It’s been almost a decade since my heart first started beating for a cobalt blue velvet sofa. It’s been just short of five years since I made those sapphire dreams a reality with my Maxwell Sectional. The Internet tells me (at least based on how quickly it seems people redecorate) that it’s time to kick this baby to the curb in place of the colored sofa du jour, but yeah…I’m not going to do that. Don’t let TikTok make you think the lifespan of home decorating decisions lasts until the algorithm says there’s something new…48 hours later. Obviously, this is a gross exaggeration and no one is actually living their lives like this, but it sure does feel that way.
I still very much love my blue sofa. The cushions are a bit lumpy after far too many hours loafing around during a pandemic and the birth of my daughter who demanded we hold her for two hours at a time while napping (and nursing around the clock), but eh…no biggie. Have you seen the cost of, uh…everything lately?
If you’re of the same design school as me and hopped aboard the cobalt train a few years ago as many, many people did, you might be ready to shake things up a bit. So here’s the question: how do we make that sofa feel exciting again without turning your entire living room on its head? I’m going to attempt to answer that today. For you and for me.
My Original Living Room Design
First things first, let’s explore how we got here to begin with. I won’t go too in-depth into what led up to my original color palette of blue, neutrals and rust, but what I will reminisce on is how difficult it was to settle on because the inspiration out there was limited. It was either something really modern with mostly white and black accents, or eclectic with red vintage rugs and mid-century styling. I didn’t want either of those things. And frankly, I still don’t.
The other night, I hopped onto Pinterest and typed in “blue velvet sofa” and I kid you not, it spat back out at me three major style categories: modern, eclectic, vintage. UGH. There has to be something more, surely. Blue is a universal color that works with basically everything. Why is this mission in particular so hard to tackle, then?
I think because the cobalt blue of my particular sofa (not sure what you might be working with) yearns to be the star of the room. So it’s easy to pull back on any other colors or even patterns to not risk overloading your living space. I loved my old living room, I really did, but in my new space, without the beautiful architectural details, it needs more. A bright blue sofa in a mostly neutral room is just too boring for me. So I challenged myself to see what else I might be able to come up with. I had some ideas already in my head, but I knew in order to walk through them with you, I’d need to find some photos…
How I Hunt For Design Inspiration
One of my biggest tricks for finding design inspiration is to slightly alter what I’m looking for. Meaning, I rarely search “blue velvet sofa” when I’m stuck because chances are, I’ve already looked at everything in those results and still haven’t found what I’m looking for. Instead, I’ll try different rooms or categories that might have blue in them, like blue bathrooms and kitchens, blue armchairs, blue bedrooms, etc.
You’ll only see one inspiration photo below that contains a sofa, and that is the result of how I search. It’s a good way to see in what proportion a designer is using colors within a palette, what materials they are bringing in to round out the hues, what styles or aesthetics are calling to me.
Another thing I like to do is find an image (of whatever kind of space), then look up the designer and go look through their whole portfolio. If they’ve used bright blue in one space, chances are, they’ll know how to use it in another. And these breadcrumbs of ideas can lead to your next design ah-ha moment.
Try it, I promise, and let me know how it works for you. But let’s keep talking, so we can get to some colors for us all to try who live on Blue Sofa Avenue.
Inspiration Photos & Why They Work
Here’s a truth: I pulled from tons more images for the moodboards and palettes I put together below, but because of the way publishing on the Internet works, I could only run what I could find on Instagram. But fear not, because I think it’s still good and enough for you to get inspired. Shall we take a look?
Palette to Try: Cobalt + Acorn/Apricot, White, Olive, Slate & Wine
Man do I love this shot from Clella Design. Immediately I’m taken by the juxtaposition of the dark slate-like navy next to the bright cobalt. The olive pillow balances the punch of the chair, a grasscloth with almondy orange undertones complements the blue, and a trickle of dark red (the stripe on the bed blanket) adds just a little something more to the palette. Oh, and the whites and creams keeps the space happy rather than moody.
