You have the perfect dark gray couch sitting in your living room, and you want to soften the look by placing beautiful throw pillows. But with the overwhelming design options, how do you narrow down your choices? No worries, we rounded up the best throw pillows for dark gray couches to help inspire your creativity.
If you want to add a pop of color, the best choices for dark gray couches are:
- plain white
- purple hues
- gray hues
- yellow hues
- black and white
If you want to add character to the design, mix up patterns, solid colors, and textures. If you have a leather sofa, designers recommend using elegant fabrics such as velvet, corduroy, cotton, and linen.
Now that you have an idea about the color and fabric choices let's go deeper into the aesthetic details. How many throw pillows should you place on the couch, and what sizes are appropriate? What pillows will match leather couches? Read on to learn more about how to properly accent your dark gray sofa.
What Colors Go With A Dark Gray Couch?
When designing a living room, you need to start with the most versatile and focal piece of furniture: the couch. Having a dark gray sofa can be too plain and does not bring energy and character to the room. Therefore, you need to give it a pop of color or accent to make it more interesting.
On the other hand, a dark-gray sofa is a perfect canvas to decorate because it goes well with any color scheme. The dark, solid color makes it an excellent background to play around with some colors and texture. You can easily make it look sophisticated, classy, or traditional by placing thematic throw pillows and blankets.
Below are some trendy throw pillow ideas for dark gray couches.
Plain White
Plain white pillows are the best contrast to your dark gray couch. It lightens up the room while still maintaining a monotone theme. White throw pillows have an elegant and classic appeal and fit into any room design. However, they are prone to dirt and stains, so it's best to choose a pillow cover that's durable and washable.
Check out this NordECO fleece white throw pillow on Amazon.
Purple Hues
Known as a symbol of luxury and royalty, purple throw pillows will make your gray couch look classy and elegant. If you want to go for the mysterious and artsy look, deep purple colors will help you achieve it.
You can also choose a lighter shade like very peri, Pantone's 2022 color of the year, a color that represents the creative spirit and encourages imaginative expressions. Purple blends well with a white and yellow throw pillow mix.
Check out this DEZENE striped velvet purple pillow on Amazon.
Gray Hues
Who says you can't use gray on grays? If you're aiming for a monotone color scheme, you can use a mixture of whites, grays, and blacks to accent your dark couch. Mix it up with some patterns and textures to make the design more interesting.
Check out this AmHoo striped cotton linen pillow on Amazon.
Yellow Hues
Yellow can be an overwhelmingly bright color when used as wall paint, but it can be a beautifully subtle but powerful accent pillow to a dark gray sofa. If you love yellow but still want to maintain a minimalist color scheme in the living room, using a yellow accent throw pillow will be the perfect compromise.
Click here to see this velvet tie-dye pillow on Amazon.
Black And White
The classic black and white can create a perfect balance if you want to go for bold and daring while maintaining a minimalist and monochrome look. Mix it with different patterns and fabrics to make it a focal point of interest in your living room.
As a design tip, if you have a dark sofa as a base, use a white pillow first and then a black pillow in front to alternate the colors. Do this to break up the color scheme and add balance to the design.
Click here to see this DEZENE faux leather pillow on Amazon.
How Do You Mix Throw Pillows?
If you don't have an eye for patterns and struggle with mix-and-match, you can follow these easy design formulas that can help you style your dark gray couch in no time.
- Mix solid colors with prints and patterns - Pick a solid color and find a print with the same color hues as the solid color.
- Use light-colored pillows if you have a dark gray couch - Use a mix of light-colored solids, patterns, and textured pillows to contrast the dark couch.
- Layer pillow sizes - Use large pillows as your corner pillow then layer it with smaller-sized pillows in front. You will learn more about throw pillow sizes as you read on.
Can You Put Throw Pillows On A Leather Couch?
Some people choose leather couches not just for aesthetic reasons but because they require less cleaning and maintenance. The easy cleaning makes them ideal for those who suffer from allergies.
You can definitely put throw pillows on a leather couch, but the choices are going to be tricky if you still want to maintain the sleek and elegant look leather couches are known for. Not all throw pillows will work well with leather because of their shiny texture and the wrong fabric can easily look out of place.
Therefore, designers recommend using fabrics such as velvet, cotton, linen, and corduroy to complement the smooth and rich texture of leather couches.
Cotton
Cotton fabric is great for throw pillows because they are soft and easy to wash. The fabric is durable, versatile, and will definitely help soften the look of a dark gray leather couch.
Check out this bohemian cotton throw pillow cover on Amazon.
Corduroy
A corduroy decorative throw pillow can give your couch a warm and comfortable farmhouse feel but still maintain its classic elegance. Corduroy fabrics are making a comeback, and it won't hurt to go with the trend.
Click here to see this Sykting corduroy throw pillow on Amazon.
Linen
Linen fabrics are almost similar to cotton in terms of softness, durability, washability, breathability, and versatility, so they can go with any type of couch. They have a classy texture that can make throw pillows look luxurious.
Click here to see this Softpoint linen pillow cover on Amazon.
Velvet
The velvet fabric's luxurious shine can easily complement any leather couch. Velvet is a soft and heavy fabric often used for drapes, but can also be used for throw pillow covers to bring class and charm to any living room.
Check out this Deconovo velvet throw pillow on Amazon.
The trick to leather couches is to use a lot of textured fabrics and heavy pillows to keep them from slipping off the couch. Because leather couches are slippery, it's best to use the heavier types of cushions filled with a mix of down and polyester fiberfill to make them fuller and more weighted.
How Many Pillows Should Be On A Couch?
There are different opinions and style guides regarding the number of pillows to place on a couch, but there seems to be one general rule that most designers follow.
The rule is to measure the length of the couch by feet and then subtract one, and the answer would be the number of pillows to place on the couch. See the example below:
6 feet (length of the couch) - 1 (less one foot) = 5 throw pillows to place on a 6-feet long couch
But wait, there's more! You also need to apply the rule of thirds in interior design. This means that when you place accents, follow odd numbers 3, 5, 7, etc.
So the example above follows this rule because the resulting number is 5. But what if the length of the couch is 9 feet? Minus 1 foot and you'd end up with the number eight (which is an even number). The following rule is to go down one number and use 7 throw pillows instead for the couch.
What Size Are Couch Throw Pillows?
Throw pillow sizes are important because anything too big will dwarf the sofa, and anything too small will make it look insignificant in the overall design. A standard-sized throw pillow is around 18x18 to 20x20 inches. These are the safest size to buy if you're unsure about your couch length.
If you have a big sofa like a sectional with deep seats and a tall backrest, you should start with a 22 or 24-inch throw pillow. You can then layer it with a smaller 20-inch pillow in front. Just remember that not all throw pillows are square. There are round, rectangle, and other odd-shaped pillows you can add to the mix and have fun with.
In Conclusion
When it comes to designing couches, the possibilities are endless. Although we couldn't cover everything in this article, we hope this list inspired your design choices and helped you pick out throw pillows for your dark gray couch.
If you're looking into more couches and living room design inspiration, do check out these other great articles:
13 Best Living Room Color Schemes With Brown Leather Furniture