What to look for
You should use common sense when choosing furniture as it should last for many years and not be replaced every season.
Each household member can decide for himself whether he wants to decorate the room in a minimalist, Scandinavian, English or modern style. An avant-garde approach to the subject is encouraged, because then one can activate one's creative abilities and be carried away by previously hidden emotions.
When choosing, you should pay attention to the durability of the selected furniture. This is the basic rule of a good investment, and attention is paid to their quality.
Elegant colors and versatility
The key point when making a decision is that the furniture should have elegant colors, it can be uniform or more varied. It's also worth investing in versatility because over time, family members may decide they want to move furniture from one room to another. This way you won't have to buy a new set.
At the same time, versatility has a positive effect on the ability to combine furniture with different design styles. This is very important, because in this case you will not have to change the existing arrangement, but you just need to select furniture of suitable quality for this.
In living rooms, white sliding wardrobes will be a very interesting solution - you can freely place various items in them that should not be visible.
White color is a universal choice; such furniture looks best in living rooms and goes perfectly with them. Of course, nothing prevents you from choosing darker colors. Everything will depend on the individual preferences of the buyer. The most important thing is to follow your own interests and choose comfortable items.
Plan your space
Purchasing furniture is the last stage of the project. At the very beginning, everything must be carefully thought out, planned, measured and, thanks to the range of stores, one must become familiar with the market and the goods available.
The first step should be careful planning of the space. The buyer should measure the size of the room, paying attention to obstacles such as slopes, doors and windows, a radiator or fireplace, which make planning the area difficult.
It is also worth planning the space in terms of utility. You should not make mistakes that will interfere with the free use of objects, restrict movement or spoil the final effect (for example, a TV or computer away from the user, or a chair next to a heater).
Careful consideration of the space will avoid many unpleasant surprises associated with incorrectly sized furniture, problems with opening the door, etc.
The best solution seems to be to sketch out the room plan on a piece of paper and put the furniture arrangement on it. It is best to decorate a room using correct proportions, decorating the room and furniture in a reduced size.
What should be in the living room?
The living room assumes the presence of a soft, comfortable sofa, on which it will be comfortable not only to sit, but also to lie down. Depending on the size of the room, the sofa can be large or modular; this is most suitable for a small room.
A shelf or chest of drawers should also take its place in the living room. As a rule, the necessary things are placed in closed shelves; decor, photos, and dishes are placed on open shelves.
TV is an integral part of this space. You should also allocate a special shelf for it.
However, recently this solution has become quite convenient - hang the TV on the wall, thus not taking up space with the cabinet.
A small table in the living room will not be a hindrance; on the contrary, you can put magazines on it or place a cup of coffee. The table can be rolled out or built into the armrest of the sofa. In the second case, it will be more convenient, since it does not need to take up extra space.
Modern living room furniture is created taking into account all requirements; it is recognized to be functional and laconic.
Furniture set – what is it?
Living room sets (modular living room furniture) is a general name used to refer to a set of furniture belonging to the same series - similar in appearance, intended to be purchased together and placed next to each other.
The furniture included in the set can be connected to each other (for example, by a wall) or represent separate objects, in different configurations and at different distances.
Country
The interior of a living room in a country style is similar to the Provence style and is suitable for the design of a country house. The emphasis is on natural materials in decoration and furniture. The rustic-style living room features crocheted runners, fresh wildflowers, rare furniture, and a fireplace.
In the photo, natural stone masonry on a milky accent wall to match the sofa looks harmonious in the living room interior.
Chalet
A chalet-style living room is created using eco-friendly materials, wooden furniture, a fireplace, simple wall decoration, and rare accessories.
American style
An American-style living room is about mixing styles while maintaining functionality. Light and spacious spaces are preserved here, so this interior design is only suitable for a private home. Niches in the wall, natural colors and the combination of several zones are characteristic of the American style.
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean-style living room features tall and wide windows. For walls use only light-colored plaster; tiles or textured laminate are suitable for the floor. Light walls are diluted with turquoise, blue, and green. Painted plates, amphorae, ceramics, vases with fruit and candles are appropriate in the interior.
Dresser/wardrobe – how to choose?
Each room, especially a small one (for example, in a residential building), should be equipped with an appropriate amount of furniture for storing clothes, toys, shoes, bedding and other items.
When choosing a cabinet, you need to consider which storage system will be best. If you have a lot of shirts or dresses, you will need a wider clothes rail. Other items of clothing can be folded into cubes and placed on a shelf (for example, a sweater). You should also keep in mind the space for your laundry (day and night).
The chest of drawers should have deep, spacious drawers. Their space can always be limited to the appropriate internal compartments. Often chests of drawers have combinations of shelves and drawers.
Furniture for storing clothes should be easy to use, stable and adapted to the size of the room. Each item should have a strictly defined place, which will always ensure order and eliminate the problem of frantically searching for items. It is worth choosing a piece of furniture with a lot of shelves or drawers.