I keep coming back to this photo and honestly, it’s such a winner. There’s something enchanting to me about the pep of it while still feeling mature, cool, timeless but also a little bit retro. I’d believe you if you told me this is pulled from the 1950s, but also that it’s from right now. Again, white touches work to keep the dark olive, acorn-toned wood built-ins and bold blue in check from getting overly collegiate. Another dreamy spot from Clella Design.
Here’s what I put together from those (and about three other) photos. Pitting the navy with green undertones against the cobalt is daring but pays off in a really sophisticated way. Olive plays a supporting role, so I’d use it in less quantity than the blue, such as on a rug, in another piece of upholstery, maybe even on curtains. And my new favorite finishing touch? A deep burgundy, but just a touch. Don’t steal its magic by going overboard with it.
Palette to Try: Cobalt + Dusty Blue, Moss & Various Golden Yellows
Here’s a dining room by Zoe Feldman Design. You might notice there is no cobalt here, BUT I stretched my mind a little to pull colors from here that I thought would work with it, particularly a good amount of dusty blue, yellow-toned woods, natural materials like rattan and burlwood, and even the flash of bright citrine from the light fixture.
Well, well, well…would you look at that. Another room I’m calling “inspiration” that doesn’t actually have the color in it that I’m trying to design around. Great work Arlyn. But for real, it’s the same as above. I just KNOW that bright blue would be SO cool married with an ashy blue like these tiles, the richness of oak, and a golden (nearly pea-green) yellow. Thanks, Studio Shamshiri for the beautiful room to dream from.
I could move right into this stunning bedroom by Bespoke Only without changing a thing. It’s also where I got the idea to layer in some barely-mossy green into this blue and yellow color scheme. I can’t exactly tell what color that wall paneling is, but it registers sage to me, so I’m going with it!
I really love this one and I think it’s a good palette option for anyone who feels most comfortable in the blue/green realm, but needs a little shoulder shake to make it interesting. The lighter blue here could easily be the most predominant color (on walls, on curtains, on rugs, etc.) while the other coordinating shades would be accents.
Palette to Try: Cobalt + Olive (or Mint), Rose & Reds
The country kitchen is everything right now. And this one by Natasha James of Tasha Textiles has the kind of color play that doesn’t come naturally to most. I love the comfort of all the hues together, especially that terracotta and charcoal checkerboard floor. It’s an unexpected meeting point for the blue island and the mint cabinetry, don’t you think? In some spots it looks rosy, in others brick red, which inspired me to pull out both colors for my own palette.
A *very* different vibe, but just gorgeous. Whether you prefer the freshness of mint from the kitchen above or the earthiness of olive from the walls of this seating corner, they both still work when paired with a few shades of red/pink, a peppering of black and a neutral wood to balance it all. It’s hard to look away from this Studio Shamshiri room, and it’ll likely greatly inspire what I end up doing in my own home.
The two main color players here are blue and green, with the brick red and salmon-like rose coming in as pinch hitters. They’re critical, but not too showy. And don’t forget the black.
Putting The Palettes To Practice
Now it’s time to see these palettes put to real use with my favorite pastime: MOODBOARDS! I tried to use the colors in a similar proportion to how they were used in the inspiration photos but took a few creative liberties as one should. Honestly, I love ALL of these. I could happily step into any of them and keep on keepin’ on at home. Complex color palettes aren’t always easy to put together because they take some nuance. A tiny shift in color here, the right mix of pattern there. Are these perfect? No, of course not, but I think they pull off the color schemes well enough to be a launching pad of ideas for anyone interested.
Sectional | Rug | Media Console | Ottoman | Throw | Lamp | Curtain | Side Table | Floral Pillow | Round Pillow | Striped Lumbar | Checkered Pillow
I’m inclined to do a whole post on my gut guess that solid rugs are going to be huge in the coming years. Look, I love pattern, but with everyone using bold printed wallpapers and fun graphic textiles, a solid rug is needed to give the eye a break. They are so chic and give me serious Manhattan boutique hotel vibes. This one is near the top of my personal list of rugs to get, by Arvin Olano for Rugs USA. A burgundy striped upholstery ottoman brings in some movement, some playful pillows check the warm hues box, and wheat curtains complement a neutral wood media console.
