Mixing different colors of upholstery can be a bold move, especially when designing a sofa or armchair. However monochromatic layering, where different shades and tints of one single color are used together on one piece, is a more subtle but equally as stunning approach.

Layer sofa by Branca Lisboa: Marco Sousa Santos of Portuguese brand Branca Lisboa uses graduated tones of Kvadrat’s Hallingdal fabric for his vibrant Layer sofa system.

Sancarlo armchair by Achille Castiglioni, produced by Tacchini: Originally manufactured by Driade and now back in production by Tacchini, the Sancarlo chair by Achille Castiglioni features four upholstered elements. The chair’s bold, graphic design lends itself perfectly to the use of tonal upholstery as shown above.

Apoluna box sofa by Hannes Wettstein for Erik Jørgensen: Precision and comfort combine in this two-tone, high back sofa design by Swiss studio Hannes Wettstein for Danish brand Erik Jørgensen.

Affair by Büro Uwe Fischer for Cor: The Affair sofa by Cor is a flexible seating system made up of just two elements - a stool and backrest. Upholstered using three tones of upholstery, the components can be configured into a number of seating islands, corners, sofas or waiting benches that are held together with magnetic connectors.

Polder Sofa by Hella Jongerius for Vitra: Designed by Hella Jongerius for Vitra in 2005, the patchwork design of the Polder Sofa is inspired by polders - the low-lying tracts of land enclosed by embankments that are found in Jongerius' home country of the Netherlands. The use of tonal upholstery enhances the sofa's elongated horizontal lines, low-lying form, and asymmetry.