What Colours Go With Charcoal Grey Sofa?

Charcoal grey is becoming more and more popular in the ever-changing home décor space - with homeowners no longer satisfied with the standard neutral decor colours often found; such as white, beige, tan or black.

Charcoal grey is a dark shade of grey which is almost black, but light enough to give it a distinctive tone which is extremely sort after. The charcoal name comes from the material made of burnt wood, which is made when wood is subjected to a high temperature and low access to oxygen.

Charcoal has been used by humans since we first discovered fire, but the first recorded use of charcoal as a colour name in English was in 1606 (over 400 years ago!).

Despite often being likened to the colour black, charcoals can often have green or brown undertones - this means there is a potential to clash with this increasingly popular colour as the undertones create subtle restrictions to the colours you can combine.

For a warm colour combination, you can combine charcoal grey with pink, yellow or orange to give the classic autumn feeling. For a cooler colour pallet, go with white, blue, purple or even some tones of green to give your home a relaxing atmosphere.

What Colour Cushions go with Charcoal Grey Sofa?

Cushions are often the finishing piece to sofas so should never be overlooked in terms of colour selection, particularly when deciding what cushions work with a charcoal grey sofa.

A charcoal grey couch can pair well with pink and shades of taupe (shown below) but will also work beautifully with gold mustard, burgundy, orange or purple.

Think about the ambience you want to achieve in your room – if you want a cooler atmosphere then it’s best to go with white, blue or purple, however, this might not be best if you already have furniture that clashes with these colour selections.

A top tip for matching a grey sofa with cushions and pillows is to look at the tone of the charcoal – charcoal grey sofas will differ depending upon the material, lighting and age; so ensure you look at your sofa in similar lighting to your living room before choosing the finishing touches.

You want to avoid too many of the same charcoal tones, i.e. “tone on tone grey combinations” that either has the same underlying tone or lack tone as this can create a flat and cold feeling in a living room.

What Colour Walls go with Charcoal Grey Sofa?

Whether you’re looking to pick wallpaper or paint, getting the contrast right between your charcoal grey sofa and the wall colour is important for not only the atmosphere of your living room but also for how your friends, family and guests feel when they’re inside.

Certain colour combinations, such as cool greens and blues will make your guests more relaxed and could be the right option for your home.

We typically recommend choosing the wall colour last, as room atmosphere is first created by lighting, then the decorating (including furnishing) – although this isn’t always an option when deciding what colour goes with a dark grey sofa.

A general rule to follow when choosing what colour walls work with charcoal grey furniture would be to make your walls (or floors) lighter or more colourful to contrast the charcoal grey sofa you have selected – typically charcoal grey has a “quota”, i.e. it is rare you can keep adding it to a room without adding these contrasting colours; so ensure large areas of colour (such as walls) achieve the effect you desire.

What Colour Carpet go with Charcoal Grey Sofa?

When deciding what colour rug goes with dark grey sofas you will want to consider the above points to ensure the atmosphere of your room is what you desire, especially if you’re using a carpet to fill up floor space.

Charcoal and dark greys can be dull if paired with the wrong colours, and carpets can be a great way to spice things up. Darker spaces often need added texture due to a lack of shadows forming, so if you have gone for dark grey in a room, a rug can be an instant way to create text and spark a room into life.

Therefore, we recommend choosing lighter coloured rugs and carpets to achieve the desired contrast and balance the accent colour of the room.

Below we have included an image of a beige rug contrasting beautifully with charcoal grey chairs – an effect that could easily be replicated with a dark grey sofa if needed.

What Colour Curtains go with Charcoal Grey Sofa?

Curtains are often overlooked when designing a room – both the material and colour selection is important for the atmosphere and functionality of your curtains as "If they're too heavy, they may not fold crisply when drawn; too light and they may not fall well," says designer Suysel DePedro Cunningham of Tilton Fenwick.

Take note of which colours work with the undertone of the charcoal grey you have selected; for a warm colour combination, combine charcoal grey with pink, yellow or orange to give it that classic autumn look. For a cooler colour pallet, go with white, blue, purple or even some tones of green to give your home a relaxing feel.

Therefore, for your curtains, it is best to experiment using textile samples (which can be requested from all good suppliers) to get the right colour balance – especially given curtains may be the last addition to your living room.

Urte Paula recommends going at least one shade darker or lighter than the walls you selected from above, with a similar undertone – so a beige wall might look best with a darker khaki or lighter cream, depending upon how bright the room is.

Still unsure of what colour goes with charcoal grey?

Picking the right colour combinations for your home can be extremely tricky. To help with this, Urte Paula offers free help to pick the right colour for your home – whether you’re picking furniture, paint, rugs or curtains, our expert team can point you in the right direction of a supplier to meet your needs.