Sectional | Rug | Media Console (IKEA Besta Door Fronts) | Coffee Table | Throw | Lamp | Lamp Shade | Curtain | Side Table | Floral Pillow | Velvet Lumbar Pillow | Square Pillow | Striped Bolster Pillow
This went a little more coastal than I originally intended, but I don’t hate it. It feels happy, light, and still fizzy…like a great salad paired with a Spindrift. I never thought I’d be comparing a room to lettuce and bubbly water, but here I am. There’s a lot of light, dusty blue here but all the shades are just a little different. It’s an “ode to blue” without feeling like THIS ROOM IS ALL BLUE. I love the playfulness Emily’s plaid rug (from her RugsUSA collab) brings to some of the more serious elements like the burlwood table and solid colorblocking of the velvet pillows. Same with the thick stripe of the lumbar which adds a touch of “circus”. Have some fun, okay? And the blue-washed console is just door fronts and a frame for an IKEA Besta unit from a company called Front Interiors that just started selling in the US. I’m highly considering it for my giant Besta that could use a refresh.
Sectional | Rug | Media Console | Coffee Table | Throw | Lamp | Curtain | Side Table | Cream Lumbar Pillow | Orange Print Pillow | Burgundy Pillow | Green Grid Lumbar Pillow
And last but certainly not least is this lovely number. There’s something about this moodboard that feels a little heavier than the others, so if you love a moodier vibe, this is the one for you. I’d LOVE to see all of this in a room with a wild wallpaper or even just the perfect shade of blue so the sofa and curtains kind of disappear. To lighten it up, I’d add in some more white maybe in an armchair or some other styling elements.
SO! Who’s absolutely pumped to go back to the drawing board on your blue sofa and make it feel like the star that it is again? I know I am. I texted all of these moodboards to Jess when I was wrapping up to make sure they felt different enough, and she was excited to hear how inspired I was feeling to work on my own living room. For the last year, it’s kind of been my whatever room but with a new rug, curtains, pillows and a tweak to my media console, I think I could really turn things around and make it feel brand new. And most importantly, help me to love my cobalt sofa for many more years to come.
See you next time!
Your friend in design (and all things color),
Arlyn
Opening Image Credits: Design and Styling by Arlyn Hernandez | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Reveal: Arlyn’s Bright & Happy Rental Living Room Makeover
Absolutely delightful post! I do not own a cobalt blue couch but I so appreciate the creativity and the effort to want to inspire people to work with what they have by making small changes.
Suggestion for a future post: how about an evolution of a room? Just like people shouldn’t throw out a 10 year old cobalt blue couch, most people hopefully don’t have a room that only houses a 10 year old cobalt blue couch. Why not take a room mood board that the site published 5-10 years ago and then show how to update it through a series of small changes? Here is how to incorporate a new more updated rug. Then a few months later when budget allows we swap out the curtains. And so on and so forth. Thanks for the consideration!
This would be really fun, plus a great way to stir up and re-visit old posts, many of which are absolute GEMS that have mostly been lost to time.
Love this idea… even maybe with a real room, over time.
LOVE this idea! I remember the posts about Sara’s mom’s living room, how Sara designed it first and then the changes her mom made, and I loved seeing those posts. Something like that carrying a room through 3-4 changes over time would be awesome! Because yeah, most of us don’t need to replace most of the items, especially the big expensives ones, or we can’t do it all at once, so seeing a post with different paint and rug, and then a post with new art and plants and pillows, and a post with new light fixtures and coffee table, etc – that would be a real treat.
Wow I love this idea and would be so helpful to a “regular” person who can afford to update little bits and pieces here and there!
