Choosing furniture for the living room: 11 key points

12.11.2019

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The living room is the heart of every apartment, a place in which both owners and guests should feel comfortable and cozy. Maximum comfort of this room can only be achieved if the furnishings are thought out to the smallest detail. The choice of furniture for the living room will be a fundamental point in creating a cozy room, to which you need to pay all your attention.

No. 1. Deciding on functionality

Before you start choosing furniture, you need to clearly answer the question of what functions your living room will perform, what priority tasks it will have. So, this could be a room intended exclusively for family gatherings , watching movies , conversations, etc., it could be a room in which holidays, banquets and celebrations , or a room where your family will often visit friends, neighbors and relatives to just relax and talk . In some apartments and houses, the living room can also serve as a dining room and even a bedroom , or combine several of these tasks. In all these cases, the approach to choosing furniture may be slightly different, which must be taken into account. It depends on this, for example, whether it will be necessary to provide some kind of trick for the correct zoning of the room, whether a dining table and other details will be needed.

Books

A good library will never be out of place in the living room of a creative person. Books will highlight your deep inner world and desire to understand the universe and yourself. The placement of these treasures depends on the style in which the living room is decorated and on your imagination.

Photo: elledecor.com

Open shelves will make using the library more convenient and display dozens of old volumes in all their splendor. True, you will have to wipe the dust more often and take care that the bright rays of the sun do not fall on the book covers.

Photo: amara.com

No. 2. Correct color

The choice of color design for the living room depends solely on the taste of each of us, but when making your choice, it is better to build on the advice accumulated by professionals. So, if you are the owner of a small living room, then it is better to give preference to light colors , which can visually expand the room a little and blur its boundaries: light furniture against the background of light walls creates a single space. If the living room is spacious enough, then you can use any shades, even dark and rich ones .

warm shades are used : orange, pink, yellow, peach, etc. This room is ideal for gatherings with your closest people. If the living room for you is a place of rest and relaxation, then you can use cold shades : light blue, light green, grayish and others.

If the living room combines several zones at once , then different colors can be used not only in the decoration, but also in the furniture, but it must still belong to the same style.

Flower

There's no need to turn your living room into a greenhouse, even if you're an avid plant lover. But one large flower should decorate the interior and fill the empty space in one of the corners that you don’t want to take up with decor.

Photo: elledecor.com

Be sure to leave access to the plant to spray and water it regularly. As a rule, the air in the living room is dry, which has a detrimental effect on flowers, not to mention your well-being. Carefully monitor the condition of the plant’s leaves - such a “live indicator” will promptly signal you about the need to humidify the air.

Photo: theeverygirl.com

No. 3. Style

You should immediately decide on the chosen style of the living room, since this largely determines what furniture you will need to buy. It's no secret that classic and modern differ in completely different approaches to the choice of furniture, materials for its execution, various decorative techniques, etc. Here you should start from your own preferences: some people are more impressed by the baroque style interior, some are more impressed by Provence, and some are generally delighted with boho. If you do not hire a professional designer, but rely on your own strength, then before choosing each piece of furniture it is better to carefully study the basics of the chosen direction, familiarize yourself with photos, expert advice, etc.

Although it is stupid to advise something when choosing a style, it is still better for owners of small living rooms to pay attention to minimalism, hi-tech or modern - interior styles that use the minimum amount of furniture sufficient for the full functionality of the room. Modest pieces of furniture, devoid of excessive decor, do not take up much space and do not clutter up the space.

What is meant by the phrase “stylish furniture”

If you don’t delve into the theory, then this phrase should be understood, first of all, as furnishings created in accordance with some design trends. They can be presented as an organic part, for example, of one of the modern interior trends. Therefore, in order to choose the right furniture, you need to understand what characteristics a particular design style has.

Today, when creating stylish interior items, designers practice mixing elements of different styles. Such pieces of furniture look very impressive. However, it is worth remembering that when resorting to this method, it is necessary to take into account many nuances.

No. 4. We take into account the sizes

The first thing you need to do before going to the store for new furniture is to measure the parameters of the room . A sofa or table that is too bulky, even if it fits, will take up a lot of useful space, and such things are not always appropriate. You need to arm yourself not only with a ruler or tape measure, but also with common sense, and think again about what purposes the living room will be used for, and how many people will be there at the same time , which is necessary for the correct calculation of seats. This is very important so that in the end the space is harmonious and the room is comfortable: you must agree, it’s not very good if the living room does not accommodate all your guests, or, on the contrary, there will be too much furniture in it that will be empty, thereby taking up free space .

