The living room is the coziest gathering place in your home—and the couch? The red lipstick to your living space. Because it takes a large portion of the visual estate in your living room—and is likely the most expensive piece of furniture in the space—choosing the right couch really makes a difference. But the work doesn’t end with the right sofa selection. To make the most of your piece, it’s essential to decorate it the right way. After all, a well-set couch has the potential to form the focal point of your space.
Read on to learn our top couch decorating ideas to elevate your space—they’re super easy and create a setting that leaves an impact!
Create a Stunning Cushion Setting
Credit: Alchemy Home
A very inexpensive and easy couch decorating idea is putting together a fun cushion setting. Cushions and throw pillows are functional essentials, adding comfort to your sofa. They also make for seasonal sofa outfits—you can use them to dress the sofa up or down and shift up the entire sofa style. In fact, if you have an old couch, a set of new cushions can revive it—giving it new life.
One of our favorite cushion setting ideas is the look styled by Alchemy Home above: two patterned pillows create visual interest and serve as the backdrop for a plain cushion as well as the round piece, adding a beautiful touch of asymmetry.
Psst—if you want to recreate the stunning couch setting from scratch, their upholstered curved sofa is for sale, too!
Pair the Couch with a Gallery Wall
Want to bring attention to your sofa as soon as someone enters? Create a focal point around it by arranging a gallery wall behind the sofa. You can mix and match frames of different sizes (and even shapes) to create a setting that grabs the eye. For a minimalist, a set of 2 pieces will achieve the purpose while keeping it understated.
While everyone loves a collection of their favorite art pieces displayed, you can even personalize the gallery wall with family photographs. Another fun idea is incorporating a mirror into your gallery wall setting. Any small to medium mirror works fine—bonus points if it’s the semicircular Bellas Artes mirror adding an artistic touch to the wall.
If you’re in, here’s an in-depth guide on how to create a gallery wall.
Add a Floor Lamp
Shop: RAKU Floor Lamp
A bookworm’s go-to couch decorating idea would be adding a floor lamp. Sleek fixtures add a contemporary flair to the interior while layering lighting. The Nuevo Raku floor lamp hinges over the seating area, providing ample illumination for you to curl up with a blanket and dive into your favorite book. Its matte black build also adds a touch of luxury to any living room—adorning it in more ways than one!
Pair it With a Coffee Table
Credit: Alchemy Home
Enhance the functionality of your couch by pairing it with a coffee table. Make sure the piece visually aesthetic so it boosts the presence of your sofa, too. Case in point: the Tenley coffee table with an Italian white marble top.
Place it in the center of the setting, and top it with your favorite decor items. From candlesticks and coffee table books to a tray of fruits, this can be anything you’d like to add to your living room decor. Personally, we love a vase of fresh flowers bringing life to the coffee table setting.
Lay Down a Rug
Credit: The Citizenry
Have a minimalist couch? Amplify its decorative presence with a bold rug, such as the Pasha handwoven area rug. Its rich, earthy tones add a pop of subtle color to the couch setting. Plus, this rug makes for a great way to bring a masterpiece from Turkey to your home!
The rug comes in 4 different dimensions, so you can choose the one that fits your space. The size should be just enough so the legs of your couch (as well as any other seats in the area) can fit on it and still leave room for your coffee table.
Flank the Couch with Armchairs
If you’re looking to add extra seating with a punch of visual interest—flank your couch with armchairs! These enhance the space and add luxury to your couch setting (especially if they use a royal color and gold legs).
If you have a neutral-hued sofa, vibrant-hued armchairs can add visual interest. Continuing the color of your main couch is also a great idea. For example, using the royal blue Castelle occasional chair on one side of your blue couch and the Delancey Swivel chair on the other can add a beautiful touch of asymmetry while serving the purpose. If you’d prefer sticking to a traditional look, consider using the same armchair on both sides. Be sure to check the size and scale of the armchairs (compared to your couch) and their even placement to ensure a coherent look.
Surf through our list of best accent chairs for every design aesthetic to find the piece that fits your space best.
Add Textural Elements
Minimalist or not, texture makes the space feel warm and inviting. And your couch gives you the opportunity to add plenty of it! From the Kevin O’Brien Studio Dots velvet pillow to the Risas luxe wool throw, texture can take many shapes and forms. Using large Cantaro pots filled with greens also adds texture while bringing Mother Nature indoors.
Bonus points if you use a textural and totally unique Vista wall hanging on the wall behind the sofa (especially because it’s made from upcycled cotton threads). Adding slipcovers is also a great way to add texture while keeping your couch clean.
Decorate for Festivities
We’ll sum up our top couch decorating ideas with their ability to decorate for different seasons. With the holidays coming up, consider sprucing up your couch to celebrate the festive spirit. Read: red and white striped cushions and stockings on the wall behind the sofa. You can also use festive-colored throws on the couch as well as bottle brush trees as the decor for the coffee table.
Final Words
Purchased your couch? Now let’s bring it to life with these couch decorating ideas—you’ll witness its decorative presence increase tenfold!
Stay tuned to our blog to learn all about home decor, including couch trends 2024 to align your home with the upcoming year’s decor trends 🤍