7 colourful sofas from real Irish homes to convince you to go bright

We’re all a bit nervous when it comes to taking a leap with colour in our homes. Whether it’s on the walls, floor or in your furniture, it can be hard to know if it’s the “right” colour until it’s in the room. Here’s why colourful sofas and chairs are always a good idea.

When it comes to furniture in particular, we’re so afraid of making the wrong choice that we instead try to introduce colour in the small accessories instead. This can work, but you really need to consider it and introducing too many colours this way can give a room a fragmented and disorderly appearance. If you are still too spooked to bring colour into your walls and furniture, try and stick to the same thread of colour through the room, introducing it in small pops to loosely tie the space together.

However, a colourful sofa or chair can make a huge impact. Drawing the eye as soon as you walk in, it’ll contrast with the rest of the room and heighten the sense of colour and vivacity. It’ll also add depth and so works surprisingly well in a small space, making it feel larger.

These colourful Irish living rooms from the Image Interiors & Living archive should give you some inspiration and ideas.

Photo: Doreen Kilfeather

Create a bridge between two different rooms by linking them with colour, as in the hallway and living room of this Dublin home.

Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy

Draw out the warmth of natural materials like timber and sheepskin with sunny hues of oranges and reds. This works nicely in this period house, helping to create a cosy ambience in the large, high-ceilinged room.

Photo: Shantanu Starick

If you can’t quite commit to a full colour, opt for a modular sofa and change in and out the colours in different blocks. Just one red unit and a footstool were enough to give some life and sense of fun to this stunning home in Belfast.

Photo: Doreen Kilfeather

Sometimes colour is best hidden in plain sight. Help your sofa colour to blend in by creating a monotone space. This will soften the impact of the sofa, allowing your eye to be drawn to other elements like the artwork, as in this house.

Photo: Ruth Maria Murphy

Green is a great sofa colour choice because it’s bright and warm, while also being considered a neutral. It’ll go with almost any interiors scheme, from bright reds and pinks to cream and fawns, as well as adding an earthiness to this sky blue living room designed by Michael Mortell.

Photo: Al Higgins

Royal blue is a classic colour and was often found in original Georgian and Victorian residences. It’s considered a stately, noble colour and will bring an opulent feel to any room, especially in a rich velvet fabric.

Photo: Mark Scott

Sunshine yellow is a difficult one to pull off, but paired with a mid-century modern sofa design, it brings a sense of warmth to this double-height space in a Dun Laoghaire home. Pale yellows can appear dirty in dark or north-facing rooms, so opt for deep ochres and mustards there and keep the pale hues for sunnier spots.

Feature image by Ruth Maria Murphy, designed by Michael Mortell

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