Interior Design: How to Coordinate Mismatched Upholstery

1. Repetition – To coordinate two pieces of mismatched upholstery, unify both pieces by repeating a color from one piece to onto another with a pillow or throw.  Here the blue green color of the ottoman was repeated in the pattern on the pillows, while the artwork brings everything together including the gray velvet sofa in the foreground.

 

2. Introduce a new design element  – A piece of artwork overhead or nearby accessories  with both colors can also serve as a way to bring two different colors of upholstery together effectively.  Here the blue center of the pillow is repeated in the blue candle nearby while the white seashell picks up the white upholstery.

When creating vignettes of accessories in your space whether its for a tabletop or shelves, try to place objects of various heights, sizes, texture, and shapes together to create a cohesive whole. Normally I place the taller narrower items at back with shorter wider items at the front.

3. Layer a rug underneath – Placing a rug underneath your upholstery not only creates a grouping of furniture but can also help bring the two disparate colors together by introducing both of them in your rug.  In this photo above the magenta red pillow picks up the color in the chair on the banquette along with the rug, while the cream white from the rug is also repeated in the banquette pillow and upholstery legs.

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Watch my KCTV5 interview on Better Kansas City on the same topic last week