Grrreat idea!!!!👍
I just swapped my off white sofa for a blue velvet. I don’t worry about trends but all the 2024 lists say jewel tones are still a thing so it’s all good. Haha! Anyway, love all these palettes!
I have been trying to find a combination of dark sofa and dark rug with a color scheme etcetera that works (I have two large dogs that run trails daily), so this is great for me. Fingers crossed it will work in a small living/dining room without feeling too heavy.
How inspiring! Would love to see a post like this for emerald green sofas, too. Thank you for sharing your research tips!
I LOVE this post! I’m so onboard with refreshing what you love instead of buying everything new. You are so right, everything is expensive and most of us aren’t doing collabs so don’t get the cool new things for free. I can’t wait to see your before and after pics. I know the room you design will be gorgeous.
I love how you put these together, Arlyn!
Pragmatic, organised and explanations included.
This made me remember how Brian commented on coming home to a different sofa every other week in the Hendo’s LA house when Emily was switching sofas like socks.🤣
I lurve your sofa and think it’s timeless. 🤗
🤣 🤣 🤣 Oooh to be married to a designer!
I learn so much from you every time you post. The whole “work with what you’ve got” attitude you bring to your writing likes up perfectly with my desire to not just get rid of what I have but to see it in in new light. Plus the color pallettes are always fantastic
Yes! I could not agree more. I have found all of your recent posts with mood boards incredibly inspiring (and accessible!) so thank you so much for taking the time to put them together, Arlyn!
That blue dining room by Zoe Feldman is from Sue Tynan’s house: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/how-to-hang-art-like-a-pro
This post was made for me! I have a blue velvet couch and a blue velvet headboard on my bed. I’ve been seeking inspiration to update the bedroom but there’s no way in heck I’m losing that headboard. Thanks for the ideas.
Love this! Is it just me or do some of your choices have a touch of the Brit’s playfulness with color? My dream room is one that’s colorful but when you walk out you say: Wait, which colors exactly did she use? None dominating too, too much a harmony that blends. To me Bespoke does that best here. Trying to figure out the ‘recipe’…. the color swatches used helps but it seems to me that bespoke did lots of blue, less warm but still quite a bit and then an odd color thrown in just once? Thinking it must be a recipe of multiple colors, several times each and some a shade off with a an outlier so you don’t think you quite figured out what’s going on???
My favorite option was three. It sings together harmoniously and with depth and complexity as I mentioned above.
Thanks again. This was fun and helpful!
Such inspiring content! I always learn and hone my eye when reading your posts! Thanks Arlyn
The link to the console in the last moodboard links to the rug instead. Could you possibly post the link? I really like that console! Thanks!
It’s the McGee & Co Ackerman Sideboard.
It’s the Macklin by Four Hands, carried on lots of different websites and under different names (e.g., West Elm calls it the Sanford).
Aryln’s posts are SO practical! Keep them coming, please 🙂 Bedroom palettes next??
I always love an Arlyn post. Please do this for every color of the rainbow! Jenny Komenda used to do this in the olden/golden days of blogging…just pick a color and discuss inspiration images w various color pairings and why they work (I still remember 10+ yrs ago what a revelation it was to read/see that olive green and coral/pink were made for each other). Her pics were often scans from print mags! The OLDEN DAYS!
Thank you for this post! As a blue velvet couch owner, I appreciate the helpful color tips. As a person who cares about our planet, reading content about using what we already have instead of replacing it with the trend du jour resonates with me. More posts like this, please!
These mood boards are awesome! Also, just wanted to pass along a recommendation – we have 8+ year old Crate and Barrel sofas, and the covers began to fade. I had new covers made through Comfort Works (online) for a very reasonable price. I went with a different colorway, which totally changed the room. We had a great experience, and I would highly recommend as an option to extend the longevity of a sofa.
Thank you for the Comfort Works suggestion! I have an Article Sven sofa that I love but it has faded terribly, so I’m going to look into possibly getting some new covers!
