Remember when we used to furnish a living room with a three piece suite? Those were the days when decorating was easy. Putting a living room scheme together now often requires a lot more thought. The outcome though is more interesting and means that you can swap pieces in and out of the room. It is therefore more likely that you will use a different sofa and accent chairs rather than purchasing everything to match. This is where a sofa or chairs in tan leather can be the perfect solution. I am going to show you how to use tan leather in a colour palette here.
A tan leather colour palette
The appeal for me of tan leather is that is has a rich boldness to it without being a dominant colour in a space. It is a luxurious addition to a room, whether you use it for dining chairs, sofas, occasional chairs or bar stools.
I like to incorporate it with other soft neutrals. For a soft, transitional country style, it looks fabulous with white and warm neutrals; soft greige, light tan and other rich browns as accents. A fabulous tan leather sofa or chair makes quite a statement so remember this when you are balancing other items with it. This gorgeous room below from Studio McGee demonstrates this colour palette perfectly.
The tan leather sofa in this Mountains retreat has been balanced with soft white and grey which is more of a contrasting scheme. The black accents in this room make this a touch more contemporary and moves away from a transitional country style.
The room below has more black accents which gives a more masculine and contemporary flavour to the room. The contrast is strong between the bar stools and the black island bench, which makes this a strong focal point in the room.
Tan leather sofas and chairs are well suited to a Scandi style scheme. This neutral, grey, white and black living room has been decorated in a Scandi style but the sofa in tan leather adds a fabulous richness to the palette. As it is leather, it doesn't necessarily read as a colour because it looks so natural and in place with the contemporary look.
Related: 5 key elements of Scandi style
A classic tan leather colour palette is below with other soft warm neutrals, whites and accents of grey.
Tan leather as an accent
Simple grey colour palettes are very sophisticated and suit a Scandi look home. They can be a little cool though, which is why you often see lots of greenery in a Scandi style home. The inclusion though of the tan leather cushion in this scheme is inspired. The designer has created a focal point and offset the greys and whites beautifully. Take this away and the scheme wouldn't be nearly as successful.
As with the demise of the traditional three piece suite, we have also seen the decline in very formal matching dining tables and chairs. I have clients who want to sell their dining suites, but I advise them to simply change the chairs and keep the often beautiful dining table. This simple trick can transform a room. This is where a tan leather dining chair is very convenient as it doesn't need to match the table and is very practical too.
Are you a fan of tan leather? I really do love that it is a colour and it is natural – the perfect inclusion into a decorating scheme. I would love to hear what you think.
Do you get confused about which style is right for you? Read my post on How to define your decorating style for more inspiration.
Did you know that I have a Free Resource Library? Whether you are building a new dream home or just undertaking a weekend redecorating project, there will be something there to help and inspire you. Included in my library is a guide on how to put together a mood board. You can download the free checklists and e-books here.
