How to Style… A Cream Sofa

Refresh your living space without having to change your furniture.

Even if you've just moved house, redecorating a room rarely means starting from scratch. But how do you achieve a brand new look without having to change all your existing belongings? Easy! If you build a scheme around a key element in your room, you can refresh your space using the things you already own as a starting point.

First up, the cream sofa. A staple of homes across the land, a neutral sofa is timeless (which is why you bought it in the first place, right?). Therefore, it should be easy to re-style when you feel like a refresh.

Here's one way to rework your sofa for a relaxed living space with a hint of luxe…

The Hero

The main event will be you own neutral sofa of course, but we've used Made.com's Bari sofa as our basis for this look.

The Colour Scheme

Bring a soft mood to your space with a dusky pink tone, such as Caribbean Dawn 3. You could use it on the main wall of your room and compliment it on adjoining walls with a putty-shade such as Misty Mountain, or try a two-tone effect for a really on-trend look (you could even paint your furniture with a two-toned effect to match).

The accessories

Add a glamorous, up-town vibe your sofa with some chic lighting. This Naples Brass Floor Lamp (£149 by Marks & Spencer) will instantly make your space feel shiny and new, and is just the ticket for creating a cosy reading area.

To keep that cuppa (or glass of wine) handy, Habitat's Drew Tall Side Table (£35)

Bring a little luxury underfoot with West Elm's Ashik wool rug (from £399). It's a great way to work pattern and texture into your scheme in a subtle way. Plus, the gloriously deep pile will have you kicking back, shoe-free in no time. Try Zara Home's Colourful Cotton Rug as an alternative if shaggy rugs aren't your thing.

The finishing touches

Pick up on the pastel tones of your new rug and dress your sofa with some tonal cushions – these Horizontal Block Stripe Cushions (£32) from Oliver Bonas will uplift plain seating instantly.

Who said beige was boring?

Try out these shades (and more) on your walls by downloading our free Visualizer app. You can also pick colours from the objects and artwork in your space, so it's even easier to build a scheme around the things you love.