Short answer: Which color sofa should you choose? If you want brown, pick Chocolate in Aquaforte Velvet for heavy daily use and pets, Espresso in Performance Chenille for a very dark, textured brown, and Mocha in Performance Textured Weave for a warmer, softer brown that works as a neutral. Our own assessment rates Aquaforte Velvet Excellent for pets and Performance Chenille Good. Among our sofa beds, the Neptune comes in Mocha, the Orian in Chocolate and the Atmosphere Sleeper in all three.
A sofa is a large block of color that is hard to change once it arrives, and our three browns differ more in fabric than in shade. Below we compare the fabrics, show where each color is offered, and explain how to choose between them.
On This Page
- Which brown sofa colors do we offer?
- Espresso: a very dark brown in Performance Chenille
- Mocha: a warm neutral in Performance Textured Weave
- Chocolate: a deep brown in Aquaforte Velvet
- Which brown sofa bed should you choose?
- Which brown hides pet hair and daily stains best?
- Do brown sofas suit warm or cool interiors?
- What table finishes pair well with a brown sofa?
- Our recommendation
- Explore our brown sofas and sofa beds
Which brown sofa colors do we offer?
We offer three browns on our sofas, sofa beds and accent chairs: Espresso, Mocha and Chocolate. Each one is a different fabric, so the color you pick also decides the rub count (Martindale double rubs), the feel and the care.
Which brown sofa colors do we offer?
| Color | Fabric | Martindale | Sofas | Sofa beds | Accent chairs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | Performance Chenille | 48,000 | Atmosphere, Cassini, Ciello, Gaia | Atmosphere Sleeper | Cassini lounge chair, Hubbel, Mira |
| Mocha | Performance Textured Weave | 54,000 | Atmosphere, Ciello, Gaia | Neptune, Atmosphere Sleeper | Naos (with a walnut frame) |
| Chocolate | Aquaforte Velvet | More than 200,000 | Atmosphere, Cassini, Ciello, Gaia | Orian, Atmosphere Sleeper | Cassini lounge chair, Hubbel, Naos (with a walnut frame) |
Colors change over time, so check the product page for the current range. Our guide to how to choose a sofa color places all three in the warm tans and browns family.
Espresso: a very dark brown in Performance Chenille
Espresso is a very dark brown in Performance Chenille, a soft, nubby fabric with a Martindale count of 48,000. It makes a cozy room when there is plenty of daylight or warm lamplight.
You can choose Espresso on the Atmosphere, Cassini, Ciello and Gaia sofas, on the Atmosphere Sleeper, and on the Cassini lounge chair, Hubbel and Mira chairs. The covers on those chairs are removable.
For care, machine wash removable chenille covers cold on a gentle cycle, air dry them, and avoid wringing, bleach and high heat. Our pet assessment for Performance Chenille is Good: the nubby surface is good at hiding hair and small marks, although claws can occasionally catch it, so it is less scratch-resistant than Aquaforte Velvet.
Mocha: a warm neutral in Performance Textured Weave
Among our warm neutrals, Mocha is the deeper, richer tone. It is Performance Textured Weave at 54,000 Martindale, a fabric with a visible woven texture.
Mocha comes on the Atmosphere, Ciello and Gaia sofas, on the Neptune sofa bed and the Atmosphere Sleeper, and on the Naos lounge chair with a walnut frame. The Naos covers are not removable, so plan to spot clean that chair.
Textured Weave and other open weaves should not be rubbed aggressively. The removable covers on the Atmosphere, Ciello, Gaia and Neptune can be machine washed cold on a gentle cycle and air dried. On the Neptune, the cushion and backrest covers come off, while the arms and base are fixed.
Chocolate: a deep brown in Aquaforte Velvet
Chocolate is a deep brown in Aquaforte Velvet, which has the highest Martindale count we publish: more than 200,000. It has a dense surface, an ultra-soft, buttery feel and strong water and stain resistance.
