What decor goes with a cream sofa?

Love timeless interiors? Enter: cream-coloured sofas. Probably the most versatile colour choice you can make for a sofa, this classic colour’s super easy to style.

Whether you’re after a neutral Scandi look or you’re more into bold colours, cream sofas make the ideal blank slate for living room designs. Here’s how to inject bags of personality into your living room with a centre-stage cream sofa.

Pair it with earthy colours

We’re really excited to see the trend of earth tones for interiors go from strength to strength. For those who’ve got a soft spot for painted walls in colours like olive, terracotta, plaster pink or beige, you’re in luck. These colours are an ideal backdrop for contrasting with the brightness of a cream-coloured sofa in any texture. Keeping with the theme of natural textures, cream sofas also look right at home against wood-panelled walls and exposed stone.

Choose a feature piece of artwork

Interior zoning is really important to consider when you’ve opted for a neutral sofa. Especially against lighter walls, cream sofas can get lost. Fix this by hanging an oversized piece of artwork above your sofa, which will bring the focus back to the seating area. This solidifies the purpose of that part of the living room and depending on what you choose, makes for a decent talking point too.

Experiment with patterns

As a more classic and toned-down colour, cream lends itself well to patterns. Add a dramatic and impressive feel with statement curtains - make sure they’re floor-length for the best impact. If your living room’s compact in size, try a patterned rug. Choose a mix of similar cream tones, with one or two added colours (pink, blue and black patterns work best). If modern interiors are your thing, go for abstract patterns, and if traditional’s your bag, opt for repeating ones. If you’re not sure what patterns to choose, try visualising them with mood boards.

Pick the right coffee table

The colour cream crops up in the natural world often. For this reason, cream sofas always pair well with natural textures. The right coffee table will be one that naturally draws the eye to the sofa area by presenting a contrast in texture. Find this balance in marble, ash wood or rattan coffee table materials. Finish the living room look by styling it with organic elements - small potted plants or delicate floral arrangements, it’s totally up to you.

Use it as a base

Knee-deep in Pinterest boards and not sure where to start? Make a cream-coloured sofa your first choice, and use it as a blank canvas to personalise the rest of the room with your favourite hues. Add unexpected pops of colour around the room to give it a more contemporary feel. Choose mid-century modern style elements in warm tones that compliment the neutral-coloured fabric of the sofa. Bright-coloured lamps, stand-out artwork and block colours work best.

Combine it with other neutrals

This one’s for the neutral, minimalist fans out there. Pair cream sofas with a mix of cool and warmed-toned neutrals across the whole room. Create contrasting shades in whites, off-whites, pumice and greige. If you’re trying to achieve a sleek Scandi interior look, it’s important to introduce variation in tone to avoid the space looking clinical. The aim here is to create warmth - a living room is somewhere that should feel comfortable. Thanks to the versatility of cream sofas, it’s easy to create depth in this way.

Add statement mirrors

Cream sofas are great at brightening up living rooms and giving them a fresher feel. Add a statement mirror to help your living room feel larger and reflect those brighter tones around the room. Standalone mirrors in living rooms work best when they’re oversized. Depending on the size of your space, wall-mounted panelled mirrors or large framed leaner mirrors are best. To bump up the brightness even more, add iridescent or reflective decor that's dotted around the room.

How do you decorate a living room with a cream sofa?

• Pair it with earthy colours.
• Choose a feature piece of artwork. 
• Experiment with patterns.
• Pick the right coffee table.
• Use it as a base.
• Combine it with other neutrals.
• Add statement mirrors.

What colours go with a cream sofa?

• Earth tones - olive, sage, terracotta, stone. 
• Toned-down pinks, blues and yellows.
• Other neutrals - grey, beige, charcoal.

Is cream a warm or cool colour?

Unlike other colours in the neutral palette, cream is usually a warm colour. Put simply, this means it gives off a relaxing, peaceful feeling when used for home decor, making it an ideal choice for a sofa colour.

Is beige and cream the same colour?

Beige and cream are not the same colour. Beige is made up of predominantly undertones of brown, whereas cream is classified as more of an off-white tone.

Are ivory and cream the same colour?

While they're both warm-toned neutrals, ivory is more of a brighter white than cream.

Do beige and cream go together?