How to Choose Furniture for a Modern Living Room – Ideas

In any home, the living room is the center of concentration for the whole family, a place for relaxation, receiving guests, gathering with friends or secluded evenings with a book. And for all the options for your pastime, a multifunctional room should be ready. And furnishing the living room with upholstered furniture in this case becomes a paramount task for the owners of an apartment or a private house. As a rule, decorating the living room, finishing and thinking over the decor, we roughly imagine what the furniture of the room should be, including the soft zone. But sometimes the furniture is purchased in the already finished living room interior. Depending on the situation and the possibility of choice, the owners of the room will have different.

What you need to consider when choosing upholstered furniture for the living room:

• how many people permanently live in a household or apartment (this will determine not only the number and capacity of furniture, but also the choice of models, modification options);
• how intensively the furniture will be used (a living room in a city apartment where a family permanently resides or a common room in a country house where a family is only in summer – require a different approach when assessing a successful choice of furniture);
• how household members usually spend time in the common room – watching TV or talking with the family, reading alone or playing board games together (this will determine not only the number and arrangement of furniture, but also the choice of models);
• whether the upholstered furniture in the living room will be used as a bed all the time, during the overnight stay of guests or in the household there are separate guest rooms, and the furniture will be used exclusively for sitting (this will determine the choice of material and frame design, the presence of sliding mechanisms);
• are there small children and pets in the house (in this case, special attention will be paid to the choice of upholstery material and the possibility of surface care);
• whether the living room is a separate space or is connected to other functional segments of the home (dining room, kitchen, study or library);
• the dimensions of the room itself, the number of windows and doorways, the presence of a fireplace and other structures that affect the location of furniture and the amount of free space;
• stylistic, color and texture solutions adopted when decorating the living room.

The choice of upholstered furniture is a pleasant finishing touch in the complex of renovation work and room decoration. But this process is just as interesting as it is responsible. The assortment of upholstered furniture these days can confuse even homeowners, who quite clearly imagine the appearance and characteristics of a future purchase, and what can we say about buyers who are going to make a choice according to the principle «like – not like». Before you go shopping, get inspired by design ideas and useful observations presented in an extensive photo selection of upholstered furniture variations for the living room or hall.

If your living room combines several functional segments in one spacious room, then it would be logical to assume that the living room area will be distinguished mainly by furniture. Until recently, our compatriots did not envision any other option for the location of the main piece of upholstered furniture in the living room – a sofa, in any other place, except at one of the walls of the room. While in foreign design projects, the installation of a sofa against the wall was found mainly in rooms that could not boast of a large square. In such rooms, the arrangement of the furniture was supposed to save as much of the usable space as possible. But if we are talking about a spacious room, in which, in addition to the living room, the kitchen and the dining room are located, in this case, the furniture acts as a zoning element, outlining the conditional boundaries of the recreation area.

A great opportunity not only to define the boundaries of the living room within a multifunctional space, but also to provide a large number of comfortable seating places – installing a corner sofa in an open-plan room.

Sometimes areas such as an office or library are located within the living room. It happens that a creative workshop of one of the family members is located in the common room. In this case, upholstered furniture also performs several functions, one of which is to mark the invisible boundaries of the recreation area..

Depending on the stylistic direction and the chosen color scheme of the living room, the choice of shades for the execution of upholstered furniture is carried out. But each homeowner decides for himself – whether he wants to highlight the recreation area by installing bright or contrasting furnishings or opt for neutral colors that match the overall mood of the interior..

Furniture upholstered in various shades of gray will be relevant for a long time and will harmoniously fit into almost any interior. You will not need to purchase new pieces of furniture or change the upholstery if you decide to change the style and image of the living room by changing the decoration and decoration. No wonder gray is considered the most neutral of the entire palette of colors..

Different shades of beige have almost the same universal properties from the point of view of combinatorics with the color palette of finishing and decor of the room. Light beige harmoniously integrates into many stylistic directions when decorating a living room.

