It would help to have pictures of the whole room so that we know what the entire color scheme is. This may sound crazy, but I would paint over those metal buttons with acrylic paint that matches the leather to make them disappear. Along with the green pillows I would put fuchsia pillows for some shock effect. The plaid pillows give more of that library feel. If not fuchsia, then terracotta in shiny or textured fabric. The plaid says "library". An area rug with a contemporary vibe over the carpeting would also help, I think.

FWIW, I like them and the pillows. I also like plaid and libraries and the feel they give. :)

I agree photos of more of the room would help because anything you add needs to relate as a whole. New pillows will make a change (I would go larger actually - at least 20") . Are they 18"? Looks like the plaid pillows do coordinate with the art above the sofa. The curtains look cream. That could be repeated in throw pillows but I think would also need to be sprinkled around the room to make it work (the color not pillows everywhere, ha).

Thank you both for your help!

I have attached another photo of the room for more perspective,

the whole room is cream including the carpet and furniture is mostly brown... my moms idea of decor is a world away from mine! But I do want to try and help make this room feel a bit less libraryish and more inviting / modern :)

The carpet and tile have a pink undertone so I would stay away from oranges and yellows. I'd remove the burnt orange throw. I personally think creams and blues would look nice but reds would work also. Any color but orange and yellow. Because the colors in the room are earthy I would stick with earthy colors vs. clean colors so it looks correct. Ex. I'd pick an olive green over a kelly green color. Head over to Maria Killam's blog and read up on that and pink undertones. Her blogs has tons of good information in general.

Maria Killam's blog

I don't have time right now to do any searching for pillows but will try later. Do you have any inspiration photos you/your mom likes? That would be a good place to start.

HI -- This may sound harsh and I am sorry but... can that furniture be returned ! ? ? With all the new things out now , you picked something so old fashioned looking and old library heavy looking . What age range are you . The other things in your room are traditional but the sofa could still be a more modern kind of traditional . If you have to live with it then maybe freshen up some other things in the room . Find some new lamps that are bigger and pretty like maybe some glass bases with white or cream colored drum shades . Lower the pictures and have a bigger picture frame in black or gold on the one over the sofa . Lower to 6 inches of bottom to back of sofa . No tie backs on the drapes and less small decor items for a few bigger ones . No plaid pillows and and some lighter colors ... maybe a lighter colored lumbar shape pillow for the chair . Cream throw in a bulky knit or something plain and fuzzy .Bigger plant . Try not to pick things in the brown family .Maybe a more modern round mirror over the fireplace . I hope this helps you a little .

@lefty47 - I'm 25, my parents however are into the traditional / old fashioned style of home, I completely agree that this was the wrong couch to go with the room and have already tried to have it returned, unfortunately we are stuck with it :( The place doesn't feel cosy anymore and I'm embarrassed of the couch!

Maybe some floral pillows would brighten things up? (Your room and sofa are very nice. No need to fret at all. and while you can lighten things up with a few accessories, you are not going to make the room more modern because it is not modern at all. As for inviting, this room is quite inviting as it is.)

I am not having any luck posting pictures. Google floral pillows and burgundy and lots of fun choices pop up.

Also, I would consider adding a rug to tie in the accent color.

@sheeisback - thank you so much for the blog link! I can totally see what you mean about the undertones. I will maybe print this out to show my mom so she understands when buying decor, she seems to always go for the same cream / brown color!

Are back cushions on sofa and chair removable/loose--I assume seat cushions are on both.

Have slipcovers made so there isn't such a contrast between cushions and leather frame
I also think the cushions are too close in color to carpet

I like the green pillows, maybe something like Rita tulip floral paid with the solid green and the see where else that pretty dark green can appear.

It would help if you specified what your mother is disappointed with. I'm having difficulty understanding what she doesn't like as opposed to what you don't like. The advice you get might be more specific that way. Also you stated you are embarrassed by the room? It looks like a warm cozy room. Yes traditional but not awful. I think with a couple of days it won't seem so bad. Just a few pops of color will cheer it up.

@hmorton - I discovered that when the couch was displayed in the store the back cushions were removed, making it seem a lot less bulky, I think my mom was confused as to why it looked so different when it arrived! She feels it has darkened the tone of the room which was much brighter before as we had a cream leather couch. I agree we are going to try some of the suggestions above starting with getting new brighter cushions!

