Living Room Buying Guide

Maybe you’ve moved into your first apartment or condo, and you need furniture for yourself, a roommate and hosting Friday game nights, lazy Saturday TV binge parties, and Sunday-fun-day brunches. Perhaps you’ve taken the plunge and bought your first house—an old home with good bones and plenty of room to add your personality, or a new model with a beautiful open floor plan complete with extra space for living, lounging and entertaining. Possibly you haven’t moved at all, but are simply ready to upgrade your worn and mismatched furniture with some newer pieces that better reflect your personality and that you can sink into…just not as much as the old hand-me-down sofa that currently resides in your living room. Maybe you want to work with what you have, and need a better living room furniture layout, as well as a few accent pieces and decor.

A new house or a remodel can mean a lot of new furniture, and a lot of expense. If it’s overwhelming, it can be helpful to take it one step at a time. Think about the pieces that will make the biggest impact in your life, and prioritize those. For many of us, it’s the furniture in our living room that stars in our personal home shows. The sofa we plop onto after a long day of work. The power recline couch or chair where we relax in personalized comfort with a favorite book or TV show. The chair where our friends sit with a full glass of wine for an evening chat session. The entertainment center that houses our prime viewing electronics.

Choosing the right living room furniture will probably be one of your most important design decisions. These pieces dress the space that we spend much of our time in, both relaxing by ourselves and hosting our friends and family. They also represent one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your home, so it’s important that the pieces are comfortable, stylish and that they complement the design of your living space.

The tips in this furniture design guide can help you navigate the myriad options available to you, and help you decide which ones are right for your home.

The Place

When first considering new living room furniture, it can help to take a look around you. Consider whether you are working with any design challenges or restrictions, such as requiring small living room furniture for a compact space? First off, you should choose a sofa that’s going to fit in your doorway and fit well in the space that you have available. Some of it’s obvious. A small sofa works best in a small living room, so it doesn’t look cramped. If the space is really tight, a loveseat paired with a small accent chair may be just the right fit. However, a small sofa in a large space can look lost and out of place. For a larger room, you will likely choose a larger sofa paired with a loveseat or a sectional.

An average sofa may measure about 87- or 88-inches long. However, there are a wide range of sofa lengths available. For a smaller living room, choose a shorter sofa, with a length in the upper 70s; or you may choose a large loveseat from large scale upholstery groups that will still be a few inches shorter. For a large space, you can stretch out on a sofa up to 96-inches or even longer.

When choosing living room furniture, you should go beyond the actual measurements of your room and also consider the layout of the space. In particular, you need to be aware of the differences between traditional living rooms and open concept floor plans, and how they may impact what type of furniture works best in your space.

• Traditional living rooms are almost completely closed in by walls. Because of this, the rooms may feel smaller, so you might choose to go with smaller scale furniture and other furniture and décor choices in order to offset that. One advantage of traditional living rooms is that the furniture in that room stands on its own, so you don’t have to worry about clashing with anything in nearby rooms.
• Open concept floor plans offer a more spacious feeling. Since you don’t have to worry about feeling crowded, you may choose to go with large overstuffed pieces, or items like sectional sofas, which take up more space. You will have to be careful, though, about keeping all of the room’s furnishings in harmony the other areas which flow around your living room. Dining areas, foyers, and even hallways will often need to complement each other.

When choosing the ideal sofa size for your living room, don’t forget about the depth of the sofa, which will affect how large it looks in a space. An average depth is around 38-inches, while overstuffed and larger sofas are available if you have the space and like the look of these larger pieces.

The Pieces

We love mixed and matched but mismatched is definitely a no-go! Make sure your living room furniture meshes by first considering all the pieces that you’ll need. This is also important when budgeting for your room, and it will help you decide how much you can spend on each piece.