So, when you have thought through all these details, it is worth deciding on the size of the sofa, table, table, etc., but at the same time correlate them with the parameters of the room. Perhaps you should choose not the hugest sofa, but simply arrange additional seats: armchairs, ottomans, folding chairs, and instead of a rectangular table, choose an oval one.

Glossy vs matte: which façade of a furniture set is better

All furniture, whether cabinet or modular, has a matte or glossy finish. The overall appearance of the room will depend on what type the homeowner chooses. In addition, with the right coating, pieces of furniture can be tied to a specific style.

As for the glossy option, this is the best choice for small rooms, since such a surface reflects light well, making the space visually larger. However, this only applies to high-quality gloss, which, due to light reflection, can hide damage in the form of scratches and accumulated dust.

In order to create a glossy surface, materials of different properties and costs are used. The most common is PVC film, which is applied to MDF facades using vacuum technology. This material is easy to clean and comes in a variety of patterns. Facades with film are often milled. However, this coating also has a disadvantage, which is that when the temperature changes, the film can peel off from the base.

A glossy surface can also be achieved by painting furniture facades followed by varnishing. To do this, first a primer is made, then the main color is applied and finally everything is covered with several layers of glossy varnish. After the product has dried, it is sanded and polished to a shiny state. In order to achieve even greater gloss, the facades are coated with wax.

It is worth considering that such a labor-intensive process of obtaining facades is reflected in the cost of the finished product. However, the costs are fully offset by the benefits of coverage. These include high-quality gloss and individual choice of color. Another undoubted advantage is environmental safety, as well as resistance to moisture and temperature changes. However, such facades also have a disadvantage - it is that when you touch the surface, handprints remain on it.

No less popular is the matte surface of facades. With the right color, furniture can harmoniously fit into both a large and a small room.

For example, furniture made of matte plastic is not afraid of water, retains its color for a long time, and is also quite resistant to mechanical damage. The main disadvantage of a matte surface is that it quickly becomes dirty, and can only be cleaned using special products.

No. 5. Taking into account the shape of the room

The shape of the room is as important as its size, and this parameter should definitely be taken into account when choosing furniture. So, in some rooms the task is to try to save space, while in others, on the contrary, you need to somehow fill it so as not to leave empty spaces. In these cases, the approaches are different, but, surprisingly, a corner sofa is appropriate in any living room: both large and small. You will still have to install at least a double sofa and an armchair, but this entire set can be replaced with one corner sofa, and there will be another seat in the corner, and you won’t have to create a passage. But it is important to find the right place for the corner sofa: if you place it near a short wall, it will constrain the room and make it smaller.

If the living room is very small, then you can choose a sofa without armrests so that you can sit on it from either side. If the living room has a very complex shape, which, unfortunately, is found in many old houses, then instead of a sofa in most cases it is better to choose a set of armchairs .

Living room color scheme

Of course, it is very important to decide on the color of the future guest room. And here it is important not to overdo it. If you don’t know how to choose the color of furniture for the living room and the color of the living room itself, then we will try to cover this issue as fully as possible!

Choose one or maximum two colors as your main color. As a third, it is better to choose white, black, gray or beige. They are neutral, do not draw attention to themselves and serve as an excellent background for the main colors, served as if on a tray. Take a closer look at nature, she always knows everything better than you and I, and the most successful color solutions are hidden around us - you just need to take a closer look! For example, the combination of green and brown is the trees we meet at every step; purple and yellow are the iris, a flower of extraordinary beauty; coral and silver are salmon...

This can go on forever! Another option: you can find a picture that everyone likes on the Internet (and it doesn’t have to be the interior of a room! Let it be morning fog in a small village or a sunset on the sea coast, a flower in a meadow that took your breath away, or a winter forest, frozen in silence) and disassemble it into the primary colors that are present on it. Believe me, it is very interesting and exciting! You can even then frame the picture and hang it in the most visible place.

If your living room will be the epicenter of noisy parties, then it is better to choose bright and warm colors: all shades of yellow and red are perfect. They excite the appetite, tone up and lift your spirits. And if you are relaxing in a quiet family circle, you should choose blue, purple and green - they are great for a comfortable and relaxing holiday.

