The (Baby Steps) Guide to Bold Upholstery

Solid white, beige or gray upholstery feeling a bit tired? Dip your toe into the world of colorful, patterned upholstery — or dive in — with this mini-guide to a dozen styles. As we work our way from the options that are easiest to live with (a colorful breakfast nook, contrast piping) to those that require true commitment (a peacock velvet sofa), see if one of these 12 ideas strikes a chord.

Low commitment: bold banquette. There’s no doubt this blue ikat breakfast nook bench is bold, but because it’s in the kitchen, where most of the other features (counters, cabinetry) are likely to stay the same, committing to color is a relatively low-risk proposition. Choose a fabric that works well with the colors of your existing finishes and fixtures, and the fresh infusion of color and pattern will be a welcome surprise.


Low commitment: statement ottomans. Pack a lot of color and pattern into a small, easily moved package with a pair of petite upholstered ottomans. These can be easily shifted from room to room, or recovered for far less cash than an entire armchair.


Low commitment: contrast piping. Colorful piping on a white or neutral sofa or armchair is a wonderful way to dip your toe into the world of colorful upholstery. It’s enough to make you sit up and take notice, and can actually be more fun than a piece with full-on color.


Low to moderate commitment: solid blue sofa. A solid blue sofa or armchair somewhere in the denim-like range of color is about as neutral as a non-neutral color can get. It works with other cool shades of blue and green, pops against yellow, and looks fresh and eclectic with red and pink.


Low to moderate commitment: simple headboard. An upholstered headboard with a simple rectangular shape can be easily recovered when you tire of the fabric (or you could even make a DIY version). It’s less paralyzing to consider that watercolor floral you have your eye on when you know you can switch to something completely different later if the mood strikes.


Moderate commitment: personality-packed accent chairs. An accent chair or two upholstered in a bold print (like the tie dye shown here) makes the living room more interesting. Chairs with some of the wood frame exposed, or low-profile armless chairs, are good candidates for a unique fabric treatment.


Moderate commitment: bright dining chairs. Decor in a formal dining room tends to remain static for long stretches of time — why not liven things up by recovering the chairs in a bright hue? If just the seats are being reupholstered, you might even be able to do the job yourself with a heavy-duty staple gun.


Moderate to high commitment: subtle geometric sofa. Solids just not making the grade? A geometric print, especially in goes-with-everything blue, is easier to match and more subtle than a floral print or ikat while still bringing a did-you-hire-a-decorator level of sophistication. Just remember that reupholstering a sofa is not cheap, so be sure to get a sample swatch (or even a half-yard) of your chosen fabric to test out in person before committing.


You could also try a geometric print on just the cushions. This works on a woven, outdoor-style sofa (as shown here) or on a regular upholstered sofa with loose seat cushions. Keeping the outer body of the sofa neutral makes for a more subtle look.


Moderate to high commitment: ornate headboard in a bold print. While a colorful print on the headboard can be utterly gorgeous, keep in mind that it will seriously limit your sheet and pillow sham options — and that recovering a headboard with an intricate shape is more costly than redoing a simple rectangle. On the other hand, if you love simple, crisp white bedding (perhaps with colorful piping) and have fallen hard for a special fabric, splurging on a custom headboard can be well worth it.


High commitment: bright sofa. A solid-hued sofa in a bright color like raspberry is undeniably statement-making. Less is more when decorating around a big and bold piece like this, so consider crisp white walls and just a few accent pieces, like the graphic rug and cluster of pillows here.


High commitment: jewel-tone velvet sofa. Peacock velvet on a chesterfield sofa is a rich, luxurious look — and it must be mentioned that velvet feels amazing to curl up on. It can also feel pretty heavy during a hot summer, so keep in mind your climate and personal preferences before committing.


Only for the bold: multicolor stripe sofa. While it’s certainly not for everyone, you can’t deny that a wild and crazy printed or striped sofa will get your guests talking! If you’d secretly love an unabashedly bold sofa, think of doing this in an off-the-beaten-path space — a game room, play room, pool house or family room — instead of front and center in the main living room.

Tell us: Have you made a bold upholstery choice? Share a photo in the Comments.

More:
Dare to Decorate With Colorful Upholstery
How to Keep Your Upholstery Looking Good

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