1. Sofa, Sectional and Loveseat – most likely these main seating pieces will take up the most space and the largest portion of your budget. Make them count by choosing a sectional, sofa and/or loveseat that you’ll love for years to come. One way to do this is to stick with neutral fabric or leather, such as black, brown or a beautiful distressed leather look, that never goes out of style. You can still dress up pieces with pillows and throws, but neutral upholstery will outlive different wall colors, updated artwork and even more major changes like new flooring. For extra comfort, you may want to consider a reclining sofa, sectional or loveseat with heavy duty mechanisms or a power reclining sofa that can provide you with the perfect recline and support at the push of a button or two.
2. Accent Seating – complete your conversation area by adding an accent chair or a set of chairs if you have the inhabitants to fill them and the space to put them. Here’s where your personality can shine through. Don’t be afraid to choose an accent chair in a bold color or a favorite print that will help bring your living room design to the next level. A modern swivel chair with a bold geometric print. A traditional floral arm chair. A casual oversized accent chair in a plaid print. You can even choose a glider or chaise lounge to help complete your room and rest your weary feet.
3. Recliners – if your living room falls on the casual end and R&R is your priority, then a power recliner or two may be on your living room furniture list. Choose from traditional to modern looks, many leather power recliner options, and all the bells and whistles, including lumbar support and power headrests.
4. Entertainment Center – if you plan to watch TV and listen to music, you’ll want to include an entertainment center or media console on your list. Make sure it suits your style, your space and your electronics. You can select from traditional to rustic designs and a wide range of sizes as well.
5. Occasional and Coffee Tables - you have the main pieces, but your space is still missing something. Occasional tables, including coffee tables, end tables, accent tables, sofa tables and side tables, can fill the gaps in your living room design, help give your room a completed look and, of course, provide a spot to set your favorite beverage and snacks. Try adding a new element to your room design with coffee and accent tables that feature a combination of materials, such as wood, glass and metal. It’s instant visual interest and function in one!

The Design Considerations

You’ve considered the layout of your room, and you know the key pieces that are found in most living rooms. However, there are still so many options. Here’s a few tips to help you narrow down what’s right for your space, and make sure you don’t overlook something that’s important in your life.

• Consider the purpose of your living room. And prioritize accordingly. Will your living space be used mostly for conversation, watching TV, playing games or all of the above? If it’s a room for chit-chat, focus on the pieces that make up your conversation area. If you plan to use your living room to catch up on your shows and cheer on your team, a nice power reclining sofa or chair and a fabulous entertainment center may be the first pieces you choose.
• Start with your favorite piece of furniture, then choose other pieces to accent it. Most people start with the sofa, as it is often the largest and most expensive item in the room. But this is certainly not written in stone. If you’ve fallen in love with a picture or entertainment center, then just choose the rest of your furnishings and décor to complement your favorite piece.
• Remember the needs of everyone using the room, including kids and pets. If you have pets, you may want to consider performance fabrics, which are best for handling stains and animal hair. Kids bring many additional considerations into the room. You’ll want soft edges, durable furniture, less breakable materials and easy to clean pieces.
• Consider leather furniture. Leather offers a timeless look, but leather sectionals, sofas, loveseats and chairs are available in a wide range of designs. Choose from beautiful traditional looks, sleek modern looks, and casual and rustic options. Leather and leather-like options are available in a wide range of price points, and a good leather piece will last for years to come.
• Take advantage of natural focal points. A built-in fireplace, beautiful architectural elements such as an arch, or a gorgeous view all make good focal points. If at all possible, you should try to arrange your living room so that the eye is drawn to the focal point as soon as you enter the space.
• Sofas and arm chairs don’t have to be your only seating. If you plan on entertaining, think of incorporating pieces that can be used for extra bodies. A storage ottoman can serve as extra seating, benches can be both fashionable and functional, and poufs and even large pillows are versatile pieces that can be tucked away and pulled out as needed. A bar or sofa table can also be used for entertaining, and bar stools are easy to move around the room as needed.
• Lighting can make or break a room. Overhead lighting can feel cold. Make use of table and floor lamps to visually warm up your space. You can even be strategic in your placement to accent favorite pieces in your room. Also consider the style of the pieces yourself, choosing from old-style to contemporary lamps.

This guide can provide ideas and considerations for choosing your living room furniture. However, there is actually a lot of leeway in choosing the furnishings you love best for your living room, and that will work with your space, budget and needs. For instance, you might choose to use a daybed, futon or klik-klak in place of a couch, providing a versatile spot to relax during the day, and a place for guests to rest during the night. A movie buff may choose cinema seating for their living room instead of a typical chat area; and a gamer may similarly focus on comfortable seating. A collector may choose a curio cabinet or china to display their favorite tchotchkes; and a book lover may make extra room for bookshelves and more bookshelves. No matter your style, make room for the things you love as well as the living room furniture that you can use to enjoy them!