How to Choose the Right Furniture for Your Living Room

Discover the secret to a perfect living room! Our tips will guide you in choosing furniture that blends style with function. Transform your space now!

Furnishing your living room can be both simple and tricky. Considering it is the room you and your family will spend the most time, it needs to be comfortable and multi-functional while remaining relatively simple.

Whether you’re looking at RJ Living’s range of teak furniture, or something that is second-hand, here are a few tips to use when choosing furniture for your living room.

Size

The first thing you need to consider is the size of your room compared to the size of the furniture. Finding the balance between large pieces and how they fit into your room is important for comfort and flow.

Take the time to measure the space, or even use boxes in place of furniture to visualize the size of something and how it will fit into the space as a whole.

Form/Function

Living room furniture, if anything, needs to be functional. Once again, depending on the size of the room, you can’t fill it with pieces that you can’t sit on or use in some way. However, you can still include elements that are more for looking at than using.

Choose furniture you know you will use, especially if you live in a smaller space than average.

Simplicity

Don’t use your living room as a way to show off incredibly ornate and unique furniture. Keep the furniture simple and comfortable, and avoid anything that is a different-than-standard shape or design, as this could impact the comfort and usability of the piece, as while as the style of the room.

As mentioned already, a living room is meant to be a safe space where everyone comes together to chat, laugh, and enjoy each other's company. Don’t overcomplicate it with over-the-top and complex furniture.

Style

Speaking of style, choose furniture that suits the rest of your home or sets the trend for what you want the rest of your home to look like. Styles and tastes vary; therefore, the best option is to choose furniture that fits into the same style category.

While all the furniture doesn’t have to look the same, try and keep the materials or colors consistent, as this will create a cohesive look.

Your Wants & Needs

Before you even buy furniture, make a list of your wants and needs. Depending on what you want the room to do, there are a few pieces you will definitely need, such as a couch, coffee table, some lighting, etc.

Your “wants” category will be items such as plants, art, a TV, and all the extras that will complete the room. The goal is to get all the furniture you need first and then find the extras that work with the room and what you have.

Tables

No living room is complete without a table or two. At the very least, you should have a large coffee table in the middle and then a side table next to one or every couch/chair in the room. You don’t want to hold everything you bring into the lounge; you need somewhere to put it.

Side tables are handy, especially if you have a large room or an L-shaped couch or the room's shape means not everyone can reach the center coffee table.

Extra Seating

Remember that the living room will be where you and your guests spend most of your time. Therefore it is essential to remember the power of extra seating and having a place for everyone, or at least most people, to sit.

If you only have space for one couch, try and incorporate a couple of chairs or an ottoman into the room. You can also invest in multi-functional furniture, such as side tables that have small stools underneath them.

Lighting

Lighting plays a crucial part in the mood and feel of a room. Opting for bright, white lights will give you the uneasy feeling of being in a hospital, while soft, yellow lighting will make your room feel calmer and more inviting.

It is also better to opt for table or standing lamps, as you have more control over the lighting and can choose how bright or dim you want the room to be.

Storage

Storage in a living room is much more useful than you may think. You want somewhere to put books, entertainment systems, blankets, or anything else you might need. Storage options are also almost endless, and you can find almost anything you may want.

Bookshelves, chests, small cabinets, and the like can all be found in various sizes and styles and can fit into any living room, no matter how it looks.

Accessories

Finally, accessories are the pieces of furniture that add that final touch to a room. These things can be big or small and also don’t need to be as functional as other pieces that have been listed here.

Items such as a drinking globe or games table aren’t necessarily needed or important, but they add that final touch that finishes the room off.