Emma Breislin
Having just returned from Milan Design Week, it felt like the natural time to update this ranking of the sofa color trends for 2025. While the last update was only made in December last year (and most, if not all, of our predictions still hold true), after seeing what the world's best designers and design brands are planning for the future, there's a few extra colors emerging as we move further into 2025.
Of course, the sofa trends you'll notice prominently are the most different to the norm, so those invigorating, slightly unusual colors such as purple and teal we're seeing make a sudden reappearance still don't, really, compete with the trends in neutral sofa colors. Beiges, and surprisingly more and more gray, are really the biggest sofa color trends, but to some extent, we don't need to tell you that. If you've arrived at Livingetc, chances are you might dwell on the more confident side of decorating, so alongside the 'safe' sofa colors everyone's picking this year, I've picked out a few of the standouts for colors that are a bit more dynamic too.
Here's your updated sofa color trend guide for 2025.
1. Deep Red
Vibrant, warm reds are ideal for cozy-feeling living rooms.
Oxblood was one of our emerging color trends for the 2025, but so far the sofa color trend coming through stronger is richer, warmer, and more vibrant than this near-brown color.
"Warm, earthy tones like deep reds are gaining popularity in general, evoking a sense of warmth," says Dyna Dreer, senior interior designer at OWN LONDON
So, how do you style your red sofa? "I love mixing warmer neutrals with textures and patterns, like a textured linen fabric paired with contrast piping to add personality," Dyna says .
2. Brown
Deep, rich, and textured, this brown couch elevates the color to a luxe place.
Earthy tones such as brown have always been in the background, but we're expecting this soothing shade — particularly chocolate brown — to come to the forefront in 2025. It works particularly well in minimalist schemes, but many colors go with brown, making it an easy palette to work with.
"Brown is an interesting color trend to see emerging in couches," says Livingetc's editor Hugh Metcalf, "especially since we're only just getting rid of the last incarnation of the brown sofa, which was a bit of an eyesore. However, this time around, there's less of a focus on materials like leather, and more on textured fabrics that give this color sumptuous depth."
It's a good choice if you want a trend that's not going to date, too. "In my opinion, a timeless sofa fabric color is anything in the natural brown color palette," adds Shelby Van Daley, founder and principal designer of Austin-based Daley Homes. "Warm undertones are easy to work with in any room, with any color scheme, and will add depth and warmth to your living room."
3. Purple
My most unexpected sofa color trend for 2025? Purple. This shade hasn't, in this deeper version, had much a stake in interiors in recent years, but its return as a living room color trend is intriguing to see.
I've seen purple sofas in lots of designer projects in the last year, loved for its boldness and power, while also having a little more recessive quality compared to something like a bright red.
Andrew Griffiths, of A New Day Design, chose this rich plum shade for a living room in one of his projects. "We chose this plum colored sofa for the living space to inject some warmth and drama to the space," he explains to me. "It's also a very practical color for family life, with the dark shade being more forgiving to the amount of life that a family sofa has to take." Design forward and practical? A real win-win.
Andrew Griffiths is Director of A New Day Interior Design Studio. The studio works on large scale residential projects with a focus on design that balances creativity, functionality and individuality. Working across a range of property styles from Grade II Listed townhouses to modernist apartments, Andrew is adept at getting the most out of a kitchen design.
4. Teal
Teal is another unexpected sofa color trend I wasn't predicting to see again.
"Teal was the color that caught my eye most at Milan Design Week with brands like Saba Italia," says editor Hugh Metcalf. "In a sea of terracotta, it stood apart as combining coolness with a touch of warmth, bringing a different mood than a lot of the brands showing their new collections."
This living room by OWN London celebrates the color in balance with the other trending living room colors like red and orange, against a neutral backdrop.
5. Bright green
Super vibrant green tones are a more maximalist trend for sofas this year.
Green is loved for its calming qualities and ability to blur the line between indoors and out. Whether it's a vase filled with leafy foliage, natural textures, or green couch living room ideas, it's been embraced in all its shades — from olive to mint green — for a while now, and shows no signs of slowing down.
