Styling your sofa may seem daunting, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s about mixing scale, tones and texture to give a customized, high-end look. 

It may seem like an obvious accent piece, but many new clients I meet with, have no pillows on their sofa (or the awful ones that come with the sofa) because there are so many options they felt overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start.

Often when you are buying a sofa, they will include accent pillows- donate those immediately! Typically the fabrics that are included with the sofa are basic and boring.

Homesense is a great option for budget-friendly accents, but if you want better quality, beautifully handmade goods check out Townsend Rowe Home ( @townsendrowehomeshop ) out of Langley or Cloth & Main from Kelowna ( @clothandmain) for some gorgeous fabrics! 

You want to start with your colour pallet; stay away from “matchy-matchy” with fabrics that are all the same. To achieve an eclectic look without being too busy, stick with fabrics in the same tone, but different colours, textures and patterns.

Your sofa colour should be your jumping-off point and gently work your way through soft neutrals ( linens, creams, beige) and then you can add in blues or greens – whatever you want your accent to be.

Adding in textures ( wool, linen, leather), solids, fringe and patterns won’t seem too busy when they’re evenly distributed amongst the sofa in similar tones. 

Select pillows of different sizes and layer. Start with the large square ( 22” x 22”) at the back working your way forward with the smaller sizes (20” x 20”, 18” x 18”) and then if you want you can finish with lumbar cushions (12” x 20”.) 

If you are working with a sectional, most of the same rules apply, other than the corner of the sectional can start with a larger pillow ( 24”x 24”) and layer with the remaining. 

Once you’ve tackled the pillows, casually add in a throw to look. You can either have it folded neat and tidy or casually, yet purposefully place it on the end sofa. This added layer gives your space a “lived-in” look. 

Good luck styling your sofa! 

Courtney Ungaro is an interior designer living in Kelowna and has been working on both residential & commercial projects around the beautiful Okanagan for over 12 years.

She has recently started her own company Courtney Ungaro Space + Design specializing in residential & commercial design as well as creative event styling.

If she’s not on a job site or shopping for the perfect piece you can probably find her supporting a locally owned restaurant/brewery/winery with her husband and kids. Follow her projects on Instagram @courtneyungaro_spaceanddesign.