What color is the wall now? It looks like a light sage, but it's hard to say since colors don't always translate well in photos.

Its hard to even tell in person.. We thought it was beige when we first moved in.. But it's different from every angle and in every light.

A very light silver color will be nice. Sherwin Williams offer a webservice that you can upload the pictures of the room you color, allowing you to visually see how the room looks with different color options

I have a very similar sectional in my family room. The Benjamin Moore "tans" are beautiful with what looks like a cream/khaki sectional. The furniture and the floor will pop. Jackson tan, autumn leaf or acorn might be really nice and neutral.

Since your couch is so light, I think a dark taupe color on the walls and throw a fur throw on the couch with some wild orange and teal throw pillows or orange and any loud color florals like they have at Pier One Store really would look great.

It's difficult to tell the colours that are in your sofa so I'll take it as being "neutral"....I do like the idea of the taupe walls although if it was me, becasue of it being a basement room they can tend to be dark, I'd do it a lighter taupe. It's also difficult to arrange a coffee table in front of your sofa with its configuation and I don't know just how much space you have to be able to play around with...."if" the piece sitting in front of the sofa is moveable then I'd move it off to the side and it could be used for more sitting if needed that would also give you some space to put a coffee table of some sort in front of the sofa....you could even look at a second hand store or antique store and buy a dining table of the size that best fits your needs and shorten the legs....we actually have what used to be a harvest table in front of our family room couch and love it but it too had its legs shortened....when I decorate a room, I try to use 6-7 co-ordinating fabrics....you have window treatments, couch fabric, carpet or area rug, and an assortment of pillows that will all go together....I'll include a couple of pics from a couple of our rooms that show you what I mean....the bay window in the kitchen has an off white which matches the toppers, a stripped that matches the cushion on the desk chair and the patterened matches the cushion in the bay window....in the livingroom pics, the tan pillow matches the toppers, the one with a fern on it is actually fabric I had left over from making the fitted covers for the couch, there is one that matches the piano bench and just a couple that have all the colours in the room in them which translates into the room "feeling" like it all belongs together....I would also go with a sisal rug in your room as that will also tend to pull all the pieces together in your room....as for your pillows, they don't necessarily have to be expensive as long as all the fabrics look OK together....have fun....love to see your finished project....

For a warm neutral color try Benjamin Moore AF 135 or for a little green color which I use as a neutral all the time AF-410.

I'd paint the room mocha for a real dramatic look. Then find a large contemporay painting with oranges and/or turquoises to add excitement. Don't make the mistake of painting the room a pale color. Sherwin-Williams, Lowes & Home Depot all have the small jars of paint samples for under $5. Buy 2 or 3 colors and experimement to see what you like prior to investing time to paint the entire room.

Since the sectional is a neutral color, maybe adding an accent wall of wallpaper behind the sectional would be an exciting way to add interest. Maybe painting the remaining walls something like benjamin Moore's Decorator White and then hanging colorful pieces of art to complement the wallpaper.

Good advice from judygilpin. Always test colors in the room. I was thinking a blue-gray, but something more intense than pale. Unless you're doing an all-pale room (and I mean PALE), light-colored walls are going to look washed out. Will you have to repaint on vacating?

You might want to purchase an area rug and some art first, then paint.

The color you have on your wall is probably Niveous by Ben Moore. It changes what it looks like in different lights, even tends to look greenish! You could go with a medium to darker toned teal with a little gray in it as well.

paint the walls
Silver Fox - Benjamin Moore

I would try something more dramatic like a Silhouette by Ben Moore. It's a a chocolate grey and quite stunning if you also go with white trim. Neutrals looks amazing with it. I did it and there's no looking back and the neutral colour I have is a light grey. It alls spells "success"

Purchasing a area rug.. Picking up perhaps a light sage or lavender wall color along with a hint of gray from the sectional... Blending it all with through pillows...

Greys are very in right now and a very sophisticated neutral. A medium to dark gray with taupey undertones would look great. The grey would look great with your floors also. Then you can use whatever colors you like as an accent. Yellows, oranges, reds, blues......etc..in rugs, art work and throw pillows or you can keep the whole pallet neutral and add the light and dark shades of the same color in a rug and throw pillows. The key here is to used lots of texture and interest in your artwork and accessories. Can be a very calming sophisticated look.

LVonne Worth
Purchasing a area rug.. Picking up perhaps a light sage or lavender wall color along with a hint of gray from the sectional... Blending it all with throw pillows...

Go turquoise on walls, some artwork with silver and black will do the rest. I would put a see trough coffee table, perhaphs a white furry rug... Or with a geometric design. This will help pop up this gorgeous grey sofa...

