Now that tropical interiors are making its rounds in home decor, it’s official: rattan is cool again. Once commonly associated with your grandma or only with outdoor furnishings, the natural material delivers laidback, resort charm in spades. With everyone from IKEA to luxe furniture brands on board the rattan train, it’s safe to say it’s back and bolder than ever.
A brief history on rattan Quietly, rattan has remarkably stood the test of time. Its history goes way back; the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt were buried with wicker furniture. Even the Roman empire were big on rattan furnishings too. In Asia, raw rattan largely came from Indonesia and were shaped into furniture by craftsmen in China; due to its proximity to both, Singapore was said to be Southeast Asia’s biggest exporter for rattan furniture. Eventually, the booming trade and colonists in Asia brought rattan to America and Europe.
Rattan revived Its popularity may have briefly waned, but like the seventies, you’re now seeing it everywhere again . Want to come home to a lush, tropical retreat? Fill your abode with plants, global accents and natural materials like bamboo, and of course rattan. With its current, modern designs, you’d have no problem fitting rattan in your home regardless of your home design.
See how you can incorporate it into your home or personal style below…
Pink is one of those colors that’s difficult to work with. It got a reputation for being too girly, associated with fairy tales and princesses but, in fact, it’s a lot more versatile than that. There are many different shades of pink and they each transmit a certain look and feeling. So, when you think about it, a pink sofa in the living room is not such a bad idea. It can actually be an unexpected and quirky feature that will tie everything together in a unique way.
I really like how fresh this pink sofa looks here, surrounded by warm, neutral colors and complemented by those diverse accent pillows. A perfect example showing how sometimes it’s worth being bold.
Too much pink is usually disturbing. A much better alternative is to have a single pink element in the room such as this velvet sofa. Then it becomes a focal point for the room and stands out without making it seem like you’re trying too hard.
In an eclectic and colorful living room, a pink sofa can fit perfectly without looking out of place. Throw in some abstract artwork, some patterned accent pillows and a striped area rug and feel free to improvise.
Even a light and feminine shade of pink can look good in a living room defined by dark wood, neutral colors, exposed bricks and subtle industrial touches. In fact, the pink sofa balances out all the other elements.
But, as we’ve already mentioned, there are numerous different shades of pink to take into consideration. Some are actually closer to neutrals than to other vibrant colors. Take this sofa for example. It may be pink but it’s not exactly super bold or dramatic.
You can coordinate the sofa with other elements in the room so it doesn’t look out of place. For example, you can have matching artwork, an area rug, a lampshade, etc. Keep the rest of the elements neutrals however.
Some shades of pink are so beautiful you can’t take your eyes off them. This mesmerizing sofa works perfectly in combination with the black and white polka dot rug. What a successful combo!
Don’t always expect a pink sofa to be the center of attention in the living room. It’s possible for the sofa to be a lot less striking than other accent details featuring colors that are a lot ore vibrant.
Similarly, this pale shade of pink is outshone by the vibrant green accents. It does look beautiful in this setting, especially because of the brown accents and all the natural colors.
On the other hand, when a bold color is combined with other equally vibrant shades it doesn’t stand out that much and instead shares its importance with all the other elements. This is a really beautiful example.
In a living room décor that’s so harmoniously composed, a more vibrant shade of pink would have looked less beautiful than this light tone. It’s also a matter of texture. Everything seems to be in perfect sync, including the fabric sofa, the area rug, the lampshades and the rest of the furniture and colors.
By comparison, the much deeper and darker shade of pink is a welcomed focal point in this case, considering the whitewashed brick walls, the flooring and everything else that contributes to a casual and eclectic look.
Although the rug seems to be the main attraction in this living room, the sofa and ottomans don’t lack flair either. In fact, the color alone is enough to make them stand out. In this eclectic setting, all these elements fit naturally.
This is a similar situation where there are many other colorful and eye-catching elements in the room besides the pink sofa. The transparent lucite coffee table is an interesting feature.
If you opt for two sofas instead of just one, the color you choose for them should be less striking than in the case of a single accent piece.
Another valid option is to combine two distinct and equally vibrant colors like pink and purple in this case. The wooden flooring and the black coffee table and the perfect elements to establish a balance here.
If you want pink to be a delicate, feminine color in your home, then emphasize these details through shape, texture and other elements. This curved sectional combined with the round table and white curtains is a good example to follow.
This is a tasteful color combination enhanced by the fact that texture also plays an important role in the overall décor. The velvety sofa, the fireplace surround and, of course, the flooring are all elements contributing to this result.
Coordinate the sofa with the curtains to obtain a cohesive design. This would turn both elements into focal points if they feature the same vibrant color such as in this case. By comparison, all the other colors will blend in.
There are other ways to integrate a brightly-colored sofa into a living room. For example, it can coordinate with the area rug and even with a few accents in the kitchen if it’s an open floor plan.
Similarly, the sofa can match the color of the kitchen backsplash in order to create a visual connection between the two areas that share the same floor plan.
But what if the pink you’ve chosen for the sofa is not the only bold color in the room? Actually, two strong colors can be put together as long a they don’t clash. Blue seems to be a good choice in this case.
This is a similar case but the shades are a bit different and less vibrant. All the walls and the ceiling were painted blue and this changes the dynamic of the space a little bit.
The blue and pink combination is beautiful and one of these two colors can be stronger than the other. Even, the harmony is maintained. The aqua accents also bring in the ocean and the clear sky.
But let’s keep in mind that a sofa can also be put in other spaces apart from the living room. For example, a small sofa can be a lovely accent piece for a bedroom in which case a splash of color is a welcomed detail.