If you find it difficult to decide how you will spend your evenings, you can choose beige - it is incredibly versatile and will be appropriate anywhere. Then, after completing the renovation work, you will dilute it with bright decorative items and will definitely be satisfied.

We hope that we have helped you understand the question “What color should I choose furniture for the living room?”

No. 6. Selection of upholstered furniture

A set of upholstered furniture is an important and indispensable attribute of every living room. Usually, it is chosen first, so it is important to be extremely careful and buy the set that is right in appearance and function. Upholstered furniture should be fully functional, but at the same time not block the passage or approach to the window; it should fully correspond to the size of the room.

Typically, a set of upholstered furniture consists of a sofa and armchairs, often two armchairs. The sofa can be double or four-seater: when choosing, take into account the parameters of the living room, not forgetting its purpose in your home. By the way, sofas can be designed not only for sitting, but also be able to fold out to form a sleeping place. If the sofa is used at night specifically for this purpose, then it is important to pay attention to models with a high-quality mechanism designed for regular transformation. But don’t overpay if you don’t need such a function, because you can choose a simpler model. Also pay attention to the filling and upholstery material: leather is not suitable everywhere, and jacquard and velor require care, but microfiber is an inexpensive and easy-to-use material, just appropriate in the living room, where the load on the sofa is high.

But the standard set of upholstered furniture is not always appropriate and comfortable, because two armchairs may not fit into the intended interior. Perhaps an option will help you when two armchairs are replaced with one double sofa and placed at right angles to the first sofa. If you put a coffee table in the formed corner, you will get a wonderful place for relaxing, talking and drinking tea.

One of the most interesting options is considered a modular sofa : it consists of several independent parts that can be placed side by side, forming a huge sofa, or you can make a small sofa and several armchairs out of them. In general, there are many options, and such furniture will fit into any living room, and even if you move, you won’t have to say goodbye to your already acquired property: a few transformations, and the interior becomes completely new and at the same time no less functional than before.

In more or less spacious living rooms, you can place a sofa and armchairs in the center of the room . This is a good solution, but it is important that the back of the upholstered furniture looks attractive, so that there are no rough seams, plywood, etc.

For spacious living rooms, simply gigantic sofas with 5 seats or more are suitable. They are, as a rule, corner, but can have two corners, differ in all sorts of additional functions, there are even special sofas for home cinema , which provide folding mechanisms, footrests, food, etc. If you are an extraordinary, eccentric person and like to stand out, then the choice of original sofas is also amazing.

Stylish cabinet furniture for the living room: advantages and models

Stylish living room furniture (with all its original solutions) is a category in which there is room for admirers of different trends to roam. In this room, cabinet models look great, capable of creating original combinations and the most practical unions. They are presented in a wide selection in stores and are divided into numerous types. The living room is always reserved for receiving guests, so it should make a pleasant impression on them. When arranging it, it is necessary to take into account not only the interior of the room, but also the functionality of the objects.

Cabinet furniture consists of rigid parts - back and side walls, forming a solid structure - the body. Products can be moved from place to place, installed as free-standing objects or as part of a furniture set. Such products have their own characteristic features, some of which are both positive and negative.

1. Advantages of cabinet furniture.

It has high levels of functionality, as it allows you to conveniently store a huge number of things.
It can harmoniously fit into the size of even a small room.
The ability to transform allows you to make more variable furniture. A popular example of such a design is a wardrobe bed, which is useful if guests spend the night.
Cabinet furniture has strict shapes and right angles, which makes it possible to create a single, laconic and elegant look in the room.
Cabinet furniture models are thought out to the smallest detail, and this, in turn, contributes to easy, convenient and long-lasting operation. Many designs are equipped with mechanisms that allow you to close the doors easily and smoothly. In a matter of seconds, you can completely change not only the appearance of the product, but also the purpose of folding pieces of furniture in the room.
Case models allow you to create a design in a single style.
Products are made from a wide variety of materials. You can choose the most suitable raw materials in terms of price, quality and design.
Hull designs are versatile. Each element can be used separately. Different interior details do not always depend on each other. Cabinet models can be constantly rearranged, thereby updating the interior and making it fresh.
Cabinet furniture helps to adjust the shape of the room. For example, if the room is elongated, a closet or shelving can create separate comfortable areas.

2. Models of cabinet furniture.

As a rule, standard furniture designs are usually used to furnish the living room. Some of the most popular living room components include the following:

Headset sets.

