Can you help me decide furniture

[Chris in VA]

So our seating area by our TV is in poor shape. The previous chaplain had a wild dog adopted from Jericho. It ate the back of the loveseat! I chose Ikea Ektorp to replace it. Should I go with dark gray or darkish beige? Our walls are bright coral (yeah...) and the floor is that hard school flooring in a speckled pattern that is way too much for me sensorally. The other furniture in the livingroom area (it is one huge rectangular room) is brown with wood accents and floral (dark and lighter brown) patterning on the cushions. We had to put a couple of those cushions on the back of the den loveseat.  Not my taste at all but it is typical here and I can"t change it. 

First photo of brown livingroom furniture. Second is the loveseat we will replace. Third is the room from near the doorway (there's a dining table) and fourth is the brown couch (we have handwoven rugs from the deaf school in Amman on the walls). 

Gray Ikea:

Beige Ikea:

Edited December 10, 2019 by Chris in VA

[Chris in VA]

Sorry, I can't seem to edit correctly. The pictures obviously from Ikea are the two colors I can choose. It will actually be the loveseat (and two matching chairs). 

[klmama]

I'd go with the beige.  Gray looks out of place to me with all the brown and coral, but beige seems to fit.  

Wait, are you replacing all of the brown furniture, too, or just the one loveseat?  

Any chance you can put down a solid-colored rug or repaint the walls to lessen the sensory load?

[Chris in VA]

Can't repaint. Not replacing brown, just that awful loveseat pictured with the mismatched back cushions--literally had to take a couple cushions off the deep brown to put on the lighter loveseat because the dog ate the ones that go on that set!

Yeah, I'm leaning beige. 

[Carol in Cal.]

I’m sorry to say this, but I think that the modern style conflicts very badly with the other upholstered furniture in that room.

Between the two colors I’d go with the grey because it takes the whole brightness of the room down a level.  But either color is going to have a serious style clash with the sofa.  If it’s manageable financially I’d put the sofa and chair in storage and buy two sofas or a sofa and loveseat from Ikea in the grey.

Edited December 10, 2019 by Carol in Cal.

[Chris in VA]

Oh I agree it isn't the same style at all. I think the brown set is hideous, to be honest (it is a loveseat, two chairs and a sofa and a big,  heavy coffee table and two side tables). So I just sort of ignore it and/or view the room as invisibly partitioned into three areas! lol I would never get a second set for the TV area in that same style, and we can't put anything in storage. 

[Scarlett]

I say beige.  

It a huge room with lots of light.  I kinda like that dark brown furniture though.  I mean, I doubt I would purchase it,  but I certainly don’t think it is hideous. 

[Storygirl]

I would pick beige. I think it goes better with the walls, and unless you can verify that the gray couch will match the gray you already have, I think it's possible the gray won't look right with what is already in there. Grays can vary so much that they can be hard to coordinate well.

I think things would be much improved if you added a rug, as well.

[mmasc]

 Beige. I think it will look better with the walls and the other colors. 

[Chris in VA]

@StorygirlWe don't have any gray, but yeah, I do think the beige will go better. 

@Scarlett yeah I know a lot of people like the ornate stuff but it isn't me at all, and the pattern is awful, imo. YMMV and does!😉😊❤

[Chris in VA]

22 minutes ago, Arctic Mama said:

I much prefer the gray with that wall color and your other furniture, the cream/beige stands out too much unless you’re a big user of colorful pillows, and will show dirt more quickly. Gray and coral are one of my favorite color combinations.

Hey now, quit being all "let me give you another opinion that agrees with your first inclination and preference!" 🤣

(Mine, too. Which we didn't have this honkin brown behemoth furniture!)

[mumto2]

I like the beige.  Actually pretty sure I own that color.  We have had it roughly five years and it’s still unstained although it’s had things happen to it several times.  Plus since some of the other furniture is brown it will blend it better.

Edited December 10, 2019 by mumto2

[happi duck]

Like AM, I think gray and coral is a pretty pairing.  Do the patterned pillows that go with the brown set have any gray in them at all?  If so, I vote gray!

[bibiche]

Have you considered slipcovers? 

Even something as simple as a drop cloth or a sheet will neutralize those hulking pieces and modernize the room a little. Can you put some art on the walls?

Edited December 10, 2019 by bibiche

[YaelAldrich]

Just remember there will be hamsin (the hot, super windy periods) which will drive dust from G-d only knows where - OK, Jordan really - into your home no matter if you put down the trissim (hurricane shutters).  Which will look better with scads of dirt on them.  I think grey, but beige should work.

[klmama]

Chris, if the gray is your first inclination and preference, go with it.  You are the one who has to live with it, and if you like it, get it.  We are just random people on the internet who can't see the full effect, and our personal preferences don't matter at all.  

[KungFuPanda]

I wouldn't even attempt traditional in that room.  If you go a little more modern you can fake like you did it on purpose.  It took me YEARS to come around to this concept in my mid-century home. 😕 At least that's the style now and you can find LOTS of things that go.

 

 

Edited December 10, 2019 by KungFuPanda

[PeterPan]

4 hours ago, happi duck said:

Like AM, I think gray and coral is a pretty pairing.  Do the patterned pillows that go with the brown set have any gray in them at all?  If so, I vote gray!

Yup, and look at the grey in the floor tiles. The grey would be stellar and make everything come together. 

[J-rap]

My first reaction was to say beige, but on further thought, I'd go with gray.  There's already a lot going on, and I think a light colored couch would make it look like even more was going on, while the gray would settle into the background more.  It looks like the flower-print on the brown furniture has some gray in it.  Does it?  

I'd get some solid color throw pillows (all the same) and throw them on both the brown furniture and the IKEA couch to kind of connect them a bit.

 

[Ottakee]

2 hours ago, Arctic Mama said:

Hahaha, this is why my couch is poop brown! I had to ask myself what sort of things are most likely to end up on it and pick accordingly 😆

I agree.  One carpet salesman once told me to take the dirtiest part of my current carpet and buy that color.😊.  It works.