You can choose Chocolate on the Atmosphere, Cassini, Ciello and Gaia sofas, on the Orian sofa bed and the Atmosphere Sleeper, and on the Cassini lounge chair, Hubbel and Naos chairs. It is not offered on the Neptune, because the Neptune does not come in Aquaforte Velvet.
Removable Aquaforte Velvet covers can be machine washed. Our pet assessment for Aquaforte Velvet is Excellent. One honest limitation is that color contrast can make fur visible, so a deep brown shows pale hair more than dark hair.
Which brown sofa bed should you choose?
Each of our three sofa beds offers a different part of the brown range, so the sofa bed you want often decides the color.
- Neptune: Mocha only. The cushion and backrest covers are removable and machine washable, and the arms and base are fixed. Read our Neptune guide for the bed size and layouts.
- Orian: Chocolate in Aquaforte Velvet. It opens into a queen-size surface of 62 inches wide by 80 inches long, and only the seat and back cushion covers come off. See our Orian guide.
- Atmosphere Sleeper: Espresso, Mocha and Chocolate. The upholstery is removable on all three Atmosphere versions. Our Atmosphere guide explains the regular, storage and sleeper versions.
If the bed will be used often, our guide to durable fabrics for a sleeper sofa compares the fabrics, and Neptune vs Orian vs Atmosphere Sleeper compares the sofas.
Which brown hides pet hair and daily stains best?
Color decides how visible hair and marks are, while the fabric decides how easily you clean them. Our pet ratings are our own assessment, not an independent test, and no fabric is claw-proof or stain-proof.
Which brown hides pet hair and daily stains best?
| Color | Fabric | Martindale | Our pet assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate | Aquaforte Velvet | More than 200,000 | Excellent |
| Espresso | Performance Chenille | 48,000 | Good |
Mocha is Performance Textured Weave at 54,000 Martindale with machine-washable covers, as described above. Chocolate is the color we would look at first for dark fur and for a busy home. For pale fur, a deep brown shows hair more, so match the sofa to your pet's coat where you can. Our guide to the most durable sofa fabric for pets explains the ratings, and how to remove pet hair from a sofa covers the cleaning.
Do brown sofas suit warm or cool interiors?
Brown sits in our warm family, so it suits rooms with warm wood or earthy palettes. Chocolate suits earthy palettes, and our neutral color palettes guide pairs deep browns with walnut.
In a cool room, a deep brown works as deliberate contrast, such as a dark sofa against light walls. As general advice, check the undertone of your floor and walls, then judge the sofa in daylight and lamplight. Our free swatches let you do that at home before you order.
What table finishes pair well with a brown sofa?
Our Tessella, Eclipse and Mensa tables come in oak and walnut. Walnut shares the warm undertone of a brown sofa, which gives a tonal look, and oak is the lighter wood, which adds contrast. The Eclipse, Tessella and Mensa tables suit different room sizes, and our guide to pairing a sofa, accent chair and coffee table covers sizes.
Our Naos chair is sold with fixed pairings: Mocha with walnut, and Chocolate with walnut. For a light-colored sofa, our palettes guide pairs pale shades with light oak.
Our recommendation
- Pets, kids or a very busy sofa: Chocolate in Aquaforte Velvet.
- A very dark, textured look: Espresso in Performance Chenille, in a room with good light.
- A warm neutral that is easy to place: Mocha in Performance Textured Weave.
- A sofa bed: Mocha on the Neptune, Chocolate on the Orian, or any of the three on the Atmosphere Sleeper.
Before you order, ask yourself:
- Do I have pets, and what color is their coat?
- Is the room bright, or does it rely on lamps?
- Do I want removable covers I can wash?
- Will the sofa bed be used every week or once a year?
- Do I prefer a soft woven texture or a smooth, velvety one?
Explore our brown sofas and sofa beds
Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.