White will always be on the list of favorites for homeowners and designers, no matter what color scheme they choose – from finishes to furnishings and decor. Snow-white furniture not only visually seems larger than its size, but also creates a certain holiday mood, high spirits. In addition, a room with light furnishings looks light, clean and even airy..

To create a truly snow-white image, you can use not only the white tones of the room decoration, but also a similar palette for the execution of upholstered furniture. In this image of the living room, the furniture seems to dissolve, becoming an integral part of the snow-white idyll.

In the living room, decorated in light colors, bright furniture will not only look accent, it will become the focal center around which the entire design concept will be built. A colorful shade of upholstery or even a colorful pattern in just one piece of upholstered furniture brings a festive mood to the interior, increasing its degree and uniqueness of design.

Sometimes one piece of upholstered furniture with a really colorful color of the upholstery is enough for even a room with the most neutral upholstery to appear in a completely new image. Against the background of the snow-white decoration of the living room, a bright sofa in the English style looks luxurious, becoming not just the focal center of the room, but also the main highlight of the interior.

The spacious living room with light finishes lacks vibrant contrasts. It is precisely such accent spots against the background of a neutral color scheme that upholstered furniture can become. For a more harmonious environment, it will not be superfluous to repeat the colorful shades of furniture upholstery in decor items or living room accessories.

The range of upholstery options used by upholstered furniture manufacturers is truly wide. But among the many options, the most popular ones can be distinguished:

• textiles – jacquard, velor, split, flock, tapestry, linen mixed with synthetic threads;
• leather;
• synthetic analogues of leather coverings;
• furniture fur with different pile lengths

Leather upholstery gives the furniture a special chic, bringing a little brutality to the interior of the room. At the same time, the leather upholstery is incredibly practical – it is easy to care for it, and with proper use it will last for many years. But, obviously, this kind of upholstery will cost a lot..

Artificial analogues of leather upholstery are several times cheaper than natural material, but at the same time they can look quite respectable. Your furniture upholstered with artificial material may look identical to expensive models, provided that the quality of the raw materials and the type of stitching are of a high level. But it is important to remember that artificial counterparts have poor air permeability, in other words, they are practically «don’t breathe», in hot weather, sitting on such surfaces will be uncomfortable. And the lifespan of synthetic leather analogs is definitely shorter than natural material.

Velor upholstery with different pile lengths adds softness and a feeling of warmth and comfort not only to the piece of furniture itself, but also to the entire decor of the room. Such upholstery can be harmoniously integrated into the interior of various stylistic directions, it all depends on the design of the furniture and the color scheme of the model..

Spacious living rooms with an abundance of natural light and crisp white finishes on virtually all surfaces often create a slightly cool atmosphere in which there is a lack of warmth in the atmosphere. You can add coziness not only with a fire in the fireplace (if there is one), but also with a long pile carpet or upholstered furniture upholstered in short-cropped faux fur. On such a comfortable, roomy and warm sofa, you will definitely not be cold. Such upholstery is easy to care for – just vacuum the surfaces once a week with a special nozzle for a vacuum cleaner.

It’s hard to argue that the sofa occupies a special place in the interior of almost every living room. Often it is the sofa that becomes the only piece of upholstered furniture in the common room recreation area. As a rule, in such cases, homeowners opt for corner modification models. Such pieces of furniture are not only roomy, but very often they can be folded into sleeping places, and their internal spaces can serve as storage systems for bed linen and additional bedspreads.

You can often find modular sofa designs, including corner modifications. With the help of separate blocks, you can not only transform the roomy area for seating guests into a sleeping place, but also easily refresh the living room atmosphere by rearranging the soft and practical modules.

The sofa becomes the focal point of the living room, even with the most neutral upholstery range, in case that color is no longer repeated in the decoration or furnishing of the room. Against the background of a light finish, a dark sofa looks very impressive, contrasting. The situation is similar with the so-called color temperature – if the sofa is presented in a cool palette of tones, and the decoration of the room is warm, then the image of the room will turn out to be interesting, rich, unique.

