I have inherited a dark blue midcentury sofa from my grandmother. How should I style my living room around it?

Question by sunlitsepia: I have inherited a dark blue midcentury sofa from my grandmother. How should I style my living room around it?
I really like midcentury style, but I do have one qualm with it- it seems a little stark and macho. Since I am enjoying my “single woman apartment” time in my life right now, I would really like to keep things feminine, while maintaining the integrity of midcentury design. I’m debating wall colors and other furniture and lamps etc. accessories right now, but here are some pieces that I would like to integrate:
1. oak record player (one of those big, floorbox versions), traditional style
2. sea glass green colored wire birdcage (for my parakeet!)
3. large sea green apothecary vase filled with seashells
4. black Todd Oldham midcentury style ottoman with white embroidery
5. midcentury desk, oak with white handles

I’m looking for suggestions on lamps, dining room sets, pretty trinkets, and other things to mishmash around with all this.

I’m worried that all that dark furniture (oak, black, dark blue) will look so stark against white walls. I thought of painting a wall brown as an accent, but then got worried about all the bland colors (black, dark blue, brown, beige carpet…) and thought my room might look like someone’s mismatched office uniform.

Looking for inspiration

Best answer:

Answer by M M T
Go shopping and look for fabric that has the colors in that you’re starting with. Does not have to be an exact match! I’d look for something with a lighter background. Don’t obsess about the oak record player and the desk; that’s nearly a neutral. Look for black, white, dark blue, sea green (or a light green) and browns or beige.. Pick a fabric that has some little pops of a different color in and then pull it out using accessories.

I’d wait on selecting paint until you find fabric. Glass lamps will go with anything and provide a bit of glimmer in the room. You can go with light shades or dark shades. Changing shades is much cheaper than buying new lamps. Chrome would work also. Keep the coffee table light in feeling; perhaps glass? You could even look for an area rug to ground your main seating area with your colors in it.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Tags: Apothecary, around, Beige Carpet, Birdcage, Blue, dark, Dark Blue Sea, Different Color, Dining Room Sets, from, Furniture Oak, Glass Lamps, Grandmother, inherited, living, midcentury, Obsess, Parakeet, Player One, Qualm, Record Player, room, Sea Glass, Seashells, should, Single Woman, Sofa, Style, Time In My Life, Todd Oldham, Wall Colors, White Walls