Why does furniture fabric look a different colour at home than in a photo?

Prepared by Denora.

A brown fabric may look greyer in a photograph and warmer in the room in the evening. Lighting, surface texture, camera settings and the screen all shape the shade we see. The same fabric can therefore look different under different conditions.

Why does lighting change the impression of colour?

We perceive fabric colour through the light reflected from its surface. When the lighting changes, the shade we see changes too. Greyish upholstery may look browner under a warm lamp and cooler beside a window.

A lamp's colour rendering also affects the visible shade. Even two lamps with similarly warm light can show the same fabric differently. The amount and direction of light also differ beside a window and farther inside the room.

Several light sources are often mixed in a room. Daylight illuminates the fabric near a window, while a switched-on lamp may affect the part farther away. Our eyes also adapt to the surrounding light, so a camera image does not always match how we perceive the same place while standing in the room.

What changes between day and evening?

During the day, the amount and direction of light depend on the window, weather and position of the sun. In the evening, the selected light fittings and their location matter more. Different shadows appear on the furniture surface, and the texture may become more or less pronounced.

Furniture colour can differ noticeably between daylight and evening light. During the day, the part beside a window is lit from outside. In the evening, the light and dark areas created by lamps become more prominent. The fabric remains the same; its lighting changes.

Why does velvet change shade when viewed from the side?

Velvet has a soft piled surface. The direction of the pile and the viewing angle affect how the surface reflects light. One area may therefore look lighter and another darker even though the fabric is the same colour.

This explains why velvet changes shade when you turn it or brush its surface. The pile tilts and reflects light differently. Fabric that has faded over time changes its actual colour, while a lightness difference created by the pile changes with its direction and the viewing angle.

How much do the camera and screen matter?

A camera's white balance adjusts image colours to the lighting. Changing this setting can make the same frame look warmer or cooler. Image brightness, contrast and later processing also change the visible result.

Screen brightness, colour settings and ambient lighting affect the photograph you see. A warmer display mode on a phone adds a more yellow tone to the entire image. The furniture, wall and white bed linen all look warmer together.

Warm and cool light already influence colours while a photograph is being taken because the lighting changes the light reflected by the real fabric. A phone's warmer display mode then changes how the finished image is shown. The two effects can combine, making an evening photograph on a warm screen look even more yellow.

What does a furniture photograph actually show?

A photograph shows shape, proportions, texture and the overall combination in the room. The recorded shade corresponds to the lighting used for the photograph, while display settings add another influence on a screen. A real fabric sample lets you see the colour in the room for which the furniture is intended.

Upholstered beds have large fabric-covered surfaces that clearly reveal light direction and texture. The first photograph shows our bed in green ribbed velvet, while the effect of velvet pile is explained later using a separate textile sample.

A sample of the specific fabric helps you compare the upholstery with the wall colour, curtains and bed linen. During the day it reveals the effect of window light; in the evening, the shade created by the selected light fitting. More room combinations are available on the bedroom ideas page.