How to Mix and Match Your Sofas and Chairs

The three-piece suite is an icon of interior design. It consists of a combination of sofas and armchairs all made in the same style and using the same fabric, creating a cohesive look for any living room space. For some people, it’s an absolute must. But for others, the three-piece suite is outdated and old fashioned, lacking style and imagination. So, does living room furniture really have to match?

Of course, there is no right or wrong answer. If you want a three-piece suite all in the same style, go for it. It can look beautiful and elegant and really bring a room together. Alternatively, if the idea of a suite brings you out in a cold sweat, then you can always mix and match.

How do mismatched sofas work?

The great news is that there are not really any rules when it comes to mixing and matching sofas. In fact, the key to success might even lie in experimentation. A bold mix of colours, patterns and fabrics in a range of design styles can have just as much impact as a carefully selected mix of stylish mid-century sofas. The modern and contemporary can sit right beside the antique and both look as if they were meant to be together.

This is not to say that you don’t have to put any thought into how you place your sofas and chairs together. Rather that, with some thought, it is possible to make more or less any combination work. Mismatched sofas can be made to work by using other accessories such as cushions or throws, by bringing colours together with neutral or complementary tones, or by creating an eclectic design theme throughout. Our collection of cushions and boho cushions are designed to suit perfectly with our sofa styles. 

Mix and match sofa ideas: design styles

Just placing a mid-century sofa like the Model 01 in a room of Victorian antiques is going to look odd. You need the other items of furniture, the right colour scheme and suitable soft furnishings to do the heavy lifting in terms of bringing mismatched sofas together. The same applies with mismatched sofa and armchair combinations.

Certain styles lend themselves to easier matches than others, or you could simply choose sofas of the same style in radically different colour choices. In fact, colour can be the key to making your mix and match living room work.

Mix and match sofas: colours

There are two ways to go when mixing different colour sofas in the living room. The first is to choose sofas of a similar shade or hue. Two different tones of green, grey, blue or any other colour will generally be easy to mix together. Or you could even choose different colours with similar tones, such as the vine green of the Model 01 and teal of Model 02 Swyft sofas. These shades naturally complement each other.

The other option is to go for bold and experimental colour choices, such as mixing pink and grey or red and green. In order to make this work you need to use accent colours in a clever way. And of course, there is nothing to say you have to limit your choices to just two different coloured sofas in the living room. Bold patterns, extra seating (like our armchairs or loveseats)  with and soft furnishings can all add further colours to your palette.

If you really want to discover how to mix and match sofas, then it’s worth looking around for inspiration and coming up with a plan. Simply buying mismatched sofas and assuming they will work in your space with your current design scheme could lead to costly mistakes. As we have said above, almost any style and colour can be made to work but this might require some redecoration and work with the other furniture in your room.

Check out our range of fabric sofas, available in a choice of models, including the chic Model 03 and you can have a base from which to build your eclectic living room furniture collection.

If you would like more help choosing the right sofa for your space, you can also check out our sofa buying guide. All our 24h delivery sofas are comfortable and flat packed for easy transport and construction.