Depending on how your family is used to spending time in the living room, you can conditionally distinguish two types of layout of the recreation area. With a closed scheme, upholstered furniture is located around a certain island – a coffee table or a large pouf, which is capable of performing the functions of both a seat and a stand. As a result of this arrangement of pieces of furniture in the recreation area, it will be convenient for everyone sitting to communicate, play games or have small tea parties in the living room..

When placing upholstered furniture around the island, it is possible to use a central element, which itself is partly a piece of upholstered furniture. A table-pouf with soft upholstery can serve as a stand and act as a seating place if there are many guests in the room, a party or a reception is taking place.

With an open layout, upholstered furniture is most often located along the walls, usually opposite the video zone. If the living room is most often used as a home theater, or the room is simply not large enough, an open layout will be a good option, and sometimes the only option..

Of course, the stylistic decisions made by you or your designer to decorate the living room leave an imprint on the variations of furniture that will make up the soft area of ​​the room. The harmonious integration of furniture into the existing design of the room leads to the creation of an attractive appearance and an ergonomic image of the living room in terms of use. There is a considerable number of models of upholstered furniture that will be relevant in various stylistic directions, chosen for the design of the common room. Strict forms, a minimum of decor, a neutral color palette are the key to success for homeowners who do not want to take risks or have determined the role of accents for other interior items.

But there are many limitations when choosing upholstered furniture when decorating living rooms in various stylistic directions. For example, a simple sofa in a minimalist style will look out of place in a classic interior, while an intricately decorated piece of upholstered furniture with baroque curved legs and carved details will resonate in a common room decorated in a rustic country style..

The minimalist furnishing of the living room assumes a strict and laconic execution of upholstered furniture. Convenience and comfort come to the fore when choosing pieces of furniture for a recreation area in such rooms, leaving behind even a hint of decoration. Simple, even inconspicuous color schemes are ideal for a bright living room palette, made in a modern interpretation of the minimalism style.

Contemporary style involves a small amount of furniture with an original selection of models. These can be modern designer armchairs in an ensemble with a restored sofa, produced in the last century. Unusual models with an original approach to the design or choice of material, color and texture of the upholstery, but inevitably functional, easy to use and in terms of maintenance.

For a living room in a marine style, furniture in light colors is usually chosen. Large comfortable sofas and roomy armchairs in neutral shades (and most often white) are decorated with pillows with a pronounced nautical theme or a slight hint of aqua or blue sky over the water surface.

For the loft style, designers most often advise using upholstered furniture with leather upholstery (natural or artificial is not so important, it all depends on your financial capabilities). The slightly brutal appearance of furniture with leather upholstery fits most harmoniously into the atmosphere of an industrial character.

For a classic interior, not only luxurious furnishings with baroque elements – curved legs and abundant decor can be suitable. Traditional sofas and armchairs with simple and austere shapes will harmoniously look in a modern living room, creating a neoclassical look.

In the Scandinavian style, everything is simple and concise, and upholstered furniture is no exception. Strict forms, neutral upholstery colors – everything is subordinated to maximum convenience and comfort, the decor fades into the background. Very rarely, upholstered furniture appears as a bright accent; small elements of the interior are more suitable for this – sofa cushions, a small rug, lighting fixtures or additional miniature furniture like table-stands.

It is not easy possible, but also unique, interesting, but at the same time practical. If your living room does not need an extra bed, if you would like to have more free space and not clutter up a small room with heavy furniture, if you prefer spacious armchairs or light couches, ottomans, then you can do without a traditional piece of upholstered furniture – sofa.

If the living room cannot boast of a large square, you can try using a small sofa-couch or a sofa, a modest ottoman instead of a traditional sofa. Compact pieces of furniture will add lightness to the interior. But at the same time, they will provide households with places to sit. Of course, this option is only suitable for those who do not plan to use the living room as a sleeping room, even in extreme cases..