How To Make Your Current Dark Furniture Work

Much of what you see in Blog Land features white slip-covered furniture. But that doesn't mean you can't have a beautiful home with brown or black furniture in your living spaces. (Or in my case, faux dark leather furniture.)

You can work with the furniture you currently have, and still have a look that is stylish and warm decor-wise.

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Leather furniture does not seem to conjure up the image of cottage or farmhouse style as much as white slip-covered sofas and sectionals. 

But you can certainly warm up a room with what you have. And change that perception in its tracks.

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Let's look at ways to do just that...

1. Lighten up the furniture with patterned pillows. Throw pillows always makes a space look more warm and cozy. As well as a comfy throw. Maybe a pretty plaid one at that.

2. If you have dark furniture, use light window coverings to balance the look. 

3. Choose a few colors for contrast and paint wood furniture in these colors. (My paint colors seem to revolve around oregano green, a light French blue, and a pale gold/yellow. And I'm painting furniture in various rooms with these colors right now.)

4. Texture is important in any room. Bring in wicker, galvanized metal, or other textured surfaces in which to create vignettes.

5. The walls: Create a gallery wall. Put up a quilt. Distract the eye from landing right on the dark furniture by using your walls to draw the eye in first.

There are all kinds of ways to make your darker furniture fit in with the popular cottage or farmhouse style. You just have to think about what you need to complement what you already have.

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I promise you can make what you already have work with a style you really love. 

Shop the house and play around with different looks. You'll find that with a little inventiveness, you can achieve your goal of having a warm and cozy room.