Whether you’re decorating a new gray couch or just dressing up an old one, choosing the right throw pillows is important. Recently, I decided it was finally time to retire our sagging sofa. I selected a beautiful gray sectional. The only problem was our older throw pillows clashed with the new couch. Luckily, there are plenty of design options to choose from to complement every shade of gray. I’ve done the research and assembled some of the best looks to enhance your gray couch. The perfect throw pillows will make this piece of furniture your living room’s pièce de résistance!
When choosing throw pillows for a gray couch, consider other colors and design elements in the room. Because gray is neutral, you’ll want to pick pillows that highlight these existing details or are complementary. A couch is usually the largest piece of furniture and so it naturally becomes the major focal point.
Professional decorators use throw pillows as accent pieces to reflect the surrounding theme. Used in this way, the pillows will pop off the background of a gray couch and tie into the rest of the room. This pulls the whole look together and gives it a professional touch.
That sounds simple enough, but what if your room has more than one color or theme? If you’re anything like me, you may still be wondering what colors and design elements you should choose to highlight. I’ve gathered some great photos to help guide you on exactly which details to focus on. Simply apply these tips with your home in mind. Whether your gray couch is an old favorite or a fresh upgrade, you’ll be sure to love its new look!
Choosing Throw Pillows for a Gray Couch
A gray couch offers the perfect opportunity to showcase your living room’s best attributes. Check out these photos and design tips for how to bring out your room’s best qualities.
Highlight Dominant Colors: A good rule of thumb when deciding which color to highlight is asking yourself which color jumps out at you first? In some rooms, it may not always be this obvious. In this living room, however, the predominant color is clearly a lively spring green. If you have a wall accent like this repeating zigzag pattern, be sure to incorporate pillows that match.
Style According to the Theme: Remember to reflect a room’s theme in your choice of throw pillows. This multi-colored pattern adds a touch of youthful whimsy to a child’s playroom while the solid white tyes into the matching shag rug.
Don’t Forget Textures: When choosing throw pillows, it’s also important to consider the varying textures in the surrounding room. In the photo above, sheer curtains and a plush rug set a soft, comfy tone. Faux fur accent pillows in matching colors are an excellent choice for maintaining this room’s velvety integrity.
This accent pillow says it all. Choosing a pillow with a fun inscription makes it stand out, even among many other charming designs!
Pick Patterns that Complement Your Decor: This living room boasts clean lines and unique prints. Bring these elements into your couch with similarly patterned pillows.
Add Visual Interest: Sometimes, all you want is a little touch of extra. This minimalist design theme is reflected in a few carefully chosen throw pillows that add interest in an otherwise simple but chic living room.
Change Up Your Color Palette: If the color palette of your room is varying shades of gray, choosing colorful throw pillows is a great way to add a splash of color.
Keep it Simple: Maybe you prefer to keep things simple. Simply matching pillows to your gray couch ensures an elegant and timeless look.
Complement Accessories: Not sure which design elements to highlight? Pick a favorite tabletop accessory!
This cool gray couch has a slate undertone that is enhanced by the icy blue stripe of the throw pillows.
Throw Pillows on a Sectional Gray Couch
As I continued to research, I felt like I was gaining a better grasp on which pillows to choose. But what about how to display them?
When deciding how to arrange pillows, rest assured that there is no “wrong” way. It all comes down to the look you prefer and the vibe of the room. You can stagger different colors and sizes and play around with placement until you like the results. Luckily, unlike couches, pillows are easy to move!
Nothing will make you contemplate where to place throw pillows quite like a sectional couch. That’s because you can configure it in multiple ways. After mine was delivered, I quickly realized that every arrangement offered new opportunities for the best throw pillow placement. I’ve included the following photos to help you figure out your favorite look for your sectional.
Pillows Aren’t Only for Corners: You might be surprised to learn that throw pillows don’t always have to be relegated to the corners of a couch. Not only can they hang out in the middle, but they can be layered to provide visual contrast.
Experiment With Shapes: Who says pillows have to be square? Not this designer.
Arrange by Design: Rich patterns give this gray couch visual texture and connect it to the accent pieces in the room.
Fancy Pillows: If you have an especially sophisticated vibe, keep it classy with these designer platinum pillows. The casual placement makes it look effortlessly elegant.
Highlight Art: Perhaps you want to highlight one of your favorite art pieces. You can do this easily by choosing throw pillows with corresponding colors and patterns.
How do you make a rich gray couch look even richer? Add patterned pillows to add a decadent layer of visual interest and arrange them “perfectly imperfectly!”
Staggering pillows in matching accent colors can make them more visually appealing.
Blend Sizes and Tones: These beige throw pillows blend the warm wood tones into the cool grays of this room. Mixing different sizes, shapes, and textures help to harmonize all of the contrasting design elements.
These busy pillows are working overtime to combine all the colors and details of this room into one seamless look.
Decorating a Dark Gray Couch
If your couch is dark gray, you can go even bolder with your color choices! That’s because a darker background color will make throw pillows stand out even more.
When decorating a darker gray couch, keep in mind the different shades and undertones. Some grays have a pewter undertone that works well with warm wood accents. On the other hand, slate grays with bluish undertones are particularly striking with cooler colors or lighter shades of gray.
See the photos below for how to amplify a deep gray base.
Look to your accent furniture pieces when choosing throw pillows for your dark gray couch. Matching colors is an easy way to make a room look pulled together.
This deep, romantic red looks stunning against a dark gray couch.
A tufted couch offers texture and complexity. Adding pillows with different prints in lighter gray tones will enhance this look and stand out against a dark gray background.
Of course, you can always deepen the attraction to a dark gray couch by layering in gorgeous nude tones.
Here’s another example of how dark gray and shades of brown flatter each other.
A decadent red always pairs well with a dark gray couch.
Decorating a Charcoal Gray Couch
A classic neutral, charcoal is a dark ashy gray. This tone makes any throw pillow you choose look great!
This look is giving off serious “zen” vibes!
A deep plum will always complement charcoal gray.
You don’t have to stray far from gray to make charcoal look great.
What’s better than a charcoal gray couch? Charcoal gray decorative pillows, of course!