Tuesday, January 15, 2008 6:16 PM
Will I regret upholstering our couch in a bold bright color or pattern?
“A couch in a bold bright color is a risk, but a fantastic way to make a statement in a room,” says Los Angeles-based interior designer Jennifer Delonge. She suggests accessorizing it with more neutral or muted tones in the rest of the room, so the brightness doesn’t take over the room. Try a white side table or coffee table, or choose pieces from nature. “Introducing new textures, like wood, sea grass, and linen, will balance the brightness of the couch,” says Delonge. If you’re really nervous about that big blast of color, bring it into the room some other way. Try one bold-colored chair in the corner with a white or wood side table. Or, try bright lampshades on a modest base (Delonge’s company, for example, sells bright fun shades made from vintage scarves). Or, bring in the color with pillows, which can always be replaced. And don’t rely solely on your local Pottery Barn to have the fabric you want. Instead, go to the very best source for cool, contemporary fabrics: purlsoho.com, a site launched from a tiny fabric shop on Sullivan Street in Manhattan, which sells unique fabrics from young, hip designers, perfect to add a splash of color to your living room.
- Amy Spencer