Thinking about grey couches but unsure about how to avoid a dull-looking living room?
Well, grey is more versatile than it’s given credit for being. Read on to find out how to spruce up your living room with a grey couch.
14 Grey Couch Living Room Ideas
How you organize and style a grey couch living room is the secret to achieving any style you want.
Let’s break down 14 style choices that we can’t get enough of and what we love about each.
1. Play Around With Pillows
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The best place to start when decorating your living room couch is with the pillows.
Grey couches are no exception to this rule. Like in this image, the pillows give the grey couch a life of its own. They also create a sense of cohesion by picking up different colors in the room.
Choose vibrant pillows that create a sharp contrast to your couch. Preferably, these pillows should echo colors found elsewhere in the room. It could be the curtains, the wall, the carpet, or the shelves. Take advantage of different textures, too.
Use pillow cover fabric that has a high sheen together with pillows that have a matte material. The shine will help brighten up the couch.
It does a great deal to choose a shiny pillowcase fabric that is the same color as the brightest object in the room.
2. Statement Coffee Tables
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This light wood coffee table with an abstract design adds color and complexity to the dark grey couch.
It’s a simple piece of furniture but a perfect example of how to use a coffee table to complement your grey couch. You can also play around with angles.
If your couch and other furniture are angular, look for a coffee table with more curves. Glass tables are perfect for creating the illusion of space in small living rooms.
So, a glass table coupled with a light grey sofa would be a great combination. Even if the table has a plain design or is transparent, such as glass, a vertical, colored plant will be a perfect accessory.
As shown above, bowls of fruit that match with the colors of the pillows or complement them are perfect accessories as well.
You can also have bowls of polished stones that echo different colors in the room, preferably those with some association to your grey couch.
3. Vibrant, Textured Throws
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This olive throw creates a stunning contrast to the grey couch and is great for keeping you warm on those late nights with your favorite book or TV show. The best thing about throws is their variety.
You can have vividly colored throws when you feel like brightening up your room, then switch to toned-down colors when you feel like creating a calmer atmosphere.
All this with a piece of knitted fabric. You can also play around with the knitting pattern. Thicker knitting patterns create more texture on the throw and enhance contrast, making them perfect for monochromatic color schemes.
We will discuss grayscale monochrome décor in detail later. You can also match the throws and pillows or have them in complementary colors. The olive-green throw in the photo would go well with a few orange pillows.
4. Bamboo Baskets
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This living room is made cozier with a bamboo basket. The handiwork that goes into making these baskets adds a touch of humanity to the aloof aura of the angular grey couch.
Grey couches can make your living room look like an office waiting lounge, so it’s important to warm them up.
A basket is one simple, yet less common, way of doing so. You can also make the bamboo basket a place where you put your extra throws and drape them tastefully over the basket’s edge, just as shown.
5. Contrasting End Tables
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These white end tables show you the best of grey’s versatility: you can easily contrast it while complementing it. The white end tables pick out the light tone of the grey couch, drawing attention to it while still making it stand out.
The navy pillows then tone everything down again. This is a perfect way to use end tables with your grey couch. End tables create the illusion of a frame in which your sofa is the main object in the foreground.
They draw attention to a seemingly dull piece of furniture and are handy, too. You can add plants and bowls of polished stones and shells in colors that complement the pillows and throws on the sofa.
6. Proper Lighting
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We suggest having some source of lighting that is specifically for your grey couch. This not only helps you accessorize but also prevents you from spending too much on the standard overhead lighting of the room.
This basic lighting can dampen the look of your couch when you aren’t using natural light. You can add a small lamp on one of the end tables beside your couch or have a special light attached to the ceiling so it’s right above the sofa.
There is no need to limit yourself either; go crazy with abstract standing lamps that complement your grey couch and seem to be a part of it — the more artistic, the better.
7. Vibrant Art
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Art is an integral part of any living room. It’s not that hard to find a piece that is aesthetically pleasing and works with the versatility of the grey couch, and it’s even easier to find a great piece.
As in this photo, abstract art spreads its influence with the help of the grey couch.
The accessories are all in colors that reference the artwork, complementing the sofa and, in turn, creating an illusion of cohesion between the couch and the artwork. This is an ingenious and effortless way to use a classic interior décor staple with your grey couch.
8. Plants
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The green on the tall plant next to this grey couch creates vertical interest and also complements the couch.
The small vase it is planted in also contrasts beautifully with the grey couch. As seen with the olive throw, green is a great color to contrast with a grey couch.
This vibrancy has more energy in it when the green is from a living plant, granting vitality to the austerity associated with grey. With plants and grey couches, the taller the better, but, of course, this depends on your couch’s design.
Most sofas will do well with taller plants because they are low. Investing in a good vase to put the plant in is also important. Choose something that will bring out the green and still complement whichever shade of grey you have on your couch.
9. Pop of Color
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You probably figured out by now that contrast is the secret ingredient when it comes to your grey couch. However, do you know all the ways you can use an unexpected pop of color to add excitement to your room?
In this photo, there are three. You can add a couch or bean bag chair of vivid color such as hot pink or scarlet.
Although you might worry that it will overpower the grey couch, all you need to do is make sure it is not the centerpiece and that you accessorize the grey couch accordingly.
You can also use a stool, a painting, a wall, or your curtains. To make this method work, it is usually best if the pop of color is unique and contrasts with most of the other accessories in the room.
10. Textured or Patterned Area Rugs
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Yes, the foot of the couch is also a perfect place to add clever accessories to brighten up your grey couch. The concentric pattern creates a sense of infinity while the texture adds volume.
This subtle yet elaborate rug transforms the seemingly dull grey couch into a fascinating object because of its relative simplicity. Such is the power of contrast created by texture and pattern.
11. Have Some Fun
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Your grey couch does not have to be accessorized with elite accessories all the time; you can have fun with cute plushies, and painting from your kids on the wall behind it and use throws.
Or, you can use pillows from your favorite basketball team, and even that blanket you used as a kid. It does not have to be serious. As long as you know how to contrast the colors and give life to your couch, you’re good to go.
12. Take Advantage of Neutrality
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This grey couch fits perfectly in this colorful room because of its neutrality. At first, grey’s seemingly dull appearance might look like a bad thing, but when your emphasis is on other elements in the room, then it becomes an instant advantage.
The best thing about grey is that it is not a common option; most people will go for white or black. Choosing grey will add depth to your room, even if it’s not meant to stand out.
13. Use Different Tones and Shades
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If you want to keep it simple, go with the rules of monochrome: different tones and shades of the same color together with varying materials and textures.
You can never go wrong with that, as shown in this room.
14. Use Simple Accessories
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If all this still feels confusing and you would rather get even simpler than monochrome, then there is no shame in keeping it simple. Minimalist designs are still chic and modern.
The couch pictured here has a lamp, end table, and coffee table, all common furniture you probably already have and that you can simply move around. If these simple accessories match in some way, all the better.
Things to Consider
Here are a few things to think about when creating the décor to complement your grey couch living room:
- Contrast is key
- Pillows, throws, and accompanying furniture can help brighten up your grey couch
- Lighting matters
- Plants, rugs, and baskets add life to a living room with a grey couch
- Never forget the artwork
What’s Your Favorite Grey Couch Living Room Idea?
A grey couch does not have to be boring and austere; any piece of furniture can be made to look exciting and vibrant with the right accessories.
Never forget that the neutrality offered by a grey couch is a strength, not a weakness. Use that grey couch as you would a sheet of canvas.
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