Choosing a living room furniture: 11 key points

The living room in the apartment is the place where guests are welcome, where family or friendly gatherings take place, where it is pleasant to relax and watch TV after a hard working week. Such a variety of functions assigned to the living room, make it a lot of requirements. She must be not only stylish and nice looking, since it is a visiting card of the owners of the house, but also functionalto best meet all requirements. In many ways, these components of coziness and comfort depend on how correctly the furniture is selected. And it is on this issue that we should stop and consider it in detail.

No. 1. Determine the functionality

Before proceeding with the choice of furniture, you must clearly answer your question, what are the functions of your living room, what priority tasks it will have. So, it could be a room designed exclusively for family gatherings, watching movies, conversations, etc., it can be a room in which they will often be arranged holidays, banquets and celebrations, or a room where your friends, neighbors and relatives will often drop in to simply relax and talk. In some apartments and houses, the living room can also perform a function dining room and even bedrooms, or combine a few of these tasks. In all these cases, the approach to choosing furniture may differ slightly, which must be taken into account. It depends, for example, on whether it will be necessary to provide for some trick for the correct zoning of the room, whether dinner table and other details.

No. 2. Right color

The choice of color scheme for the living room depends solely on the taste of each of us, but, 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 light tonesthat are visually capable of slightly expanding the room and blurring 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 saturated.

When you want to give the living room coziness and warmth, you go warm shades: orange, pink, yellow, peach, etc. Such a room is ideal for gatherings in the circle of the closest people. If the living room is a place of rest and relaxation for you, then you can use cool shades: light blue, light green, grayish and others.

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

No. 3. Style

Immediately it is worth deciding on the chosen style of the living room, since it largely depends on what furniture you will need to buy. It's no secret that classic and modern differ in completely different approaches to the selection of furniture, materials for its execution, various decorative techniques, etc. Here it is worth starting from your own preferences: someone is more impressed with the Baroque interior, someone is provence, and someone is generally delighted with boho. If you do not hire a professional designer, but rely on your own strengths, then before choosing each piece of furniture it is better to carefully study the basics of the chosen direction, get acquainted with photos, expert advice, etc.

Although it’s silly to advise something when choosing a style, it’s better for owners of small living rooms to pay attention to minimalism, hi-tech or modern - interior styles, which use the minimum of furniture sufficient for the full functionality of the room. Modest, deprived of excessive decor, pieces of furniture do not take up much space and do not litter the space.

Number 4. We take into account the dimensions

The first thing to do before you go to the store for new furniture is measure room parameters. Too bulky sofa or table, even if it fits, it 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 once again think over what 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. It is very important that in the end the space is harmonious, and the room is comfortable: you must admit, it’s not very good if the living room does not accommodate all your guests, or, conversely, 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, you should decide 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 largest sofa, but simply arrange additional places: armchairs, ottomans, folding chairs, and instead of a rectangular table, choose an oval.

No. 5. We take into account the shape of the room

The shape of the room is just as important as its size, and this parameter must be taken into account when choosing furniture. So, in some rooms the task is to try to save space, and in others, on the contrary, you need to fill it up somehow so as not to leave empty spaces. In these cases, the approaches are different, but, surprisingly, the corner sofa is appropriate in any living room: both large and small. All the same, you will have to put at least a double sofa and an armchair, but this whole set can be replaced with one corner sofa, and there is one more seat in the corner, and there is no need to equip the passage. But it’s important to find the right place for the corner sofa: if you put it near a short wall, he will fetter the room and make it smaller.

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

No. 6. The choice of upholstered furniture

A set of upholstered furniture is an important and indispensable attribute of every living room. Usually, he is chosen first of all, so it is important to be extremely careful and buy the kit you need in appearance and functions. Upholstered furniture should be fully functional, but not clutter the passage or approach to the window, it should fully correspond to the size of the room.

Usually, a set of upholstered furniture consists of a sofa and armchairs, often two armchairs. Sofa can be double or quadruple: when choosing, start from the parameters of the living room, not forgetting about its purpose in your home. By the way, sofas can be designed not only for seating, but also be able to fold out, forming a berth. If the sofa is used at night for this, it is important to pay attention to models with a quality mechanismdesigned for regular transformation. But do not overpay if you do not need such a function, because you can choose a simpler model. Also pay attention to filler and upholstery material: skin will fit not everywhere, but 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 heavy.

But the standard equipment of upholstered furniture is not always appropriate and convenient, because two chairs may not fit into the intended interior. Perhaps the option will help you when two chairs are replaced with one double sofa and put it at right angles to the first sofa. If in the educated corner to put coffee table, then you get a wonderful place to relax, talk and have tea.

