Ash is the founder of Living Cozy. He's been featured by publishers like MyDomaine, Realtor, Real Homes, Architectural Digest, The Spruce, Homes and Gardens, and more. As a writer his work has appeared in publications like FastCompany, TNW, and Entrepreneur.
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A brown leather sofa is a classic piece of furniture that can add a touch of elegance to any room.
“A high-quality brown leather sofa is a great investment, especially if you enjoy switching your decor styles. “It serves as a neutral foundation and can be adapted over and over again simply by switching out the decorative accessories or adding a new lick of paint to the walls,” says Leah Howatson of furniture brand Castlery.
The great thing about choosing a brown leather sofa is that it can be such a versatile piece to use as an anchor for your home décor. "The neutral, warm tone is easy to incorporate into most homes and can suit a myriad of design styles whether you are striving for mid-century modern, maximalism, bohemian, coastal or Scandinavian,” adds Howatson.
This guide will give an overview of the colors and styles that will pair beautifully with a brown leather couch sofa.
10 Colors and Decorating Styles that Go with Brown Leather Sofas
Several hues, from white to industrial tones, will go wonderfully with your brown leather sofa. You can use these colors to create different effects and moods in your living room.
You can never go wrong with this color choice since it will always give your living room a clean and fresh look. Try pairing your dark brown leather sofa with white walls to achieve a more modern aesthetic. “To build a clean and cozy look, pick a white color palette for your walls and allow the brown leather sofa to take center stage as the focal point," says Leah Howatson from furniture brand Castlery.
Howatson also recommends incorporating crisp whites to create a modern, or sophisticated look or soft creams to make the living room cozier and inviting. If you’re aiming for a more traditional look, use translucent white curtains and throw pillows with your brown leather sofa. You can also add a touch of elegance by placing a white vase or two on your coffee table.
2. Green
Green walls work perfectly with brown leather.
For a touch of nature in your living room, go for green. This popular color will work well with different shades of brown leather sofas, as the combination is nature-inspired. "Think about it…brown and green are seen often together because in nature they are tree bark and leaves or earth and grass,” explained Charmaine Wynter, from Charmaine Wynter Interiors.
Leah Howatson added that it’s okay to go for a complementary tone like a sage green wall or place potted plants in your living room to create a sense of nature around your leather sectional or sofa. When styling your sofa using green, the goal is to use the earth tones of the brown and green combination to breathe life into your living room.
“Don’t be afraid to mix browns with other browns, as the different shades add character," explains Howatson. "Layer in beige walls and ground the room with a rug in a natural material like jute."
Howatson says you can create a more monochromatic look by placing a wooden coffee table in the room. She also recommends using different cushion prints to make the sofa stand out. "Use printed cushions strategically to break things up and set your couch apart from the rest of the space,” she says.
If you want to add a touch of glamour to your living room, try using a jewel tone as an accent color. "For a whimsical look, I recommend light-colored walls as a neutral backdrop. Make a dramatic impact by punctuating the room with a bold statement chair or lampshade," Howatson told Living Cozy.
Don't feel bad about repeating colors that you already have in your living room design. "Repeating colors make a room feel cohesive, so consider a unifying color that is also included in your window treatments, rugs, wall art, or even a stack of fluffy cushions," adds Howatson.
Scandinavian color schemes complement brown leather.
If you’re looking for a way to make your living room feel airy and spacious, try using a light Scandinavian color scheme. These hues will reflect natural light, making the space appear brighter. Try keeping things light and bright in a small room, so the space doesn't feel cramped.
“A Scandinavian decor style lends itself well with brown leather furniture if walls are white and flooring is blond wood,” says Wynter. With that in mind, you can use light-colored throw pillows and rugs to achieve a Scandi-chic look. You can also add a pop of color with a statement piece of artwork or a vibrant area rug.
6. Woody Natural Browns
Woody, natural browns work well with brown leather.
For a rustic look, consider using woody natural browns. These shades will give your living room an earthy feel. Layer in rich wood tones or light brown to create a warm and inviting space, and incorporate different textures like velvet or wool to add depth.
“A lodge decor style is also great if your brown sofa is resting on flagstone tile flooring, especially if you have vaulted ceilings with hewn beams,” advises Wynter. To achieve this look, use furniture and room decor made from natural materials like wood and stone. You can also hang tapestries on the walls to add texture and visual interest.
“For an edgy feel, clad your walls in charcoal or navy. Enhance the moody vibe with dark floors or rugs," says Howatson. If you're interested in a mid-century modern sofa look, Howatson recommends adding small details of gold and brass tones in the sofa's end caps or your coffee table's legs.
You can also add these touches to your lamps or vases. Howatson notes that "silver metallics can make a space feel more modern.” So, you can use these pieces to create a contrast with the dark wall color.
Expert designers acknowledge that pairing your brown leather sofa with creamy whites will give your room a classic look. Katie Simpson, an interior designer at Mackenzie Collier Interiors, says, “Any colorway that has a warm undertone is my favorite complement to a brown leather sofa. For a simple and clean palette, you can stick to warm whites or creams.”
