Was it described as gray? I would go back to the store. As you have now learned, lighting is everything.

Find out the name of the color.

Others will weigh in but I don't think you will be able to change that sofa into a gray.

What happens at night?

I agree with Eld. It looks very purple and adding gray to the room I think will only enhance that.

I'm sorry you're not happy with it. I know the feeling and it's frustrating.

Lighting is everything and all you probably have to do is filter that bright light coming in. A lot of grays have a colored tint to them, blue, green and yes, purple. The fabric is probably a purple tinted charcoal gray and when the brighter sunlight falls on it, it brings out the purple.

For a purple couch, it's not bad at all! If you're stuck with it you can probably make it work...

I don't know how much lighting you plan to have in there but it might be worth taking a pillow to a lighting store and see if you can get bulbs that are closer to the furniture store's.

What color is it once you get it out of the sunlit area?

Thank you all for your comments. I love the idea of taking a pillow to test out different lights. It does tend to look less purple at night... Any suggestions for a rug color? I was leaning towards a gray or maybe something neutral to tone down the purple undertones.

Oh, I love it! I talked one of my friends into buy a beautiful purple sectional once...many years ago. It was wonderful fabric and a rich neutral purple (if you can think of purple as being neutral :-). It has really held up well in her home, is a surprising but not dominant element in her living room. Gorgeous.

If you can't minimize it, maybe you will learn to love it? Lots of people have grey sofas; but not many have that gorgeous shade of purple!

I'd also put some kind of treatment on the window as I think the bright natural light is making it appear more purple.

Um embrace the purple? I love purple. That's not gray. Art on the brick wall and window coverings, plus trying some led light bulbs in different warm and natural light colors will change the color quite a bit.

The lighting and other colors in the room will affect the perceived color -- in this case I think it's the yellowish cast from the window/brick/wood. I just found this advice regarding making grey walls appear less purple... maybe you can apply the same ideas re the sofa with wall art, rugs, throw pillows, and curtains:

Influence with Color (to make gray walls look less purple)

The
color to avoid in a room with purple-gray walls is yellow. Yellow and
purple are complementary colors, meaning they are opposite each other on
the color wheel. When placed near each other, each color looks brighter
and more intensified. Yellow-toned wood such as oak, yellow upholstery,
fabrics or art intensify the purple undertone in the gray paint.
Instead, use brown or tan wood in the room to invoke a warmer color on
gray walls. Soft white, cream, tan and brown colors on upholstery and
fabrics make the wall appear more gray and less purple. Bring in
additional purple or blue fabrics to help neutralize the purple
undertones on the wall, making it appear more gray. Hang black-and-white
photos in black frames and white mats to influence neutral gray in
walls.

What is the return policy? My DD returned two sofas to CB2, a low-end store.

Are you sure you have to keep it?

I will preface this with I love purple. My enterance hall is tropical dusk a very muddy purple. I adore your couch! I also think purple and charcoal play nicely together so you can add grey to the sofa to accent the purple tones not hide them! My purple hall abuts a charcoal grey living room and both work as neutrals to my other accent colors of aqua and yellow. I understand the dissapointment of a plan not turning out like you thought it would, it happens with everything i redo in my home but I think this might be a happy accident!

The sofa plays beautifully with your floors and brick, even better than I imagine a true grey would!

Yes, I was going to mention about the yellow brick. I don't like the purple with the brick.

On my monitor it appears to lean towards indigo. I think it's gorgeous, and doesn't look like what you may fear it does (it's no Barney the Purple Dinosaur) - although it definitely doesn't read as gray.

If that were mine, I think I'd try to embrace it, as it really is a lovely color. If it's still a charcoal gray that you're wanting, I'd first take a pillow to the store and compare it to what they have on the floor. If it matches, then you know it's all down to differences in lighting and you can then figure out how to try to adjust the light in your space.

I'd call the store and ask them what lighting they use. Or most likely, I'd mosey over to the store with my pillow of the sofa under the arm and test whether the fabric is reasonably similar.

Just saw IdaClaire's response, so +1

Thanks all! I was very afraid it looks like Barney and my boyfriend is not helping my fears lol. Your comments have helped tremendously. I have a few great ideas to bring out the gray and if that doesn't work, I'll embrace the purple :).

It's a terrific color! Also a handsome couch.

I really like the style of the sofa and the color! When I tried to imagine it in gray it made me want to yawn. Drapes, large pieces of art on the wall, different pillows, a fabulous rug - your wonderful space has so much potential! I think the color can be toned down with those additions if you choose the colors carefully, but for me that color is subtle and yet more interesting than gray.

On my monitor, it is very purple. What matters is what you think it looks like and you say purple.

Again, why not ask about returning it if you are unhappy. I would even bring the photo of how purple the sofa looks in your space to show them. I would also bring one of the throw pillow to see if the color changes to gray when you enter the store.

I would also like to know the color they are marketing this sofa to be.

The fact that people here like purple doesn't matter. How you feels does.

It's the lighting and not unusual with gray. Either move the sofa away from the window or embrace the purple during the daytime. A relative wore a gorgeous gray gown to her daughter's wedding with dyed gray shoes to match the dress. Inside the church the shoes were the exact gray of the dress. Outside the church the shoes were purple! Don't blame the furniture store.

I think it's lovely and agree with the others who have said that this offers more to the room than a strict gray would. It's a wonderful color with the brick and your floors and doesn't read Barney at all (at least to me). Also, you're looking at it now all by its lonesome. Once you add your pillows, rug, window treatment, et al, I think you'll end up with a beautiful room.

On my monitor it looks purple but if you look at the sofa where the sunlight is shining on it, it looks grey. I really like the color and think you can make it work unless you want to and can return it.

Also I would have some kind of WT on that window, where ever that sun is hitting it will fade your new couch. And that could make a difference in color as well.

If you have incandescent lighting, that willl add warm tones and accentuate the purple. I had to change the bulbs in my dining room and powder room to canccel out purple in blue and grey walls. You may be fighting an uphiill battle though because the golden color of the brick behind it is going to bring out the purple. I think you are going to wind up changing the wall color (not a huge advocate off painting or whitewashing brick, but sometimes.....), changing the sofa, or deciding to work with the color you see.