with a predominance of white.
Table of solutions for matching a sofa to the color of the wallpaper
| Wallpaper color | Sofa color |
| White | Any shades |
| Grey | Any shades. Grey, red, yellow, orange, purple, blue, cyan, lilac, white |
| Beige | Beige, brown, yellow, purple, grey, white, black |
| Red | Red, green, blue, white, black |
| Yellow | Yellow, blue, green, brown, white, gray, black |
| Orange | Orange, purple, gray, white, black |
| Green | Green, red, brown, white, grey, black |
| Blue | Blue, orange, yellow, white, gray |
| Lilac | Lilac, blue, purple, white, gray, black |
| Violet | Purple, yellow, white, gray, orange |
| Blue | Light blue, blue, orange, brown, white, gray |
| Brown | Brown, green, orange, white, gray |
How to care for a white sofa
Caring for snow-white items is a little more painstaking than for colored ones. Modern times offer a huge amount of high-quality detergents that perfectly clean any surfaces from dirt, significantly extending the life of furniture upholstery. Textile furniture covers are mostly cleaned at home with cold water, but microfiber fabric, chenille, and velvet should not be machine washed. As an option, cover the surface with a cloth, previously lightly moistened in vinegar mixed with water, and carefully “pat” it with a beater. Next, soda, laundry soap, various detergents, and stain removers are used.
It is most practical to choose a leather sofa cover, but you will have to clean it every day - dust gets stuck in the natural unevenness, the pores of the skin and the cover no longer looks so snow-white. Heavy stains can be removed using special detergents for leather furniture. Fresh stains are removed with a sponge dipped in soapy water.
Caring for a structure covered with a leather or suede substitute is mainly cleaning with a vacuum cleaner or a soft brush. The coating can be treated with waterproof, dirt-repellent agents that help maintain a neat appearance for a long time.
