How to decorate your living room with leather furniture

by Roni Agress 10/15/2023

A classic leather sofa or armchair make the perfect addition to many styles of living room. With leather furniture, you can create depth and contrast while working with almost any color scheme.

Whether you prefer traditional, rustic or ultra-modern interior decor, there are plenty of ways to incorporate leather furniture into your living room. Here are some expert design tips to inspire you:

Mix & match textures

One key to decorating with leather furniture is to strike a balance between textures. An overabundance of leather, particularly in polished finishes, can make rooms seem cold or hyper-formal.

Likewise, a room with too many rustic leather pieces can add too much weight to the design aesthetic.

To find the right balance, mix and match your textures, finishes and materials. Combine plush, knit throw blankets and cozy area rugs to soften the formality of a sleek leather sofa.

Try dressing up a rustic leather armchair with a luxurious velvet throw pillow, or grounding a dark leather sofa with macramé wall hangings.

Think beyond neutral tones

Brown leather sofas are often what come to mind when thinking about leather furniture. While there are many brown leather couches in a wide variety of styles, sizes and shades, there is a plethora of color choices beyond brown.

If you want a bold take on the leather sofa, consider a minimalist leather sectional in a vibrant primary color like red or yellow. Add some vintage flair with a rich turquoise leather bench or a wine-colored chair with metallic accents.

Neutral leather tones are abundant and simple to implement in a space, but the myriad options of pigmented leather furniture available make excellent additions to a wide range of styles.

Cozy up on a brown leather couch in front of a traditional stone fireplace, or add an exciting pop of whimsy to a formal living room with a jewel-toned leather armchair. With the right balance of decor, you can effortlessly introduce leather into your living room design.

About the Author

Roni Agress

Roni Agress brings to William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty an accomplished and diverse history spanning three decades in entertainment management. Her experience, representing and assisting international performing artists and the administration of their production companies led to the establishment of her own firm in 1995. A passion for excellence, a strong work ethic and a commitment to getting the job done and an ability to anticipate, meet and manage is the foundation upon which Roni has built her career as a full-time realtor. As a resident of Redding, Connecticut since 1989, she possesses a detailed knowledge of the local markets, trends and values. Enthusiasm, vitality, resourcefulness and a can-do spirit accompany every transaction. Roni specializes in residential sales and relocation. She is an award-winning Realtor, an Accredited Buyer Representative and is Relocation Certified. • 2001 to Present – Sales Associate Ridgefield-Redding Brokerage • Gold Star, Silver Star, and Bronze Star Performance Awards – William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty • #14 Company-wide in Units and #2 in Units in the Ridgefield Brokerage in 2013 • CT Magazine Five Star Performance Awards • 2011-2014 serving as a Director/Officer to the Ridgefield Board of Realtors