Is The All-White Sofa Over? We’re Seeing This Retro Color *Everywhere*
As interior designers, we consider trend forecasting a part of our day-to-day jobs. From up-and-coming furniture silhouettes to trending textures, colors, and design styles, we see it as our personal and professional duty to scour design pubs, socials, and our own projects in search of the next cutting-edge design moment.
And lately, we’re noticing a very clear color trend emerging, particularly when it comes to upholstery. While the all-white, Restoration Hardware-inspired sofa used to be the design default, we’re seeing a marked uptick in retro caramel, marigold, and fawn upholstery on sofas, sectionals, and the like.
“This trend falls in line with the overarching shift towards warm color palettes in the past three years or so,” says Havenly lead designer Heather Goerzen. “Overall, people are looking to create more layered, cozy spaces, and colors like retro brown, ochre, and beige are a natural choice.”
While these warm tones are considerably more saturated than crisp white, we love how they ultimately function as a neutral — even when covering a spacious sofa or corner sectional. Yes, the idea of a caramel sofa sounds decidedly bold, but when paired with other muted earth tones like ivory, tan, olive, sage, and natural wood, the overall effect is surprisingly understated.
On board with this retro upholstery trend? Keep scrolling for a few of our favorite warm-toned furniture pieces, plus some caramel and marigold accents to test the look sans commitment.