If you ask anyone on the street about a sofa look that will never date, they will probably say something like a white couch. Design insiders know the truth is much stranger. In reality, a well-chosen patterned sofa will always look more timeless than a solid piece because it integrates personality and displays taste.
Take, for example, the floral sofa in Marilyn Monroe's Los Angeles living room, photographed in 1956. Though it has been 70 years since the image was taken, her red, green, and cream living room couch still bursts with life and personality, adding a genuine warmth and homey feel to the space.
