A navy leather couch provides a plain background to flaunt decorative throw pillows in almost any tone. Look to this room’s existing furnishings such as artwork, upholstery, draperies and area rugs for pillow color and fashion clues. Additionally, use a color fan deck and fabric swatches to help narrow down your favorite hues.
Anchors Away
White accent cushions against dark blue look like puffy white clouds against the ocean. Sprinkle several pillows with seaworthy layouts depicting sailboats, nautical charts or seashells among the solid white pillows. Put a variety of pillows imprinted with nautical-code flag logos in traditional bright hues such as fire-engine red, sunny yellow, white and royal blue.
Back to Nature
Enhance the leather with complementary hues found in the outside. Pile in an assortment of natural-toned cushions in dull shades such as sage green, brick red, burnt umber and gold yellow. Or add vibrant turquoise, grassy green, bright yellow, red poppy and pumpkin-orange tones. Select accent cushions with a nature-inspired motif such as wildflowers, trees, mountains, dragonflies or birds.
A Walk on the Wild Side
Take your dark-blue couch on a decorating walk that’s a bit on the wild side with dazzling hues such as bright yellow, kiwi green, hot pink and lipstick red. Flamboyant accent cushions are bursts of color against the navy backdrop. Intensely saturated hues supply the brightest visual contrast alongside the dark leather. Select wild-animal prints such as zebra stripes or leopard spots to feel that the decorating drumbeat of the African safari. Select accent cushions dotted with motifs of parrots, gorillas or whales.
Westward Bound
Play up the natural blue leather with accent pillows in Western-inspired colours and textures. Add cowboy flair with tan-colored accent cushions in soft suede fabrics embellished with leather fringe. Incorporate pillows with images of brown-and-white pintos, cowboy silhouettes and orange sunsets. Alternately, transform the sofa into a tranquil backdrop to showcase Southwestern-style cushions that incorporate vivid tones of red, orange, purple, green, pink and blue in traditional American Indian designs.