This type is a pre-thought-out combination of individual furniture components. This feature allows you not to rack your brains over finding suitable and compatible elements - cabinets, racks, cabinets, shelves.

Let's take a closer look at the functions of each element of the headset:

— The closet is designed for storing clothes. It can have a rectangular or square shape, as well as a closed façade. Some sets include a corner cabinet; this design allows you to save money and fill the space profitably, hiding imperfections and unevenness of the walls, ceiling or floor.

— The racks have a front with open shelves. They are used to display souvenirs and other decorative items, to store books, and they can also accommodate lamps, audio and video systems.

— The cabinet is located at the bottom of the headset. Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of bedside tables designed for installing a TV, DVD player or satellite receiver, speaker system, storing books, dishes or cosmetics.

— Shelves are an ideal addition to any furniture set, as they allow you to fill empty space. They come in a wide variety of lengths and widths. On narrow structures it is ideal to place small decorative items - vases, souvenirs, photo frames. Solid ones are suitable for placing small electronics and other devices.

Coffee table.

No stylish living room interior is complete without a coffee table. It quite often acts as a decorative element of the room. Despite its compact size, the coffee table also performs many useful and necessary functions. It is convenient to place things that should always be at hand. This could be magazines, books, a TV remote control, a mobile phone, keys, etc.

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Corner sofa made of solid wood: 5 undeniable advantages of purchasing such furniture
Furniture in light colors: types, features, advantages, photos

No. 7. Wall VS rack

A modern living room cannot do without a wall or a rack, because you need somewhere to store things that have accumulated and are necessary in this room. Previously, the clear option for the living room was the wall : then these were bulky pieces of furniture that greatly cluttered the space. Today, living room walls have become more miniature and sophisticated, but the market has also expanded with shelving . They perform the same functions, are very roomy, but thanks to open shelves and a special design, they do not take up space and do not make the room visually smaller. And if the walls fit well into a classic interior, then the racks have become a distinctive addition to the minimalist interior and living rooms, where they try in every way to save space.

Another great option is modular furniture . This is a set of all kinds of shelves, cabinets and bedside tables, made in the same style, which can be combined as you like, in any order. At the same time, you have the opportunity to create an original and maximally functional interior, adapted exclusively to your family.

The color of the wall or shelving should be coordinated with the overall color scheme of the room, and if the living room does not have a large area, then try to use as many open shelves and transparent glass elements , as well as mirror surfaces.

Floor lamps and lamps

Lighting in the living room is no less important than the furniture and carpet. And it is very important to provide as many light sources as possible here. The main chandelier, ceiling spotlights, floor lamps and lamps, sconces and candles - all this is appropriate and in demand in the living room every day.

Photo: elledecor.com

A tall floor lamp with a curved leg has been at the peak of fashion for several years. Retro models and modern options look equally good in a living room of almost any style.

Photo: livingspaces.com

No. 8. Choosing a coffee table

A coffee table is an important attribute of the living room, which serves not only to place all sorts of small things on it, such as newspapers, magazines, CDs and remote controls, but also becomes necessary when drinking tea, for example. The average height of this piece of furniture is 50 cm, and the size can be completely different, as well as the material used.

For living rooms in a classic style, you can choose a wooden carved table , perhaps even with forged elements.
But for rooms in a modern style , and without extra square meters, it is better to choose another option. So, an oval or round glass table will be just as functional, but at the same time it will seem to dissolve in space. Another good option is a table in the form of a cube , the surface of which is used for its intended purpose, and the volume becomes another storage space. If such a cube is made of translucent plastic, then it is ideal for even the smallest living room.
When space allows , you can choose any coffee table, especially since stores always have many interesting options, often very unusual, that can become a real highlight of any room.

Significance of modern times

Today, residents of many houses buy modern living room furniture for their use.

This category is different for everyone and it is you who determine what furniture is modern. Some people think that the more technology, the better.

But for some, a soft sofa and a beautiful view from the window are important. Everyone's taste preferences are different, and everyone tries to choose modern furniture specifically for them.

Of course, the basic attributes of furniture are always present, but what style and quality they will be is up to each person to decide for himself.

No. 9. Where to put the TV?

