Living Room Furnishings You Can't Do Without
If you’re just starting out and need to furnish your living room from scratch or if you’re tired of your current living room furniture and want to start over, you need to know about some living room furnishings you can’t do without. There are a few must-have categories of furniture you’ll need to create a complete, attractive, and functional living space, regardless of the size or shape of your room. How you fulfill those must-haves, however, is ultimately up to you. Be creative and let your personality shine through when choosing your living room furnishings. If you focus on pieces that you love, you’ll end up with a room you love to spend time in.
Seating
Every living room needs a conversation area and that conversation area will be made up of seating. You don’t have to stick to the classic sofa, loveseat, and chair configuration, however; you can use whatever seating suits your style and space. For smaller rooms, consider two small-scale loveseats, such the Bordeaux camel loveseat, $289.00 at Overstock.com, or use a grouping of four interesting chairs, such as the Aerolo swivel chair by Lazar Industries, $850.20 at Spacify.com. Other seating options include benches, which can also function as storage, or ottomans, which can function as tables when not needed for seating.
Tables
Now that you’ve got a place for guests to sit, you’ll also need to include some tables where you can rest a drink or lay out snacks. Coffee and end tables will fill this need; just be sure to keep them in a similar scale to your seating. If storage is at premium in your living room, look for tables that have shelves, drawers, or other storage options, such the Emmet cube and trunk, $299.00 and $599.00 at PotteryBarn.com.
Storage
You’ll also need a place to display collections or store items you’ll be using in your living room, such as books, DVDs, or games. If you place your seating area in the center of the room, you’ll have room along the walls for both open and closed storage cabinets, such as the customizable Liatorp and Expedit storage solutions at Ikea.com.