It doesn't look awful but it is disheartening when you order something new and it is not what you expected.

You might be able to make a case for return if you complain about the way the sofa cushion covers were sewn. The welting is all over the place and the covers are straining over the cushions and they look lumpy.

For comparison's sake, the single chair cushion looks neat and even.

I think you can liven up the room. The things I see are the drapes are white...too white...You seem to have nothing else white in the room.....I know, expensive but put some sheers the color of the walls up for now. A new lamp behind the chair....a floor lamp at the end of your couch....can't see the other end but maybe room for a table and lamp to match the other one. A coffee table or better yet, an ottoman in front of the couch. The fireplace is adding to your problem, I think....Probably not possible to take away the upper wood part and just put a mantel up there with simple sides? Change the mirror over the fireplace for now, to a rectangular one. Lower your picture behind the couch and paint the frame dark brown or black. As for pillows...pick a color out of the art work over the couch. May have to live with your new furniture for awhile but I think it your mom will like it.

The plaid is definitely a big part of the library problem. I would take put all the pillows and then start trying out other colors/prints. I think maroons will keep it feeling traditional. Blues and greens might work, or you could even try more pastel colors (look for a print with some brown to tie in to the couch).

I would try other things you have around the house--pillows, towels, clothes, etc to find color combos you like. Also, check out design-seeds.com for example color palettes (I'm sure there are lots of similar websites as well)

I skimmed the comments but did notice that Rita mentioned a rug. That was my first thought too. Although I am not usually a fan of run over the carpet, I do think it has its place in certain situations.

I also like some of the throw pillows that are suggested. The plaid does give it a more serious, library vibe.

All in all, it's a cozy room.

Thank you all for your help! I am confident now that I can make the room tie together with the couch with all of your suggestions!

I keep going back and looking at the pictures...honestly I don't think the new couch and chair look bad. My guess is it's going from light to dark that is throwing off your mom.

@always1stepbehind - you are probably right! It is a huge change from before, I guess some tweaks to brighten it up wont be that hard to do!

I would be unhappy with the appearance of those seat cushions and would not have accepted it upon delivery. The cushions on my ten year old sofa look better than that--no flattening or lopsidedness, no uneven welting, and no puckering of the upholstery fabric. Did they order this new for her? Who is the manufacturer?

If the back cushion is removable, I would cover it and the seat cushion with the same leather/material as the rest of the chair/sofa. You should be able to get the material from the store or manufacturer. Perhaps the manufacturer could recover the cushions for you.

I like the plaid pillows as well. The green, too.

I agree on maybe some green window treatments to bring in some color, and also the area rug.

Maybe also declutter the mantle area a bit.

Agree that the seat cushions on the sofa are not made well. I'd ask them to at least repair them.

If the store won't do a return, will they do a credit? You could mention that you showed pictures of the sofa here and several people thought there was a problem with the cushions.

I think if you want to have cushions that match the frame, the material or leather should probably come from the same dye lot. I don't know about leather, but that's been my experience with wallpaper and yarn when I've run out before the project was complete.

I meant a credit so your mother could select other pieces if they had something more to her liking.

The cushions may look lobsided as there had been people sitting on the couch earlier to the photo, but I will inspect it further to make sure it's not a manufacturing issue! They seem pretty strict on any return / store credit as it was made to order

I think the pieces would look better with a deeper color fabric.

The sofa below was painted with chalk paint to create the new look.

Now that I've seen the room picture, I agree that a simple rectangular mirror would be a great idea. I would also remove everything from the base of the fireplace for a less fussy look and remove everything from the very top of the mantel. I notice that the carpet has more of a cool tone and the upholstery has a warm beige tone. That might be part of the problem also. A carefully chosen large area rug might limit that disconnect. I know that people frown upon area rugs over carpets but I've done it successfully in my living room. Make sure that the area rug is on the thin side. Polypropylene would be a good choice.

You could change the plain drapes and patterns do compliment each other if in the same colors say like a stripe drape in colors of the plaid pillows etc.

Hey guys, quick update:

Got some new cushions to try out a different color palette - what do you think?

Will be looking at rugs this week to break up the beigey-ness of the room, any color recommendations for this?

Also what colour throw's would work with this color palette?

Really appreciate your guys help!! :)

I think if that is the pillow color combo your Mom likes, I would eliminate the light blue end pillows. The rest relate to each other nicely.

I agree. I think you should have started with the rug though. Then, pull the pillow colors from that.

