Hi! I'm moving to a new apartment (small) at the end of June and am struggling to figure out how to furnish the living room (boy/girl decor). Here are screenshots of the living room with staged furniture, but I'm trying to avoid a white/beige couch because of constant upkeep and staining (lived experience). I've also attached a CGI version of the living room. In addition, I have to choose a sleeper sofa for when family comes over and also hope to add an accent chair. Please help with overall color scheme. How would you decorate this LR? What color sofa should I get? What color should the other furniture be? The rug? I usually like a modern look but with pops of color, or a staple color piece. Thanks!
I love color questions! This is my favorite thing about decorating. Looks like you have a clean slate here — a neutral shell (wood floors, white walls), so you can really do anything you like. So, what do you like?
My suggestions are:
Have fun! I think once you've made 1 decision, other things will fall in place around it. And don't feel like you have to buy everything at once and be "done." Take your time and figure out what you need and what you like as you go. Some people say you should live in a place for a year before you start to decorate it. You need some basic stuff to start (place to sleep, place to eat and work, places to store your stuff), but after that see how things feel and decide what you need slowly!
Have fun!
I like Zephy's comment. Don't be in a rush, and don't feel like there is some rule you have to follow. Take accurate measurements of the space/s a couch could possibly go - this is vital, as most couches are HUGE. I actually went with what they call an "apartment-sized" sofa, and it's large enough to stretch out on. It's an oatmeal colored Chesterfield. Since your space is small, you must take care to acquire pieces that are of the right scale for the room. There are plenty of options for pull-out sofas; some very pretty ones that I have been seeing lately come in colors and a velvety upholstery. Pick a color you like, and your rug and other decor can take shape accordingly. To get ideas, go to Pinterest and enter "navy velvet sleeper sofa," (or whatever color you like) and see what comes up. You can do this with different colors and begin to get an idea of how a certain piece and a certain color will look in the room, as well as how others have paired sofas with other furniture. Whether or not you end up with a light-colored piece, treat it with Vectra to help keep it clean. Very best wishes to you in your new apartment, and have fun putting it all together!
Since your confined to choosing a sofa bed, I feel a neutral color might be easiest, it could be jazzed up to your own taste with throws (which might double as bedspread for guests?) of your choice, and changed at will. I'd think rugs would be easy, there's lots of choice (although I've been enamoured with oriental styles for years, their full of color). I hope you get things right first time.
Test out the sleeper sofa in person if y0u can! I did a lot of shopping around for mine, and it turned out the most comfortable one was not the expensive model that was originally top of my list, it was actually one of the cheaper backups. And yes I have slept on it several times since buying it!
Agreeing with Zephyr, start with the minimum that you need to live in the apartment, and then gradually look for furniture that you really like. As you live in the space you'll get a better idea of what you need where, and also what looks good with the furniture you already have.
Since you like modern with "pops" of color I'd suggest getting the sofabed in a darker neutral like grey or brown. Then add a brightly colored throw blanket and some small pillows to liven it up. Or instead of throw pillows you can take the bed pillows for your guests and put decorative covers ("shams") over them. You won't need to store your guest pillows and you can change up the shams if you want a different look.
Hi! My suggestion is to pick a curved sofa that would go to the opposite side in a diagonal fashion facing the window (if a tv is must, you could add one with arm on the far wall near the window, just so that you are not tied into the box of style of that room. I would get an inflatable mattress for guests. They have come a long way and are very comfortable. If a sleeper sofa is a must must, all things below would still apply but I would place the couch on the opposite wall of where the stager set it up. I like full access to the window and the table would be closer to the kitchen.
I would go with a bold color couch, in a very durable fabric (as much I LOVE a velvet: especially in a deep green, pink, burnt orange, royal blue etc..) they tend to become a little sloppy and are not as easily stain resistant, once satined it is very visible. My go to fabric are usually a cotton or tweed (quick side bar, I convinced a client to go with a jam colored tweed couch and she was very neutral person so it took a minute, but she loves it)!
The bold color choice will become "your neutral", all other items would be in neutral tones and if you want to paint before you move in, my preference neutral " white" is a very light pink blush, its just a hint but lightens up the space. Warm and vibrant tones for the throws/ floor pillows/pillows and paintings.
Those are my thoughts. Good Luck !
I'm going to play contrarian for a moment and offer another perspective: Do you really need the sleeper sofa? How often will your family visit and stay over? If it’s often, then yes, it totally makes sense to prioritize. But speaking from personal experience, I’d recommend focusing on what suits your day-to-day needs first, especially since you’ll be the one using the living room most. I also thought I needed a sleeper sofa for guests, but I couldn’t find one I loved. I ended up going with a really great air mattress instead—and with some extra cushioning and nice bedding, it actually feels pretty luxe! Obviously, you know what will work best for your household, but I just wanted to put that out there 😊
As for color, it really comes down to your preferences! You’ve got a great neutral backdrop, which gives you so much flexibility. I’d start by finding your jumping off point—something that inspires your palette. This could be artwork, a colorful rug, or even the sofa itself. While it’s tempting to add pops of color through smaller decor, anchoring the room with a larger statement piece (like a rug) can make the rest of the palette fall into place more easily. Think about what you already have and love. There might be a color or piece in there that sparks something. And yes, take your time! You’ve got this
