This Design Trick Saved My Sofa Decision Gone Horribly Wrong — And It Can Work for You, Too!

You could say I got a little too excited when I was moving from a condo to a house. For years I’d had a 72” wide sofa — the only thing that would fit in my small apartment living room (okay, I could have gone bigger had I been willing to part with a few vintage chairs, but that’s not how I operate). 

As soon as the prospect of a full-size living space was on the horizon, I immediately ordered a 96” sofa. The room could accommodate it, so why wouldn’t I want somewhere I could sit with at least three other friends? What I didn’t think about, however, was the placement within the floor plan. A narrow living room plus a large white sofa means that you walk straight in and see a long expanse of white fabric. Zero visual interest — just a big white sofa. 

This drove me crazy for months. With the fireplace across from the sofa, there was nowhere else to float the sofa. Yet it felt like this oppressive entity — a decision gone terribly wrong. If only I’d stuck with my petite 72” loveseat, the room would have felt more welcoming, more approachable. But instead I had this behemoth overwhelming me each time I walked in the room. It was the only thing I could see, and it was there like the abominable snowman — big, white, and taking up the entire room.

In the past year I’ve ordered more fabric samples than I’d like to admit. I’ve marked out different arrangements on the floor with blue painters tape. Maybe two brown loveseats would make it better? Or what if I did a kidney sofa instead?

But the reality is, I have this big white sofa, and I’m stuck with it for the time being. So I had to find a way to break up the visual monotony. Sure, I could have gone to town with accent pillows from one side to the other, but that’s not where it was most offensive. It was the back that drove me crazy — walking right into the straight white back just felt so boring.

That’s when I got an idea. I had a small kilim-style rug I’d bought on a whim at a tag sale a few years prior. I tried using it draped across a trunk; that lasted five minutes until my cat pulled it off. I tried it as a small throw rug; it moved around too much. So it had sat unused in a closet. What if I draped that rug over the back of the sofa?

Perfection. I tucked it in behind the back cushion so it wouldn’t be itchy against whoever was sitting on the sofa, and let it fall along the back. The red, blue, and teal pattern added just enough interest to break up the sofa’s long lines without becoming too busy. It doesn’t budge because it has more weight to it than the average throw blanket, and it’s a moment of color as soon as I walk in the room.

This idea could easily work with anything from another small rug, like this one, to a tapestry or any textile that’s the right size to fit just over the back of a sofa (and a little bit of grip and weight to it doesn’t hurt, either). Think of it as a non-functional blanket. You’re adding pattern, texture, and color, but you don’t have to worry about refolding it constantly. And it would be a great way to hide a stain or a spot on the back of your sofa that’s showing a little wear and tear. 

While I’m still looking at those fabric samples for a new sofa one day, this trick has made me despise this too-big white sofa just a little bit less. And if you find yourself in this kind of a position with your living room sofa, I think it could work for you too.