Honestly, you're not going to be able to change the mood of the room by just adding some colorful pillows and throws. The blue doesn't relate to anything else in the room and doesn't complement the sofa in any way. I don't see anything wrong with the room the way it is. It has a cozy library-like vibe. Embrace it for what it is.

Looking at the last photo It seems that the pillows on he sofa don't have the plumpness nor the perfect fit for that sofa, adding more to them wont help , have someone fix the pillows and remove all those pillows from the sofa, who want to move and toss pillows around when sitting ,maximum of 4 large ones ,the checkered one works best, it not totally masculine if you add a trow as you did already on the chair ,too many colors wont look good ,keep it simple .

Thanks guys! I just picked a few different ones up to see which would look best, I think the greens look better together too, but I definitely want another tone to brighten it up.. maybe in a throw?

Has anyone got suggestions for what color rug would look best? a light grey?

I'm so clueless so your comments are helping a huge amount! :)

I would go with a paisley pattern for the trow

Neo Paisley Boiled Wool Throw, Green, Burgundy, Black · More Info

Start with the biggest/hardest to find things, ie the rug. Finding a rug to match pillows could be difficult, so pick the rug first, then go for pillows. You can use pillows or t-shirts or book or plates or anything else you have around the house to see what colors you like to narrow down a color scheme, then go rug hunting (I like rugsusa.com).

Also, I know you want to downplay the beige, but you still have to work with it. I think cool colors are going to be put of place in that room--i think you're better off sticking with warmer colors (you can use blues and greens, they just need warmer undertones).

Hi I would try an area rug in front of the fireplace and flank the rug with the couch and chair (so the couch is not against the wall. ) Add a coffee table and

pillows that pick up colors in the rug. The furniture looks comfortable! So that's a good thing.

The green slipcover suggestion was spot on, it made the sofa look absolutely fantastic.

Maybe I live on another planet, but I don't think the op is going to recover the cushions, return the sofa or paint it. Really, maybe it's not what was envisioned, but it is fine. Go for the library Ralph Lauren look, it's a favorite look of mine. Get a rug too. More plaid and some cosy throws. Add some large wood baskets, anyway, embrace it!

Look at the rest of the room as well. You mention that adding this furniture goes into brown overkill. Can you add other accessories without breaking the bank - such as colourful vases or another colourful lamp. Tell your mom to look in other rooms or cupboards for things like a colourful plate that can go on a plate easel and be placed on the mantle or on a sidetable. Don't just put colour on the new furniture, put it throughout the room.

I like the sofa but it needs space.....consider emptying the room of anything on wall, table, or mantle so it is basiccally empty, and place items removed on dining room table for future reference.

Put the sofa on any wall where it has room for end tables. Put the chair where it can have a conversation with the sofa. At this point I would redo the curtains to coordinate with the wall and do them in a linen type weave. Remove the crystal chandelier and replace with something simple and maybe oil rubbed bronze.

Go shopping for a large piece picture in a simple or frameless style that blends with the plaid pillow; take the pillow with you if necessary. So far so good. If you have end tables and a cocktail table put them in the room only if you like them. If they are wood that should be fine.

Send us a picture of the whole room taken from another room so we can see the size etc of the room.

I am showing this inspiration room because it is very simple with very trad furniture, but the mantle is very low key and would work nicely in your living room style I think. Also note the colorful throw on the arm chair.

Lindy Donnelly · More Info

This is same room, but wood tables and metal cocktail table, simple window treatments in tones found in living room, and antique armoire that is similar to your Moms tallish piece by fireplace.

Lindy Donnelly · More Info

TV opposite sofa and easy chair for great viewing

Lindy Donnelly · More Info

This looks great; metal table, magazine rack in oil rubbed bronze, brass Pharmacy lamp for reading. Would work next to Mom's chair......these items can be found on line at Ballard Design and other places too; overstock.com, wayfair.com with great prices and great selection.

My Home · More Info

Plaid pillows, one bright color pillow and another item in room (the end table, but could be lamp, vase, picture) done in a bright color to match pillow in intensity. And the upholstered ottoman adds a fun touch, but sized to match the sofa.

Contemporary Living Room · More Info

Again a rustic trad feel with a pair of large photos over sofa. Great ottoman, lamps, footstool. Pillows match colors in photos of family members....

Cape Cod Guest Retreat Living Room · More Info