6 Style Guidelines to Pick Out Living Room Furniture

A living room is the heart of your home, it is where memories are made and where you spend time together with family and welcome other loved ones into your home. Having the right furniture makes all the difference in whether or not your living room is a place you look forward to spending time in and can reflect the sort of warm, welcoming feeling that you want others to experience in your home.

1. Find a few key pieces that you love

If you’ve just moved into your first home, are starting over after a big move, or are simply looking to reinvigorate a room that is starting to look tired- start with one item that inspires you. Although it is important that the components of a room work together to complement one another, if you start with a piece you absolutely love, the rest of the room will unfold organically. This could be a really dramatic armchair, a gorgeous woven rug, or even a striking modern coffee table, find living room furniture that speaks to you and go from there.

2. Create a focal point

Every living room should have a clear focal point that immediately captures the attention of anyone walking into the room. Part of creating an impactful focal point is not being shy about placing furniture in the middle of the room. Area rugs can help ground pieces that are placed away from the wall and give the entire room a much more comfortable feeling.

3. Focus on the living part

Although you want your room to be aesthetically beautiful also, it is ultimately about making it a space that people feel comfortable spending time in. If you create a room that makes a visual impact but isn’t functional and versatile, it is not going to get used in a way you want it to. Thinking about the details of the items you are placing in your room- are the pillows actually comfortable to sit on? If the fabric of the couch soft and warm to the touch?

4. Don’t underestimate the importance of storage

Another necessary element of making your space livable is to create maximum storage that allows you put things out of the way. Look for ottomans and coffee tables that offer creative storage solutions. These portable surfaces also lend the room a more congenial atmosphere and making socializing easier. You want to make sure that no matter where you are in a room, you are never very far away from a surface where you can set down a book, drink, or tray.

5. Showcase your belongings

In addition to storage that takes care of things we may want out of sight, it is also important to have space where we can show off things we are proud of and want to be reminded of. Whether you are showcasing a collection from your travels or photographs of loved ones, no living room is complete without a beautiful shelving unit to hold your cherished keepsakes.

6. Give yourself room to play around

One of the best tips you can take when it comes to selecting furniture that you won’t grow tired of, is to invest in movable seating. When someone is new to home decorating, their instinct can be to lining furniture against the walls and leaving the floor space open. Unfortunately, this usually has the opposite of the desired effect. It makes the room look cold and isn’t conducive to conversation or drawing closer for a chat. Swivel chairs, stools and benches are all great ways to avoid creating this problem in your room. Movable pieces will give your space versatility and help facilitate conversation.