I love these posts so much! I don’t have a blue couch, but this is inspiring color schemes for my living room with cobalt accents. The walls are currently a turbinado color (warm beigey brown), which I’ve loved for 10 years, but I’m ready for a change. I’m thinking maybe apricot walls with my mossy green velvet couch, slate blue accents, warm wood and touches of cobalt. Basically mood board #3, but with black accents rather than wine and a mossy green rather than olive. Thanks, Arlyn!
I feel like you made this post just for me, Arlyn! I bought a blue sofa from an online store last year, and it was a big investment. When it finally arrived, the blue was just so much more BLUE than the fabric swatch seemed to be. I like it okay and I’m trying to make it work, but it’s been a bit of a challenge. I’ve found (through purchasing and retuning maaaany different curtain panels–HA!) that I’m most drawn to a dark navy to help anchor it.
These color palettes are SO FUN and definitely something I’ll reference. Thank you for putting these together for our viewing pleasure!
Also, just wanted to say how much I love how you write about design: “And my new favorite finishing touch? A deep burgundy, but just a touch. Don’t steal its magic by going overboard with it.” This is such engaging writing!
This exact thing happened to me! I got a custom sectional made based on a small blue swatch and wow, did it turn out BLUE! Just wanted to say I’m with you! Was agonizing over it for a while but learning to make it work.
That happened to Emily too with her custom Moreno sofa from Lawson Fenning: “I wanted to have a brighter, happier color and this powder blue is actually brighter than I remembered ordering…….” From this post: https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/living-room-update-ideas-2020
Your gorgeous blue sofa inspired me to get a similar one of my own! I wanted to embrace the colorful sofa trend because I don’t have a ton of room for furniture in my small living room, and everything else in here is fairly bland and neutral. Blue felt like a good bet for a vibrant shade that wouldn’t feel dated quickly. 🙂 I’ve been slowly introducing more colors via pillows and throws and art, and I love seeing all this inspo!
I find your post fascinating and helpful. I get excited every time I see your name in the byline!
Arlyn,
You are so great at these! I especially appreciate getting more than three colors in a palette-it makes it easier to imagine a complete and complex room. And easier to incorporate things you might have already. Your color suggestions give me, for the first time, a start on a coming up with a palette for my living room. Indecision is my middle and first name. I love how you explain your choices for color, so helpful.
One thing – the great bedroom image from Cella designs disappeared. It was there and then wasn’t.
I had the same thing happen with the photo disappearing. I think it’s an Instagram problem, since the photo is an embedded Instagram post. I closed the website page, then opened it again, and it fixed it. You can also click on it to view it in Instagram.
I love this post and the options you presented. I have a grey couch that’s going on… 8 years old? It’s from Joybird and is great quality so I won’t replace it for many years, but how do I shake up my room with the grey couch that was everywhere a decade ago?
Just coming here to say I’m working with a grey couch. 🤣 Which is really kinda silly…if I used to like it, why not now?
I’ve been inspired by Jason Saft @stagedtosell. It’s not necessarily that he’s using a lot of grey couches but moreso that he’s just got such an artist’s eye…it’s like EVERY color is welcomed and there’s not really a palette going on. And he does use a lot of black and white so that kinda helps.
My favourite option is 1.
Love your questions, Arlyn. Love your color perspective!
I am loving that giant photo frame in the first image! Would you be willing to provide a link or information on where that came from?
Hi Cami! I custom made that with Frame It Easy (they were great to work with!). Mine is 50×50. Then I just printed out 4×4 square images with a white border from Artifact Uprising, and used mounting foam to get them up!
Awesome. Thank you so very much!
I was really impressed by the color combinations you discovered and I will definitely try your web search tip when I can’t seem to find what I am looking for. Seeing your mood boards takes me back to the living room Emily had when I first started reading the blog. Her couch at the Commonwealth Avenue house was in the same range of blue as your couch. It looked great with the caramel leather chairs, and other pieces in black, white, brass, and wood. We will be looking forward to seeing which direction you go with your living room!
