The most popular sofa colors of 2021 revealed - and there were some surprises

We didn't expect to see white sofas so high on the list

pink velvet sofa with black and white striped throw pillows
(Image credit: Cult Furniture)

Our sofas are incredibly hard-working pieces of furniture, and often the focal point of our living spaces. 

Working out how to choose a sofa can be a long and tricky process since the style, fabric and color tend to set the tone for the rest of the room. For anyone beginning to shop for the very best sofas money can buy, the first question to address is which color to go for. 

Not that you’ll necessarily want to follow the crowd, but we can reveal that the three most popular sofa colors are currently gray, pink and blue.

pink sofa in living space with coffee table

(Image credit: Loaf)

Every month, thousands of us turn to Google to find out what the ‘best sofa color’ is. What we're probably looking for here is the most versatile, easy-to-clean or on-trend color. 

It comes as no surprise that gray came out on top - by a long way - with 67,971 average monthly searches so far this year. 'Gray sofas are of course the go-to,’ comments Real Homes digital editor Hebe Hatton. 

‘They look great with every color, and you can switch out the cushions you throw on them for a totally new look. They also hide stains and scuffs well too,’ says Hebe.

grey sofa with lots of cushions

(Image credit: Satara Australia)

Homedit.com analyzed global google search volumes from January 2021 to August 2021 to come up with a long list of the most popular sofa shades. The results showed pink sofas had 37,000 searches, while blue had 31,586 searches. 

For those looking for the best velvet sofas, a sumptuous pink hue could make for a particularly luxurious and calming place to kick off your shoes and pour a glass of wine.

Sofa colors ranked according to average monthly Google search volumes 2021:

  1. Grey - 67,971
  2. Pink - 37,000
  3. Blue - 31,586
  4. White - 30,400
  5. Green - 29,243
  6. Black - 24,029
  7. Beige - 18,971
  8. Cream - 14,186
  9. Red - 13,557
  10. Yellow - 13,543

white sofa in neutral living space with rug and coffee table

(Image credit: Satara Australia)

We didn't expect to see white sofas so high up on the list at number four, but Hebe explains why she believes white could be the new gray. ‘The trend for white sofas, as impractical as it may seem, is very tempting,’ she says.

'There's a very cool Med vibe about them and they look so beautiful when paired with lots of natural textures like rattan and cane, linen cushions piled on top complete the look.' 

Not one if you have young children around, but we definitely see it working beautifully in a neutral, Scandi scheme...

Millie joined Real Homes in early 2021 as a homes news writer. When she isn't writing about trends, makeovers and houseplant care, she spends her free time making tweaks to her rented flat in North London. Her next project is a very basic armchair reupholstering job to help create a cosy reading nook in her living room. She loves browsing antique centres, tending to her small front garden, and is never without some fresh flowers at home.


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