While the choice of the best sofa colour for you is largely down to your personal preference and the look of your living room, there are certain sofa colours to avoid, according to experts. This is either down to practical reasons or their potential to look dated rather quickly.
But, of course, you want to get the best sofa for your living room – one that will look stylish, be durable and one that you’ll love for many years to come. And also one that will work with your existing living room colour scheme – or even better yet, one that could potentially work if you were to change the colour palette of your lounge in the future.
Of course, you don’t have to take these recommendations as gospel – if any of the below shades work for you and your living space, then go for it. But it’s definitely something to consider before making the investment in your next sofa. ‘It depends on the space and how natural light interacts with it,’ says Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at Furniture Village. ‘It’s helpful to think about how a shade will live in your space over time.’
1. White
‘There will always be a place in our hearts for the pure aesthetic of a white sofa, but the reality is, we also want furniture we dare to sit on,’ says Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox.
A white sofa can look very elegant and it’s one of the best sofa colours for a small living room. But let’s face it, it’s not the most practical of colours.
‘A white sofa shows stains, dirt, pet hair and wear very easily,’ says Monika Puccio, head of buying at Sofa Club. ‘It works only in low-traffic, formal spaces or homes without kids and pets.’
2. Bright, bold shades
The best living room sofa ideas are timeless and they are those that you won’t grow tired of after a couple of years. Especially since a good, high-quality sofa should really last at least 10 years.
‘If you enjoy updating your decor frequently, very bold colours like mustard yellow, teal or fuchsia might start to feel restrictive, especially if your tastes shift,’ Shelley at Furniture Village says.
Monika at Sofa Club adds that these bold shades are often dictated by sofa trends which pose the danger of quickly fading, ‘Very bright or neon colours can be trendy but are often short-lived, and overwhelming in large furniture.’
3. Greys
Grey living room ideas used to be some of the most popular colour schemes for a lounge due to its neutral, clean look. But in recent times, grey in interiors has been dropping in popularity as it is seen as cold and impersonal.
'We are moving away from the greys which have dominated interior styles for what seems like forever now. Darker greys, once seen as the practical choice, just feel a little too corporate these days,' Danielle at Cox & Cox says.
The colours to go for instead
There are many ways to embrace timelessness in a living room idea to suit anybody's taste, whether you're more fond of neutral palettes to bolder tones.
1. Brown
Even though brown is currently one of the biggest sofa colour trends, it feels like one that is not going anywhere anytime soon due to a renewed appreciation for earthy neutrals, brown being one of them.
‘When it comes to a sofa colour of the season, chocolate brown is having a real comeback across many fabrications – from cord to linen and velvets,’ says Ali Edwards, head of design at MADE. ‘This is a super durable colour, as well as being a timeless tone, and it has come right back into the forefront of both interiors and fashion for 2025.’
This new sofa design was one of the Ideal Home team's favourite things at the John Lewis autumn/winter 2025 press preview. The beautiful caramel brown shade pairs perfectly with the curved shape and pleated base.
2. Light neutrals
If you like white sofas and want to create a similar effect in your living room, experts recommend opting for light neutral shades instead.
'We think you can create a similar impact with a pale neutral like sand or ivory herringbones, which are just a tone or two less stark and much more accepting of the odd greasy finger mark thanks to the textural design,' Danielle at Cox & Cox says.
Shelley at Furniture Village adds, 'Neutrals remain a stylish option and whilst trends will come and go, a neutral sofa is a mainstay. Soft tones like stone, oatmeal or warm beige provide a versatile backdrop that allows you to easily change up the look of a room with different cushions, throws or wall colours.'
The Hendricks sofa is one of Habitat's all-time bestselling sofa styles. And with the brand's newly launched made-to-order sofa service, you can get this chic sofa in 25 different fabric options, including this neutral 'natural' flat weave.
3. Green
Modular sofas are one of the best sofa styles you can invest in. And its modularity is only one of the reasons we love the Border sofa from John Lewis. The other reasons include the modern low-profile shape and the default olive green upholstery which can be yours within a week.
Green (along with brown, incidentally) is the new neutral replacing beige in interiors. It’s the perfect way to inject a bit of colour into your living room without worrying about it going out of style or not working with a future colour scheme – because green (especially the earthy, nature-inspired tones) goes with pretty much anything.
‘Green is a perennially popular choice for sofas, and for good reason. Shades like sage and forest offer depth and richness and they work beautifully in both classic and modern interiors,’ Shelley at Furniture Village says.
Danielle at Cox & Cox agrees, ‘Greens in every shade are rising in popularity, thanks to their flexibility and compatibility with a wide range of contrasting and toning colours. These natural tones are easy to switch up with the changing seasons for a fresh new look.’
As colour trends come and go, it's important that you consider your own tastes with what you will enjoy seeing in your space every day, regardless of what's 'trending' or not.