This has been, legitimately, the most helpful post. It’s so difficult to understand colour when it doesn’t come naturally, thank you for breaking it down like this. For most of your inspirational photos, I was surprised at the colour palette that came out of it, like I could spot the big ones (ie blue white wood), but it was super interesting to see the less obvious ones like the greens. I am fascinated by this through-line of olive green, I really wouldn’t have thought about it! Thanks again!
I loved your former living room and I look forward to seeing how you reinvent current living room. These mood boards with different color pallets are your jam! think each of these would be gorgeous, chic and full of good energy. You have wonderful vision!
Um. I need about 374 more of these from you, Arlyn! I so appreciate the message of working with what you have! Your color palettes and designs are always amazing and give me so many ideas for my own home. Seriously love these kinds of posts from you, please keep going!
also, that rug from Arvin Olano… I’m a neutral lover but that green has been on my mind!! I keep going back and forth between the green and the beige one for my new living room. Hard to come up with a concrete design plan when we’re just starting to build!
This is a post I can get more out of by looking at it again-there’s layers of knowledge. So I’d like to learn from your process- if I have a gray/blue sofa and a maroon sofa in my living room I search living room with blue and maroon and look for images that use those colors predominantly, looking for what accent colors are paired with it? Please teach us tips for your process. Thank you.
This immediately made me think of the Marc Chagall stained glass windows in the Art Institute of Chicago. And actually, one of your color groupings looks nearly identical to Chagall’s!
One of my favourite topics – colour.
I search like this too – I also get inspo for colour combos by looking at things like beautiful paper, fabrics that combine colours and patterned clothing. When you really examine the colours that make up things like this in detail and deconstruct them a bit, it can be surprising to see what colours work together and how they affect each other. A colour expert has usually done the homework for you!
Similarly, I have a favourite print showing French faience that I use as my guide to colour.
Thank you Arlyn for putting this together. I have to admit my heart does a little pitter patter every time I see your name on a post. Is it just me or am I seeing a lot of stripes all of a sudden?
Thank you Emie!! And YESS stripes are IT right now (well, and checkerboard but stripes are so classic).
What a great article- thanks! Your comment “It’s an “ode to blue” without feeling like THIS ROOM IS ALL BLUE” is exactly the advice/mantra I’ve been looking for in redecorating my bedroom. Right now it is ALL BLUE and I’d like to change it but haven’t been sure how. But now I know I need to make it an ode to blue by finding/creating a color palate like you have done here. Thank you!
So glad this was helpful for you!
Really cool inside look into the way a designer’s mind works. I don’t have a cobalt couch, but you inspired me to look for ways to refresh what I already have. Thanks!
Great post and lovely palettes! I have a more “colonial blue” sectional – which I love – and have been thinking about changing up our color scheme. So perfectly timed! Those last two are speaking to me, as we have a lot of wood in the room, too.
My husband was concerned about wedding ourselves to a colorful major piece of furniture when this one caught my eye nearly a decade ago. Would we tired of it? Nope!
arlyn! every post you do leaves me feeling so inspired! i’ve been struggling with my living room for a bit and i realized from this post that it’s because my palette is basically the third one, but i’ve been missing the olive! seeing this, it’s like the missing piece clicked into place. thank you to my internet design older sister (which is how i think of you arlyn =))
This is such a helpful post. It inspired me to try some of the same type of thinking in my own space!
nice
I love Arlyn posts so much! And I can’t believe I’m saying this because olive green and burgundy/red are not my colors, but I really love mood board #1. It is such an interesting room but also very cheery.
I love both your sofa and this post!! Great advice on how to search for new ideas!!
I just got a beautiful rug with LOTS of colors in it –I’m looking for tips to make a paint color palette.
Do you just look at paint strips and try to eyeball the closest color? Any other hints?
Love this! Arlyn, would you consider a similar post for brown sofas? We were lucky to inherit some very comfy, well-made brown Micro-suade sofas and they are so perfect for life with kids —and a cat. I do not want to replace them, but I would love to breathe some new life into them!