One of the most interesting options is considered modular sofa: it consists of several independent parts that can be put together to form a huge sofa, and you can make a small sofa and several armchairs out of them. In general, there are many options, and similar furniture will fit into any living room, and in case of moving you will not have to say goodbye to already acquired property: several 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 put 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 and other things.

For spacious living rooms giant sofas for 5 seats or more. They are usually angular, but can have two angles, differ in all sorts of additional functions, there are even special home theater sofaswhere folding mechanisms, supports for legs, food, etc. are provided. If you are an extraordinary, eccentric personality and love to stand out, then the choice original sofas also amazing.

Number 7. Wall VS shelving

A modern living room does not do without a wall or a shelf, because you need to store things that have accumulated and necessary in this room somewhere. Previously, the unequivocal option for the living room was exactly wall: then it was bulky pieces of furniture that very cluttered the space. Today, the walls for the living room have become more miniature and refined, but the market has also replenished. shelving. They perform the same functions, are very spacious, but due to the open shelves and special design they do not take up space and do not make the room visually smaller. And if the walls fit well into the classic interior, the racks have become a distinctive addition to the minimalist interior and living rooms, where they try to save space by all means.

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

The color of the wall or shelving needs to be coordinated with the general color scheme of the room, and if the living room does not differ in large area, then try to use as much as possible open shelves and transparent glass elementsas well as mirror surfaces.

Number 8. Choose a coffee table

A coffee table is an important attribute of the living room, which serves not only to place any little things on it, such as newspapers, magazines, CDs and consoles, 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, like the material of execution.

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

No. 9. Where to put the TV?

A television is as much an integral part of a living room as a sofa or armchairs. It is present in 99% of the living rooms, and often it is not hung on the wall, but put on a pedestal. The cabinet should fit the size of your TV. As for the material and color, you need to start from the chosen style: the cabinet can be glass, wooden, made of chipboard, MDF and other materials. It’s not bad if there will be storage compartments small objects, so as not to scatter them around the room, thereby creating a not very neat look in the living room. By the way, a very good option is the cabinets on wheels: if necessary, you can move them a bit so that the image on the TV is clearly visible to everyone present.

No. 10. Other furniture

Today there are no clear rules on the design of living rooms, so it is impossible to say exactly which items should be present in this room, and which ones should not. If you decide to combine the living room with the dining room, then why not, but in this case you will need dinner table. It is better if it is oval or round: it’s not even that more people will be placed behind it, but that it is less traumatic. So, you need to consider that the living room becomes a place for games and even dancing, and that neither children nor adults will hit the corner of the table, it can be selected without corners. In general, a great option for the living room is a transforming table, which, as unnecessary, can fold up and make room.

For the arrangement of the dining area, and to create seats, you may need additional chairs and armchairs. When choosing, build on the prevailing style and functionality of specific pieces of furniture. So, chairs can be with or without handles, with or without upholstery. In the latter case, pay attention that the edge of the seat is rounded, otherwise it will be impossible to sit on it for a long time due to inconvenience. Armchairs should be soft and comfortable, but not too deep to stand up without effort. Naturally, pay attention to the quality of the upholstery and filler, 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 all kinds of damage, be durable, and the presence of folding tops is an additional bonus. Bar counter often separates the living room from the kitchen and can even become a dining table. If you are staying with this option, then you should purchase and special high chairs, the choice of which is simply stunning: there is an option for every taste and for any interior.

No. 11. Accessories as a necessity

In general, few rooms will look cozy, habitable if there is no decor, accessories, or jewelry in it. Their size and character is selected again, depending on their own preferences and the chosen style, and there are plenty of options. It can be crafts, travel souvenirs, vases, paintings, photographs, figurines, candles, lanterns, sconces and floor lamps, aquariums, artificial or natural flowers, etc. A great 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 the decoration of the living room: remember that accessories emphasize your taste, your looks, hobbies and preferences, and the abundance of all kinds of figures on the shelves, dozens of photos on the walls and stands in combination with other accessories will turn the living room into continuous chaos and completely erase all efforts by choice of furniture.

Finally

The living room is a business card of your home, which can have many functions. Functionality, comfort and coziness depend on the right choice of furniture for it, and that is why it is worth carefully considering the presence and location of each item: from a sofa and a TV to a picture and a lamp. It is best to create a small diagram in advance or use special programs for interior design, measure all the parameters, decide on the style and main functions, and only then begin to consider numerous options. Furniture should be not only beautiful in appearance, but also of high quality, so each item will have to be evaluated for a number of factors.