One of the most popular colors in the design of housing are considered light. This is not surprising, because they are ageless classics. White sofas are combined with absolutely any shades of the color palette, giving the room tenderness and lightness, and are used in all styles. Rural Provence, luxurious classics, restrained minimalism – light color will emphasize any interior, making it stylish and relevant.
Psychology of white
Crystal clear white color lifts the mood, relieves tension and stress. A bright room creates a relaxing atmosphere, conducive to rest and tranquility. Light color is always associated with cleanliness and order. Such an environment allows you to look at problems from a different angle, relieves anxiety and tension.
People who choose white for interior decoration can be called ambitious and purposeful. Since white personifies ideality and dreams, such individuals set high goals for themselves in life and know what they want. They are open to the world, positive and always hope for the best outcome of events.
But a white room does not always have a positive effect on the emotional state of the person in it. The monochrome white interior, not diluted with bright accents and other, more expressive colors, creates associations with a hospital ward. White is a neutral color and rather “characterless”. Because of this, it is soothing, but an excess of white causes a feeling of emptiness. Sensitive people, being in a pure white room for a long time, can feel a strong decline in strength.
Advantages and disadvantages
When planning the interior of a room, many immediately discard the option with a light sofa color. All due to the fact that such furniture is very impractical. The most insignificant stains and dirt will be noticeable on the white sofa, they will have to be constantly cleaned. In some cases, the contamination is not amenable to home cleaning and requires contacting a dry cleaner. For this reason, for families with pets and small children, it is better not to choose a light-colored sofa.
However, light-colored sofas have much more advantages than disadvantages, and this attracts fans of unobtrusive interiors. As already noted, white color promotes relaxation and relaxation, and when it is one of the main ones, it increases efficiency and concentration.
A light sofa can be used even with the most “capricious” colors, such as olive and mustard. And if you have chosen a certain style, but can’t find a suitable color palette, give preference to white – you definitely won’t make a mistake.
Another advantage of white is that it is able to visually “push” the walls! Even the most cramped and uncomfortable at first glance room turns into a cozy and spacious. Its main drawback – a small area – turns into a virtue. This magic happens due to the ability of light colors to reflect light well.
The color scheme of light sofas
A light sofa does not have to be white. There are a huge number of light shades that even have their own names in the world of designers: antique white, beige, almond, floral white, ivory, linen, snowy, smoky white and many others. Such a variety will help to make the interior calm and bright, but not crystal clear.
Light sofas look very advantageous against dark walls or in combination with a black coffee table and wardrobe. This contrast emphasizes the purity of light tones. White color and its shades will be an excellent background for the introduction of bright objects and decor into the interior. If you want to focus on some furniture, but it does not seem too expressive and does not attract attention, in contrast with white it will acquire clear outlines. With the help of light tones, you can select absolutely any object.
In a room with a white sofa, it is better not to make the same white walls. Designers recommend diluting the white interior with other colors, but if you still want to make a light design, use different tones. For example, use beige, cream and almond. This technique will add depth, volume to the room and help to avoid a boring interior.
How to use a light-colored sofa
To answer briefly, white can be combined with any color that can come to mind. But it is worth noting that it is more correct to use not pure white, but its more complex tones. For example, with notes of purple or green. In design, such options are called “off-white”, which means “whitish”. In the light, such shades look especially interesting. Here are some ideas on how to diversify the interior with a white sofa:
Add multi-colored light to a light-colored sofa
Despite the simplicity and neutrality of white, such an interior can get boring. If you want to combine an interesting design and a light palette in the room at the same time, place light accents. To do this, you can use colored garlands, LED strips, lamps with colored light. In the daytime, the room will look restrained and concise, and in the evening it can be given colors.
Make a light sofa an accent
Place a light sofa in the center of the room with colored furniture and wallpaper. If the surroundings are bright, a large white sofa will soften it and reduce the sharpness. And in the interior of pastel tones, it will become the center of the room, attracting attention to itself.
Bright objects in the kitchen with a light sofa
In the spacious kitchen you can put a white sofa. It may seem impractical, but if its upholstery is leather, the sofa is not afraid of contamination – they can be wiped with a wet cloth. And to make the interior more interesting, decorate the apron in the kitchen in bright colors. You can also buy colorful chairs and install colored plant pots on them.
The atmosphere in the interior
A room decorated exclusively in white tones does not convey any mood. The interior looks clean and peaceful, but there is no life and dynamics in it. This can be easily corrected with the help of a properly selected additional color palette.