In the case of a small apartment, it is best to choose a spacious closet or chest of drawers, which can also accommodate seasonal clothes - for example, on the top shelf, packed in vacuum bags.
Cabinet furniture in different styles
Today, there are traditional, wooden cabinet furniture sets, as well as modern ones, which are characterized by simple geometric shapes. Supporters of romantic Provençal interiors will also find something for themselves. A wide range of colors, always dominated by fashionable white and black, and many different types of finishes, from matte to glossy, ensure that there is something for everyone. Living room furniture allows you to decorate the interior in one style, which greatly facilitates the entire arrangement process.
Cabinet furniture for the living room pleases with its design; see for yourself by looking at the presented photo gallery.
Bookcase/chest of drawers
Most often they are used for storing (hiding or, conversely, displaying) books, all souvenirs, and trinkets.
Shelves should be well installed and furniture should be stable. Do not forget that a home library can weigh more than one hundred kilograms.
Table
Elements such as a table or desk are likely to see heavy use in a living room. Therefore, you need to choose a piece of furniture that will withstand heavy use.
For a workspace, it’s good to take care at the start of a table pad that protects the workspace, and for dining tables - about pads for plates. This will minimize damage and prolong the beautiful appearance of the furniture.
When purchasing, you need to consider whether the table will serve as a dining table or desk - it must have the correct height, allow you to rest your hands comfortably, and there must be good chairs or upholstered furniture for the living room next to it.
Living room interior materials
Professional designers offer a popular option for arranging a living room today - zoning the room.
It is not necessary to separate zones directly with a wall; you can break up the interior through different wall designs and lighting solutions.
We must not forget that all decorative elements should harmoniously complement each other, uniting the zones into a single whole.
The finishing of the wall surface is primarily responsible for the design of the room. There are many methods of wall treatment:
- Traditional wallpapering. A fashionable original solution is canvases that replicate the texture of wood, reed and similar materials.
- Wall treatment with Venetian plaster. This is an effective way to achieve individual style.
- Wall painting. The most exclusive way, but more financially expensive.
In a small living room, it is beneficial to decorate the walls with non-bright wallpaper without a large pattern, which will visually expand the room.
A living room is a living space in which people spend a lot of time, so the materials for its decoration must be completely safe and environmentally friendly, and not accumulate dust and unnecessary odors.
The best choice for flooring is natural wood (parquet flooring), which perfectly retains heat and gives a decent appearance to the room. It does not require special care.
Also, a good substitute for wood is laminate, which is much cheaper and lasts quite a long time.
But, when using laminate in the dining area, we must not forget that this type of flooring does not tolerate long-term interaction with liquid!
Purchase for many years
It is worth emphasizing once again the basic rule - furniture must be of good quality, carefully made using good materials. In this case, it will last the longest.
Only wooden furniture withstands the aging process well. Any unevenness or abrasions look bad, but they do not cause the top level to peel off or create deep holes as is the case with cheaper furniture, usually made from chipboard.
However, pieces of furniture made from plywood or the boards mentioned also have some advantages - they are lighter (and therefore easier to rearrange) and the prices for such living room furniture are lower than for furniture made from real wood.
Another important point is that furniture should be easy to clean; for example, unpainted pine or chrome surfaces are not cleaned properly.
Choosing where to buy living room furniture is also very important. You should carefully choose a seller.
Laconic minimalism
It would seem that what could be simpler than a living room in a minimalist style? Remove the decor, remove everything unnecessary - and here it is! Ready! However, not everything is as primitive as it might seem at first glance. Not every room without details will look as stylish as a minimalist living room.
What nuances should you pay attention to in living room furniture so that it fully corresponds to the minimalist style, and is not a primitive piece of wood attached to the wall?
1. There should be exactly as much furniture in the set as is actually necessary: there should be no decorative bedside tables, shelves or chairs in the room. Cabinet furniture made from modules is very convenient in this regard, which allows you to independently select the components of the set.
2. Furniture in the minimalist style should be in basic neutral shades:
- White
- Black
- Shades of Gray
- Shades of brown
These colors should not be conspicuous; on the contrary, they are designed to diffuse attention around the room.
3. Clarity of lines and shapes. Even asymmetrical furniture placement should be as geometric as possible.
4. There should be no decor on the furniture! It is advisable to abandon even the accessories, if not completely, then as much as possible.
5. The dominant materials are glass and metal instead of wood, especially for horizontal surfaces (for example, a coffee table).
“Upholstered” furniture in the minimalist style should be as rigid and laconic as possible, without folds, ruffles, etc. The fewer details that the eye can catch on, the better.
In general, it is worth noting the practicality of the minimalist style in terms of cleaning - the fewer “dust collectors” in the room, the easier it is to clean it. However, keep in mind that in such a room any accidentally thrown thing will stand out very much and hurt the eye like a foreign body.
