Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Rich, Earthy Sofa Color Transforms Her Beige Living Room – Experts Predict It Will Dominate Homes in 2026

The sofa is easily the most important element of a living room – it's the massive, tactile piece that serves as the central hub for reading, cuddling, and napping. More crucially, its sheer size means sofa color is the key to anchoring your entire space, as it’s the spot where the eye is naturally drawn. For a masterclass in making a bold choice work, look no further than Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s vibrant, burnt orange couch.

Although shared a year ago, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s living room sofa look remains as relevant as ever. In her Instagram post, she’s perched on a stunning sofa in a warming, bright shade that instantly defines the space and offers year-round appeal. The sofa is beautifully balanced by a neutral, textural rug, a verdant tree, and sleek black-and-white lamps, creating a sophisticated anchor for a contemporary yet cozy living room.

Decorating with orange is a bold choice. This fiery hue – tinged with hints of red and brown – is highly relevant today because it is zestier than simple earth tones, yet offers a smokier, more relaxed aesthetic than brighter oranges. This ability to ‘hover between shades’ is precisely what gives it ‘interest and intrigue,’ according to interior designer and founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, Edward Bulmer. Burnt orange provides a decorating scheme with energy while still imbuing a sense of warmth and calm. Bulmer notes that the color has a ‘heritage appeal,’ with bright variants, like his company's ‘Malahide,’ anchored in history.

In the 1970s, orange dominated floor-to-ceiling geometric and floral schemes, but today’s burnt orange offers a more sophisticated and versatile presence. It retains many of the era’s appealing styling elements, especially when expressed in tactile materials like velvet, corduroy, hessian wall coverings, and rattan.

Interior designer Elissa Hall champions the color: ‘A burnt orange sofa adds warmth and character to a beige living room, serving as an inviting focal point,’ she explains, noting it brings a sense of ‘comfort and coziness’ that is welcoming without being overwhelming. She highlights that it can evoke ‘autumnal warmth year-round’ and is versatile enough for styles from mid-century modern to contemporary.

The success of the design is largely in the pairing. Hall underscores that combining the sofa with a textural neutral rug strikes a perfect ‘balance between contrast and cohesion.’ The neutral tones of the rug act as a grounding element, allowing the sofa's color to shine while the texture adds depth.

Creative director Helen Sanderson calls burnt orange a ‘wonderfully optimistic color’ that makes fabulous partnerships with shades like teal and subdued blush pinks. While dropping the color into a neutral scheme via soft furnishings is a measured approach, Sue Jones, Oka’s co-founder, encourages being ‘a bit daring,’ suggesting it doesn’t have to be reserved for accessories, but works brilliantly as a large statement piece, such as a velvet upholstered sofa.

Ultimately, the burnt orange sofa is the perfect modern statement piece – it delivers the conviviality and comfort we crave in a living space while acting as a sophisticated, year-round focal point that’s both bold and inviting.

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If you’ve just bought a new sofa – or feel a little hesitant about introducing orange on a large piece – start small with unexpected decor accents. It’s my favorite way to experiment with bold colors, especially in a white or neutral setting, where they really pop.