But in 2025, green sofas have emerged in a brand new light: bright. "What comes around goes around definitely applies to color and interiors, and get ready to see many homes featuring sofas upholstered in bright acid green," says Rudy Saunders, design director at New York-based Dorothy Draper & Co. "There is tremendous energy with this color that truly works in most environments because frankly, it's a shock. This bold, limoncello color is like the exclamation point to a space." Did someone say Brat green?
6. Rust
Orange-y, terracotta tones are a continuing sofa color trend.
Rust brings with it a real sense of warmth and depth to a space, and interior designer Regan Baker, principal designer at Regan Baker Design, says its the color of 2025. As well as introducing a splash of color, it's perfect for creating cozy earth-tone living rooms that feel luxurious and grounding all at once.
"To me, the beauty of rust tones is the concept of rust itself, and how it marries both nature and the man-made through the corrosion of metals," adds Samuel Pye, co-founder of design practice Echlin. "It's a great metaphor for the way we live, combining the comfort and warmth of shelter with wanting to feel connected to nature for its well-being benefits."
7. Dark blue
Rich, but cool — sofas in this darker blue bring elegance and sophistication.
Blue has long been popular when it comes to living room color ideas, especially when it comes to sofas, which has a direct correlation to its emotional qualities. Calming and serene, there is a peaceful characteristic to dark blue that makes it ideal for a relaxing living room.
"When we design interiors, we think about the atmosphere that color creates," says Zhuoer Wang of Chinese architecture firm Office Zhu. "Blue tones makes people feel calm, especially when they appears against a white or muted background. We predict that the more intense, dark blue will be the trend for the coming years, while low saturation, grayish colors will be less popular."
8. Cream
White sofas are a no-no, but cream works for the right home.
Cream became a popular sofa color trend a few years ago when we first saw a rise in bouclé fabric, and it seems to have stuck. Cream living rooms and sofas provide a more lived-in look to white, while still remaining a neutral canvas upon which to build. "Cream sofas can be 'painted' using beautiful pillows and trims that give them body and life," says interior designer Phillip Thomas, who says solid-colored sofas in tones like cream have remained on trend for 2025.
"I think we'll see more cream and beige sofas wanted by buyers as the high-end French, Italian, and Scandinavian design sofas that are 'famous' on Instagram start to trickle into more living rooms," adds designer Samuel Pye.
FAQs
Are Gray Sofas Still on Trend?
Gray has become a somewhat controversial color in the home over the last few years. Many have turned their backs on it, calling 'cold' and 'dated', but for others it remains a timeless neutral.
Interior design expert Malak Bellajdel thinks gray sofas are definitely still stylish, "but the tone has evolved," she says. "We're moving away from the cooler grays and seeing warmer, more inviting shades instead," she adds. "In my opinion, these feel more current."
What are three sofa colors that go with everything?
When it comes to sofa color trends vs timelessness, you'll want a couch that can go with future color schemes too. So which trendy couch colors go with everything?
- Warm white — "White has a fresh, airy feel that goes well with modern as well as traditional styles," says Malak. "A timeless color to me is a cream sofa," adds interior designer Phillip Thomas. "It will stand the test of time as you can always re-accessorize it with different pillows."
- Charcoal gray — "Charcoal gray is sophisticated but still versatile," says Malak. Darker shades of gray can also mimic black, which is easy to pair, "but with the added personality of color," adds interior designer Regan Baker.
- Dusty pink — "Muted pink has a vintage feel that complements a lot of different palettes," says Malak. "I think a sofa upholstered in a pale color will work in almost any interior," adds Phillip. "In many ways, a pale color can often become neutral when it's paired with brighter, more saturated colors."
What Is a Timeless Sofa Color?
Interior design expert Malak says she always finds herself coming back to neutral colored sofas like warm beige or taupe.
"They go beautifully with pretty much any decor style and you can easily refresh the look by swapping our accent pillows or throws," she says. "They kind of act like a blank canvas. A neutral sofa is the foundation you can build so many looks around, which is why I think it'll always be a timeless sofa color choice."
"Blues and greens are also very nature-inspired, which creates a calm and inviting feeling within the home," adds interior designer Regan Baker. Rudy Saunders, the design director of Dorothy Draper & Co. agrees, adding that soft green is perhaps the most timeless. "A beautiful celadon can work really well in so many different design styles, levels of formality, and goes with just about every other color without being too bold."
