stuck with horrible black sofas and don't know how to redecorate room around it

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

We had an extension along the back of our semi detached house a few years ago and still havent got round to styling it properly. It was so draining getting the extension done that we just threw up white paint on the walls, bought a cheap neutral rug and a couple of lamps and that was it. I have still got "temporary" curtains hanging up that are all worn and, and no pictures or anything else new.

The main issue apart from the lack of oomph to do it, was that we replaced our sofas and I now regret what we chose. DH wanted recliners so I went along with it, but I hate the style, they're so naff. But as they're only 6 years old, DH is absolutely against buying new ones. So, if I want to do the room up, I've got to work with them. How can I make the room look better with these in? I don' t know what colours to put with them, what accent colours for cushions and rugs. Even worse, our floor is mid brown laminate.

And our lounge is very long now, with the new bit having a tattered old sofa in it and an old ikea poang chair with worn fabric on the seat. It all needs doing but I keep looking at the sofas and feeling totally uninspired as to what look will work with them. We still have the same cushions on the sofas as in the photo. It isn't actually a photo from my house, just one off the internet, but our floor is similar, just a bit darker and the walls are the same colour.

Any ideas, apart from getting new sofas altogether?!

Ok, from what you say about the look you want, ideally new sofas but if that's not an option, you need to soften them as much as possible.
Wall colour wise, I immediately thought a pale blush pink but a pale sagey green would work too if pinks not your thing.
You need soft textured cushions and throws along with a rug in a combination of the wall colour with some neutrals and lots of natural materials like wicker baskets for example.
It is do able, you need to focus on using the sofas as a plain canvas/background to dress.

what colours do you like?
what style interests you..classic neutral, cottagey, scandi, bold patterned, gothic horror??

I've just recovered our old poang chairs- they are so comfy but the seats covers were knackered. Got a load of jumbo cord from ebay and they look fabulous- took me all of an hour to do two

Is it just me that's not seeing what's wrong with the sofa? I think it's lovely and really versatile!

I have a second hand terracotta chord two seater and armchair that i''v had for nearly 10 years that will be replaced with another second hand set when it falls apart.

Appreciate what you have OP. Your sofa is nice. Alternatively il have it and you can have mine?

Get over to Pinterest and start a board with inspiration. Then work from that.

I'd probably go with something like a minty/ turquoisey green on the walls and accent accessories in that. Or the old millennial pink but it's a bit done now maybe?
Sofa is ok-it's not as bad as you think OP. And with some decent cushions and a nice chunky throw you could soften it up a fair bit.

Look at Pinterest I think adding natural textures will soften it, throws can transform any sofa and change the cushions
pin.it/4LwKVW9

Get throws or covers if you want to change the colour of the sofa.

I've seen covers you can put on sofas that are elasticated so they stay on. Might that be worth a look?

Get some pastel coloured throws / cushions.

The sofas look fine. How about a grey and yellow colour scheme? Pale grey walls with yellow/mustard soft furnishings.

I'd go dramatic with a darker colour, or funky pattern wallpaper and a big rug.

Something like dark green or mustard. Or dark grey so they merge in. Then add maybe panels of wallpaper in a modern pattern and cushions in bold colours or patterns.

And a statement light fitting.

Don't go light walls, I'd say.

Or a mural wallpaper wall behind the sofa

The sofas look totally fine, get yourself on pinterest for some inspiration

Lots of stretch sofa covers on Amazon

I now want to decorate my living room 😃

And I meant to add these

I have black sofas, the walls are pale green with an olive feature wall. Lots of wood, tweed, modern cottage style. I think changing the cushions would hugely improve the sofa

If be tempted to see what price you could get for them and then price up cheap sofas from the Range or Ikea. Might not be as painful to your dh as he thinks.

It's more charcoal really? Or is that the light? I would go for pastel colours, probably a very pale blush pink or a pale grey/green and keep all the soft furnishings/decor very soft, some pretty lighting.

Look for some stretch sofa covers?

You can put new covers on a poang chair really easily.

Maybe try picking a print or painting you like - put it above the sofas then pick cushions/throws that go with the colours from the picture?

I was going to say green too! Sage, or maybe bluey-green duck egg. Then rich coloured velvet cushions in blues, greens, turquoise.

You can get really nice looking sofas from made.com for quite little from about £300. It would probably be cheaper to just gets new sofa than faffing around with stretch covers, walls, throws, rugs, etc.

The red scatter cushions kill it stone dead.

Very 1980’s.

I’d go bright. So add a throw over the seat cushions and add more cushions and other accessories to the room in a mixture of bright pink, turquoise, purple and golden yellow. Paint the walls pale grey.