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Which Colors Look Good With a Tartan Sofa?

Choosing the perfect color to complement tartan is important, especially if you want your home to look cohesive and coordinated. Tartans contain a mixture of colors, so look at your sofa with an artistic eye, in order to get the perfect combination. It's important to consider the texture of fabric as well as the colors; for a contemporary look, choose different textures and contrasting colors. For a cohesive look, opt for something similar.
  1. Blues

    • Yellow, black, red or blue would look good with this tartan.

      If your tartan sofa has shades of blue running through it, choose your favorite shade and opt for items in this color. Matching items to any of the colors in your tartan will tie them together, and make your home look coordinated. Alternatively, if your tartan is predominantly yellow, then choosing blue will be a striking contrast as opposites often complement each other. Avoid shades of blue if your tartan is predominantly green or red with no blue running through it.

    Reds

    • Red, blue, and white would match this tartan. Green, black and yellow would contrast.

      If your tartan contains red, then go for red items. However, be careful as there are many shades of red in the color spectrum; some clash, while others complement. Try to find the same shade of red, if the red on your sofa has a tinge of orange; don't get dark red items. For a contrasting look, match red with a green tartan.

    Greens

    • Green and red tartan is very festive, especially when matched with gold.

      Green is a common tartan color. Many traditional Scottish tartans such as Black Watch and Mackenzie contain green and blue. For a traditional tartan such as these, find items in the same shade of green or blue. For a popular contrast, any shade of red would look good. If you want to mute the colors, go for black or white.

    Yellows

    • Autumn shades are warming and homey.

      Yellow tartan is generally very bright and striking. It is common to tone down the colors by adding black or white. If you want to make a statement, opt for the opposite shade of blue. However, be careful -- blue comes in so many shades; if the yellow is bright, choose true blue or navy. For a mustard yellow, go for autumnal colors such as burnt orange, brown or black.