Grace Hoffend, an interior design specialist at Maiden Home, supports the use of creamy whites alongside leather sofas. “I always default to a creamy white wall and lean toward neutral-colored curtains," she explains. Going by this advice, you can also use a rug with neutral colors or creamy white shades to introduce texture and pattern into your living space.
If you’re going for a beachy vibe, try using a sandy color scheme or paint colors. These colors will give your living room a relaxed and airy feel. If you're wondering what these shades are, interior designer Becc Burgmann has the answers.
Burgmann says, “What I would call earthy and classic later period English tones—sandy colored shades, deep reds, burnt oranges, and antique brass tones.” If your brown leather sofa has a red undertone, it'll shine if you pair it with darker shades of red-colored home decor. Burnt orange will bring out a warm vibe, so you can consider using this color for your area rug or curtains.
10. Exposed Brickwork and Industrial Tones
Exposed brickwork works well with brown leather sofas.
Designers often recommend pairing exposed brickwork with a brown leather sofa. The natural tones of the brick complement the rich hue of the leather, creating a warm and inviting space. Exposed brick can add texture and visual interest to a room, making it an ideal choice for those looking to create a unique living space.
If you're looking to add a touch of industrial chic to your living room, then pairing your brown leather sofa with some metal accents is a great way to do it. Think about adding a coffee table with metal legs and an accent wall that features metal rods or pipes. Incorporating metals like copper or brass into the space adds depth and makes your room feel more masculine.
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How to Complement a Brown Leather Sofa: 3 Decorating Ideas
Simpson recommends layering different-textured upholstery pieces on your brown leather couch to make it feel warmer and cozier.
"Leather is one of those classic materials that tends to be smoother and cold to the touch, so when sourcing for additional seating options in your space, go for something with a different texture, such as velvet or boucle," she said. If you have a sectional sofa, you can use different textures for each section to give your space more dimension and make it more interesting to look at.
You can use throw pillows made of various fabrics to soften the brown sofa's appearance. "Try incorporating patterns to break up the brown leather,” advises Allison Wright, a residential designer at Metal + Petal. Wright also recommends choosing velvet for other seating options, saying that "leather and velvet are a timeless pairing."
2. Gray and White Tartan Patterns
"Nothing pairs more perfectly with brown leather than tartan accessories," Becc Burgmann told Living Cozy. These patterns are perfect if you want to create a cozy and inviting living room. The subtlety of the colors will complement the brown leather sofa without being too overwhelming.
"For example, you can have grey/white tartan cushions, along with a hessian coloured natural woven rug with black trim and off white curtains with antique bronze rods close by,” adds Burgmann. You can also use these patterns on your throw pillows or armchairs to add a touch of warmth to the room. If you want to take this a step further, you could also try black and white accessories.
3. Wainscotting Walls
Wainscotting complements a leather sofa.
Wainscotting walls are an excellent way to add texture, elegance, and visual interest to your living room. It's a type of wood paneling covering the wall's lower part. This style will create a stunning effect if you have classic walls.
“Walls that work with this style of couch are classic walls. For example, walls with wainscotting, either full or half-height, will lift the couch and the space to continue the path of elegance,” says Burgmann. You can paint or stain the wainscotting walls to complement your brown leather sofa or other existing decors.
What Colors Don’t Go with a Brown Leather Sofa
Not every color will bring out the beauty of your brown leather sofa. After all, some colors are too bright or dull to complement the richness of the brown leather couch. These include red, yellow, and frosty grays.
"Avoid using a red and yellow pairing with a brown leather sofa. The space will instantly become too warm and have a very dated look,” advises Wright. Mustard yellow is particularly too bright and will make the room feel overwhelming. You can use red in moderation, especially if your sofa has a red undertone, but don't use it as the dominant color in the room.
"Be cautious when selecting certain hues like yellow or orange, as they don’t work universally with all shades of brown and may clash or look muddy," adds Howatson. Frosty grays are also unsuitable for creating a warm and inviting living space. These colors will make the room feel cold and uninviting.
Bring Out the Beauty in Your Brown Leather Sofa With the Right Colors and Styles
A brown leather sofa is a beautiful piece of furniture that can enhance the look of your living room, choose a color scheme and interior design style that complement its rich color to make the most out of it.
You can mix and match different textures, patterns, and colors to create a warm and inviting living space. Just be careful not to use too bright or dull colors, as they can make the room feel overwhelming or cold.
“If you enjoy switching out your décor ever so often, investing in a high-quality brown leather sofa is a brilliant idea as it serves as a neutral foundation and can be adapted over and over again simply by switching out the decorative accessories or adding a new lick of paint to the walls,” adds Howatson.
Meet the Experts
To create this guide we consulted with a number of interior design specialists, including:
Ash is the founder of Living Cozy. He's been featured by publishers like MyDomaine, Realtor, Real Homes, Architectural Digest, The Spruce, Homes and Gardens, and more. As a writer his work has appeared in publications like FastCompany, TNW, and Entrepreneur.
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