How to Decorate Around a Red Sectional Sofa

Make the Sofa the Focal Point

• 1

  Paint the room so that it contrasts with the red sofa. For a bold, graphic look, paint the walls white with black accents. Create a more subtle contrast by painting walls in a neutral beige. The red sofa will still "pop" against a beige wall, but the effect will be less dramatic.

• 2

  Position an area rug that is similar in color to the wall paint under the red sectional. Setting the sofa on a contrasting floor covering will help highlight the red upholstery and draw the eye's attention.

• 3

  Arrange a few basic pieces of furniture around the sectional, such as a coffee table, ottoman or an occasional chair. Additional pieces can be in neutral or wood tones, but should not be red or else they will compete with the sectional for attention.

• 4

  Accessorize with a few red items to prevent the sofa from looking like a "sore thumb." Use a red pillow on the accompanying chair and a trio of red vases on a table across the room to carry the color through the rest of the space. Match the color of the accessories as closely to the sofa as possible.

Camouflage the Sofa

• 5

  Paint the walls a color that is analogous to red. Purple and orange are next to red on the color wheel, making them analogous. Painting the walls a light shade of either of these colors will tone down the red sofa and make it less noticeable. Paint only the wall directly behind the sectional in orange or purple and use a neutral shade on the remaining walls if the idea of a lavender room is displeasing.

• 6

  Put an area rug with red accents under the sofa. Using a floor covering with red accents will ground the color and prevent the sofa from looking like it's "floating" in the room.

• 7

  Select additional furniture pieces that are also in analogous colors. A chair with lavender upholstery or a table painted in a shade of orange will de-emphasize the red sectional and add harmony to the overall color scheme of the room.

• 8

  Spread red accessories liberally around the room. Use lamps, pillows, textiles and art to create splashes of red in the room where the sectional is and any adjoining rooms. Choose items in a lighter shade of red or those that are red-orange or reddish-purple. Adding more red into the decor steals attention from the sofa and creates cohesion in the design.