1. CHOOSE NEUTRAL SHADES FOR A DESIGNER LOOK
The style of your grey sofa will dictate the style of your pillow. What you would choose for a slouchy sofa is likely to be different to what would suit smart, low, linear Italian-style seating.
2. VARY THE SIZES AND STYLES
With so much cool pillow choice, it's easy to go overboard when it comes to accessorising a seating arrangement. 'With a less stand-out sofa, start with two or three pillows in the corners and perhaps a bolster in the middle,' says Irene Gunter at Gunter & Co. Bolsters are a big part of current living room trends. 'Always vary the sizes – this will add interest.
3. BRING IN A BIOPHILIC EDGE
Interior designers don't choose pillow colors in isolation. It's a carefully thought-through process. So consider what else is in the room when it comes to hues that will enhance your sofa and the space.
4. GO FOR REVERSIBLE DESIGNS
Like to alter the mood in your room to suit the seasons, or even the occasion? It's possible to do this easily with pillows rather than a decorating overhaul. In this way, neutral living rooms can be given a little twist.
5. COMBINE CONTRASTING AND COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Choose pillows that pull in colors from surrounding paintwork, as well as from the sofa itself, to unite the space. Mixing darker or neutral tones with a pillows in a bright contrasting shade will lift the room.
6. PICK PLAYFUL PRINTS
A grey sofa in a neutral room offers an ideal experimental ground, where you can introduce fun pops of colour and characterful pieces with ease. Sofa trends at the moment often revolve around neutral couches and printed pillows. 'The good news with a grey sofa is that you have a blank canvas to which you can add cushions with bags of character and colour,' says Irene Gunter. 'Look for playful patterns or prints that will perk up your sofa.'
7. ADD DRAMA WITH A MONOCHROME PALETTE
The beauty of a grey sofa is that it will work well in a room with - or without - color. If you err towards the latter and prefer neutrals, add drama and interest with a mix of monochrome furniture and accessories than span the spectrum from black to white.
8. INTRODUCE AN ACCENT COLOR OR TWO
In a mostly grey or neutral space, pillows are an effortless way to introduce a bold accent color (or two), without having to commit to it for the long haul. 'If you have a more traditional space with neutral walls, dusky pinks, blues and charcoal can all add interest to a grey sofa without going too bold,' says Beth Dadswell of Imperfect Interiors. 'Once you've chosen the contrasting accent color for your pillows, pick a pattern that ties into it to use on another cushion.'
9. MIX POPS OF COLOR
'Grey sofas can end up looking too bland if they’re not styled properly,' says Omar Bhatti, founder, Space Shack. 'I would suggest bringing some life to it by varying the tones of grey or pops of colour when selecting the cushions. 'It will depend on the sofa fabric too, for example if the sofa is in a textured boucle fabric then I would avoid using the same fabric for the cushions as you would want some variation with materials, patterns and colours to give it a unique look.'
10. BALANCE COLOR AND PATTERN WITH THE RUG
Of course, in a living room scheme with a grey sofa, there will be other elements that influence the pillow color choice. 'A key piece which would impact the choice of cushions would be the area rug used in the space,' says Omar Bhatti at Space Shack. 'If the living room rug is super simple and plain, I would use vibrant, patterned cushions.