For example, in the Scandinavian style, to create an atmosphere of the cold north, white color is used in combination with gray and black shades. The combination of coffee, beige, brown tones and white creates a warm homely atmosphere. The spring mood of the room is given by bright yellow, blue and pink colors, muted by white.
A spicy rustic interior with the smell of sweet grandmother’s pastries needs pastel warm colors like light green, lavender, pale pink and white.
Combine all colors with a light sofa
Complex color combinations consisting of four or more colors require support and additions. Otherwise, the interior turns into a tasteless “mess”. White is perfect for generalizing and combining all the interior items together.
Interior design style
Light colors are universal. They imperceptibly complement any interior, but in order for such colors to fully open up and perform the necessary functions, you need to know what role they play in different stylistic directions. The white color is not as simple as it seems. Its illiterate use can emphasize all the shortcomings of the interior: uneven walls, incorrect proportions and unsuccessful accents.
Classic interior design
Classic and white are practically synonyms. Most of the classic interiors are decorated in a light color scheme, and this is easily explained. It is white that is able to emphasize the grandeur and luxury of the interior.
Provence interior design
Getting into a room decorated in the style of Provence, you immediately feel like you are on vacation in the village. This happens thanks to the appropriate environment – floral drawings, natural wooden furniture, live plants and, of course, light colors designed to give the interior natural unobtrusive notes.
Minimalist interior design
The name of this easily recognizable style speaks for itself. A minimum of things and a maximum of simplicity – this is the main principle of minimalism. And what color can be more concise and discreet than white?
Modern interior design
Modern interiors are somewhat similar to minimalism, but they are relaxed and less strict. Practicality comes to the fore here, and the atmosphere should be calm and not overloaded with an abundance of decor and drawings. In a modern style, bright colors are acceptable, but they should be used in moderation, and it is best to place them on a neutral light background.
Sofa upholstery
When choosing a sofa, it is very important to pay attention to the upholstery material. It should be as practical as possible so that in case of stains, the sofa can be easily cleaned. The most convenient option is artificial or genuine leather. The first one, of course, will last less, but it is also unpretentious in care. Such sofas are durable and resistant to mechanical damage.
However, this option has a significant disadvantage. In hot weather, it is unpleasant to sit on leather sofas. In addition, if you plan to use the sofa as a sleeping place, keep in mind that it is inconvenient to sleep on a leather one.
In stores you can find sofas with a special water-repellent fabric. This material is very practical: water flows off it without leaving any traces.
A very convenient and popular option is removable sofa covers. When a nuisance happened, and a stain appeared on the sofa, you just need to remove the cover and send it to the laundry. This option allows you to turn even the darkest sofa into a light one. The perfect solution for those who like to change the situation often.
How to take care of a light sofa
Even if you chose one of the materials described above, a light sofa still requires regular maintenance. Furniture should be cleaned once a week with a vacuum cleaner, having previously put on it a special nozzle for cleaning furniture. It is also recommended to wipe the sofa with a damp cloth every week, especially if it is leather.
Leather sofas must be treated annually with special skin care products. If a coloring drink is spilled on it, the sofa should be wiped immediately with a dry cloth, otherwise the dye may be absorbed into the material.
It is not recommended to install leather products near the battery and in places where the sun shines too much.
How to clean a light sofa
Accidentally soiled the white sofa? Do not despair and panic. If you know how to quickly clean the sofa, the stain can be completely removed independently, without resorting to dry cleaning services. When choosing drugs, you should pay attention to their composition and choose specially designed for light materials.
Depending on the type of stain, you need to use different non-aggressive means. A solution of vinegar with detergent will help to remove the trace from the coffee drink. To get rid of fruit juice, mix in equal parts ammonia with vinegar, apply the solution to the stain and leave until dry. After that, wipe the place with a brush.
To remove the stuck gum, you will need an ice pack. It should be applied to the chewing gum and wait until it hardens. Then the gum is cleaned off with a non-sharp object, for example with a ruler.
Blood stains are particularly difficult to remove. If possible, it should be immediately wiped with cold water. But stagnant spots can be removed only with the help of aggressive means.
Children’s drawings with a felt-tip pen or pen can be easily erased with acetone. Apply it on a cotton pad and thoroughly wipe the necessary places, and then rinse and dry with a cloth napkin.
To get rid of the fresh stain left by red wine, it needs to be sprinkled with salt and left for a while. After that, you need to go through the fabric with a special brush for upholstered furniture.
Don’t be afraid to buy a light sofa. Such laconic, but at the same time stylish furniture can decorate absolutely any interior. And if the sofa is properly cared for, it will serve you for many years and will retain its original beautiful appearance.