How can I lighten up my living room with warm weather lightness?

Not sure how slipcovers would work due to the style of the piece, but you could try throwing some brighter colored throw blankets over the fabric and maybe a couple of more neutral, lighter pillows.

Put pillowcases of your liking and color on your pillows making sure to tuck in extra fabric to hide it inside and a coordinating throw on the side of your sofa. Good luck.

The Victorians typically put white slipcovers/a secured throw on everything for summer. A sturdy white cotton linen-look blend slipcover with white or light beige trimmed pillow shams in the approximate color of those bar stool cushions might work.

Alternatively, simple white/beige bed linen cases (shams/pillow cases) to cover the seat, back, and accent pillows will lighten the look. Sew on buttons or zippers, to the cases to fit. Go nautical/patriotic with white (crisply edged in navy or royal blue) given the arms and the back of the couch in red would still show. Funkier still? Find linens that are blue and white in a co-ordinating pattern like a bold blue and white stripe. Add a light hemp/sea grass rug to go under it and lighten up on accessories; sub in glass/ plexiglass, or lose the coffee table all together to create space.

Why don't you just replace the cushions with bright colours (white, turquoise, yellow) to juxtapose against the pink....I would consider stripes and very small prints. Then just splash the same colours (vases, flowers, wall art, etc.) around the room to unify the look.

its a pretty piece of furniture, but to me, looks heavy no matter what season it is..

i'd paint the wood parts a soft white, that would lighten it up and would make a dif for winter and summer seasons. from what i see in the picture, your total style isn't really victorian, so, this move would not take away from the piece.

if you have more furniture in this line, i'd do the same for the other pieces as well.

it seems you have a bit of an eclectic look going on in which case, painting the wood would only enhance the setting. .

I would recover the pillows with fresh, small print material/pillow cases. If you want a whole couch change, get a sheet that you love, and tuck into the back and seats.

I visited the Fulton victorian mansion in Rockport, Texas and their similar furniture was slipcoverEd in white Muslin for the summer.

There is no way I'd paint over that beautiful wood trim. I agree with most of the other ideas people gave you about using sheets and pillows to cover your sofa and using a few accent colors here and there in your room as well as on the throw pillows you use on your sofa. If you don't want to cover it up with pretty throw blankets, sheets, pillows, etc. then maybe it's time to either move it to another room and replace it with something lighter and plainer or sell it to someone who loves it just the way it is!

I lightened a sofa with a queen-sized quilt. The backing on the quilt was white, and the size made it easy to "arrange".

I agree. DO NOT paint that beautiful wood. Use throws, pillows instead. Add light colored accessories in the rest of the room.

I like most of the other ideas also and here is another to think about. Purchase a queen or king size floral print bedspread or sheet. Throw it over the piece and tuck in the excess. Then either buy single color throw pillows or ones that match the bedspread to accent. If you have a window in this room get some sheer material to make curtains. Make sure to pick a color from the bedspread/sheet. This will lighten up your room

I have that same exact sofa! try this, buy cotton batting from the dry goods store/fabric store. But enough to cover the whole sofa and pillows. Simply wrap the sofa and pillows in the batting and secure batting with T pins you can buy these at Sallys beauty supply. The batting helps to keep the cover material from shifting. Now cover with either a spring sheet set or white material u've bought at Hobby Lobby and cover pillows with same material or try stensiling the pillow covers with fabric paint. bring it all together with a summer color scheme. have fun .

Since you have white kitchen stools why not have white pillows if you sew well, then make covers for the ones you have and line them so nothing shows through you may only want to do the big back ones to create balance. A crochet throw would continue the in a pure white. If you don't want to do pure white on cushions in back how about a rose and white large check fabric? My point is to have a cohesive look with rest of home since this is so old and bulking in style and rest of home,looks up to date. If you you have white then add white throughout the house and you are fortunate to have white because everything goes with it. Spread it around and it will lighten the space. Everyone has their taste and it can be blended if you use same color scheme. Put modern lamp shades on vintage bases. Think outside of the box and stay within what you love and makes you smile. Unless you can have the slip cover made for this piece don't go down that road. You will constantly have to fix it. You don't want this treasure hidden,the detail work on wood is beautiful that's why I suggested just pillows or a professionally made slip cover.

If you check a fabric store you can find wide fabric(not necessarily upholstery fabric) that you can use as a throw. I have a couple of large pieces I use that are a lightweight knit that I interchange on my sofa. They are stretch so you can stretch and tuck and pin them under if you want and they fold pretty small to store when I'm using the other one. That way I can change it up whenever I feel the need for a switch. For your room if you want to brighten up get some yellow...it is always cheery

I like the idea of paining the wood a lighter color. Looking at it, seems that the decorative wood in the front is just decorative. If you could pop that off without hurting it, you could then tuck light colored fabric behind it, and that would secure the arms and look purposeful. Hard for me to tell if you would be able to do that. Pretty sofa. Perhaps you could also reupholster it, paint the wood light. Unless you are trying to do this on a budget.

I would move some of the furniture out, or change the arrangement of the furniture.. Hang white sheers on the windows, maybe paint the walls a light color. Change the color of throw pillows. The sofa is beautiful. I would not cover the wood with paint.

Cogdellbj, painting is fine for kitchen cabinets and new and some vintage furniture but nobody should paint a nice antique piece of furniture. You can't just strip and refinish antique furniture unless it's in bad shape and has to be. A lot of the value in a nice antique is the patina of the finish and once that is stripped off you've lost half of the value of that piece. It's ok if you clean the dirt and grime off but please don't any one destroy a nice antique just because you want to paint it with the current fad color. After all there is only so many true antiques out there that are in good condition and if every one keeps painting them there will be fewer and fewer for every ones kids and grandkids to enjoy! They have already endured numerous fads over the years and like those this insane addition to having every thing white will also pass.

I have the exact couch, loveseat and chaise lounge. Yes in the same colors. I love it year round. You can make white or a lighter color zip off covers for the pillows in the summer if you prefer. I wouldn't paint the wood. It's beautiful just the way it is.

I recently added white/cream accents to all my rooms. Gives them more of a farmhouse, casual look. Even sprayed some of my frames, mirror frames(the inexpensive ones). Used throws, pillow covers, fabric from Joann Fabrics, painted lamp bases, towel racks, clothes trees. It's amazing what a difference it makes.

Why not paint the fabric of the sofa a neutral color and accent with throw pillows and accessories maybe a throw rug as well. For the Windows a bright colored sheets will work beautifully.