I would go for a light blue or blue-grey shade on the walls. For tables and other pieces of furniture, I would use distressed white or cream. The theme I would be trying to create here is a beach, or ocean look. Go to Hooker Furniture, Harbour Pointe series, for some ideas on this theme.

Since your couch is light, I wouldn't paint the walls light; You need contrast. A taupe would be nice...a picture with some color and a throw and pillows to match the colors on the wall and in the picture. Also, an area rug would ground the space. You might even considering a hanging light in the corner. Good Luck!

If it were me, I'd probably leave the walls alone give that you're only there for 1 more year. Before you know it you will be extremely busy in your house hunt. The color on the walls isn't bad (and is pretty popular right now)... it's just not ideal for your sectional. Maybe changing the wall art around a little would help. Good luck!

I like Rick's paint color. You'll need some type of art to cozy up the place. Vintage posters are great to add color and interest. You could go with travel, food/wine or movie posters. You'll need 5 posters. One on the small wall behind the left end and 4 others spaced over the remaining wall. Hang them so that there's only 5 inches of wall showing between the back of your sofa and the bottoms of the posters. These will also translate well into a your basement family room when you move.

My friend just got a neutral sectional in gray. She used a yellow on the walls, trimmed in white from SW & it looks real good. She is adding some yellow throw pillows. We are looking for a rug with big flowers in yellow & turquoises to go on her wood floors! Good luck just play around with some paint colors.

If I am seeing right, the sofa is a neutral color, if so go with your favorite shade of your favorite color on the walls and make the room pop with bright colored pillows on the sofa. That's the beauty of neutral sofas ... you can change your colors according to your whim :-)

I love the gray wall. A rug with grays, creams, silvers and aubergines/plums would look good.

I wrote above about using a taupey gray. But had another thought because paint color isn't always the best thing to start with. You really need an area rug and you should probably shop for that before deciding on the wall color. You should pull your colors from that rug. It would be good if it incorporated the color of the sofa even if it is in a small amount. If you pick the paint before an area rug and say you want to go with a gray. There are so many shades of gray, some with blue tones, some with brown tones and on and on. You'll want to pick a shade for the wall to blend with the shade that is in the rug and this is whether it is gray or brown, or beige. There are thousands of colors of paint but you are much more limited in your choices when it comes to furniture and area rugs or art work, so your paint color should really come last.

Rick Alexander has the right idea. Whatever color you go with needs to be a midtone -- definitely nothing pale. The mocha suggestion was a good one as well.

First of all, thank you for not buying another leather sofa. It's time to bury most of them. What is your fav color? Look at swatches in the spectrum of that color, until one jumps out at you and says 'me'. If you have a dark basement w/ very little light, then Keep your room light. Darker or brighter pillows will add the drama or contrast.. A patterned Oriental or Aubusson rug under the coffee table gives some pow to the room,. Use some mirrors to make the room pick up the lights that you use. A glass coffee table always makes the room seem larger & airy-er. Remember. If you don't LOVE the items you select-don't buy them. Take your time, this room will be used a lot.

You were all super helpful!! Coming back from the weekend I didn't expect to see such an overwhelming response!
I have narrowed it down to a few of your suggestions! :)
I will post pictures when it's all complete!
Thanks so much!!

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Sherwin Williams "portabello" or "Latte" are great colors for a brown neutral...for a grey tone try "Dorian Gray"

I think that a darker color would go great with the color of your couch like a dark purple with some yellow thrown in

The thing w/ contemporary is that you can add touches of something else you like. Italian French, South western, Asian, Spanish, traditional, Danish modern etc, Bling or glam--it's your call! :)

I agree with the friends who suggested darker wall color. I think nutural dark is the way to go

Go a darker gray than sec. Pewter by Benjamin Moore. A nice blue gray. A area rug 6 x9 would work in front of sofa. A big art piece centered on wall 6" above sofa back. Floor lamp in stainless modern tall. In corner.

Area rug in grays, black and a accent color I like turquoise , or teal add a few pillows in a print to sec. A end table with lamp tall black shade. Forget floor lamp.

What color is sec? It looks gray??

I would go with neutral colors. Not too dark, it will close room in. Not too light, it will wash your couch in. Check pics out:)

You said that you're moving out in a year or so. Keep it light and neutral, as your belongings will then match up nicely. For the next buyers- it will not only look larger, but you won't be painting over that turquoise wall color (at the last minute) that you chose today.

I agree with going with something neutral and not to crazy since you will be selling soon. Make sure it is something that you will be happy with though.