A TV is as integral a part of the living room as a sofa or armchairs. It is present in 99% of living rooms, and often it is not hung on the wall, but placed on a cabinet. The stand should match the size of your TV. As for the material and color, you need to start from the chosen style: the cabinet can be glass, wood, chipboard, MDF and other materials. At the same time, it would be nice if there were compartments for storing small items so as not to scatter them around the room, thereby creating a not-so-tidy appearance in the living room. By the way, a very good option is cabinets on wheels: if necessary, they can be moved a little so that the image on the TV is clearly visible to everyone present.

Modular compositions

Modular living room furniture has been very popular for several years. Its compactness and spaciousness pleases customers and serves for many years. Also, such furniture can accommodate many different things.

In addition to clothes in the inner drawers, a TV will fit perfectly into the large connector. You can place books and flowers on the side shelves.

Fantasy plays a big role in the design of modular furniture and you can play with it in a lot of ways.

We recommend reading:

Coffee tables for modern interiors: their shapes and main varieties
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No. 10. Other furniture items

Today there are no clear rules for decorating living rooms, so it is impossible to say exactly which items should be present in a given room and which should not. If you decide to combine the living room with the dining room, then why not, but in this case you will need a dining table . It is better if it is oval or round: the point is not so much that more people will fit behind it, but that it is less dangerous. So, you need to take into account that the living room becomes a place for games and even dancing, and so that neither children nor adults hit the corner of the table, you can choose it without corners. In general, a great option for a living room is a transforming table, which can be folded up when not needed and free up space.

To arrange the dining area, and to create seating, you may need additional chairs and armchairs . When choosing, build on the established style and functionality of specific pieces of furniture. So, chairs can be with or without handles, with or without upholstery. In the latter case, make sure that the edge of the seat is rounded, otherwise it will be impossible to sit on it for a long time due to discomfort. The chairs should be soft and comfortable, but not too deep so that you can get up without effort. Naturally, pay attention to the quality of the upholstery and filling, on which the service life directly depends.

An interesting modern trend is the use of bar counters . They do not take up much space, are very functional and allow you to divide the living room into zones. It is important that the surface of the bar counter is resistant to various types of damage and is durable, and the presence of folding tabletops is an additional bonus. A bar counter often separates the living room from the kitchen and can even become a dining table. If you decide on this option, then you should also purchase special high chairs , the choice of which is simply stunning: there is an option for every taste and for any interior.

Furniture tailored to the living room style

When choosing furniture for the living room, it is important to consider the style of the room so that the overall picture looks harmonious.

If the living room is decorated in a high-tech style, which involves the presence of chrome fittings, an abundance of mirrors, and metal parts, then choose furniture to match. In this case, avoid wooden surfaces; give preference to metal, glass, and mirror elements. Upholstered furniture in bright colors with clear geometric shapes will look great.
The classic style or Provence assumes the presence of carpets, soft coverings, and soothing colors. The furniture for such a living room should be of good quality, armchairs and sofas with high backs, walls and shelving with clear boundaries and lines. Preference is given to natural materials and wood.
When choosing furniture for a living room in a minimalist style, keep in mind that it should have a minimum amount of decor, additional details, and there should be very few furniture elements themselves - only the most necessary and functional.

Living room Adagio

No. 11. Accessories as a necessity

In general, few rooms will look cozy and lived-in if there is no decor, accessories, or decorations. Their size and character are again selected depending on your own preferences and the chosen style, and there are a lot of options. These can be crafts, souvenirs from trips, vases, paintings, photographs, figurines, candles, lanterns, sconces and floor lamps, aquariums, artificial or fresh flowers, etc. An excellent option that combines both functionality and beauty is a mirror. It is especially suitable for miniature living rooms, and the effect is amazing, because in fact you can double the existing space, at least visually.

It is important not to overdo it when decorating the living room: remember that accessories emphasize your taste, your views, hobbies and preferences, and the abundance of all kinds of figures on the shelves, dozens of photos on the walls and cabinets in combination with other accessories will turn the living room into complete chaos and completely ruin all efforts on the choice of furniture.

Paintings, panels or photos

One large canvas or several small ones, a collage of photographs and even thematic posters are an excellent decoration for the walls in the living room. It should be taken into account that such decor looks good on plain walls in a contrasting shade.

Photo: elledecor.com

An interesting art or abstract installation is a great alternative to a photo gallery or painting. The plot is optional. The main thing is to choose a suitable palette and carefully fit the installation into the main colors of the interior.

Photo: elledecor.com