We believe home design should be stylish and distinctive. Whether updating a family room or bringing together an artfully appointed lounge for entertaining, the living room furniture you choose impacts the entire flow of your home. At Lulu and Georgia, our thoughtfully curated collection has timeless and contemporary living room furniture to help you bring comfort and beauty to this essential space.
Not sure what style or design best fits your home as you shop living room furniture? Don't worry; we have got you covered. Check out the tips below for ideas and inspiration as you choose the best pieces to buy for your home.
Modern Living Room Furniture Essentials — Selecting Elements for Your Space
A living room is one of the most dynamic spaces to design. They come in all shapes and sizes, and perhaps more than other room in your home, the furniture you choose will define how you live in and use the space. Unlike a dining room or bedroom, where the pieces are the same no matter the layout, living rooms have a wider range of configurations. It’s helpful to think about living room furniture in three broad categories—you have your living room seating, tables or surface space, and storage.
Living Room Seating
When styling a living room, you want to start by getting a feel of the footprint. What is the scale of the space? Is it an open-plan design that flows into a dining area or a small snug? Which architectural features are you working with—a fireplace, picture windows, or beams? As you choose seating, you want to lean into these space constraints and make them work for your design rather than trying to fight against them. The architecture is how a room defines itself; the seating is how you start to adapt it to your plan—it’s the backbone of this living space.
Typical layouts may feature a conversational arrangement with a sofa and two accent chairs facing each other to inspire a formal yet inviting setting. In a more casual lounge, you might use the space to catch up on your latest binge-watch or spend time together but in quiet solitude. We love a unique feature like this Harlowe Media Lounger for embracing this space as a cozy place where style elevates everyday comfort. For a statement for a more curated space, consider styling a chaise near a window for a signature moment.
Living Room Tables
If the seating you choose defines how you use the space—your living room tables go toward how well you use it. A good living room should seamlessly incorporate plenty of surface space into the design. That doesn’t mean you can’t style a standout piece —we love an arrangement of modern living room furniture anchored around a statement coffee table like our exclusive Mars Coffee Table—but the shape and placement should fit naturally into the room's flow. A rectangular coffee table is a classic complement to a standard sofa (it should be about ⅔ the length) while a round coffee table allows easier movement with no sharp corners (ideal for kids).
Side tables are a great way to supplement your coffee table with a spot to perch a drink or book in reach, and they help a sofa or chair feel well-appointed—established in its place, complete. If you are styling an end table, make sure it’s in scale with whichever seat you style it next to—generally, an end table should sit just below the arm height of a sofa or chair.
A console table styled as a sofa table or to the side of the room can also offer a useful surface. If your living room sits near your entryway, this is a perfect place to drop keys or mail—consider styling a catchall or other tabletop storage so it doesn’t become a magnet for clutter. Console tables sit at eye level when seated, so they are great for layering light with a table lamp or introducing fresh textures with a floral display or houseplant.
Living Room Storage
A livable design calls for good storage. While sofa tables and coffee tables sometimes feature drawers, larger pieces like a media console are a great way to bring in plentiful storage with added surface space for decor, candles, and, of course, a TV or stereo. A sideboard can serve the same function in a more formal room—sideboards typically sit higher and do not feature rear cutouts for cables and cords. Even in a minimalist curation, be mindful of how you use the surface space on top of a storage piece—as the adage goes: empty surfaces attract clutter. If you style a vignette, remember that decor shouldn’t just sit on top of the room—it should feel like a part of the design, the glue that holds the space together.
One tip to remember is that not all storage is equal. Look at how you’re using the space now and how clutter accumulates when determining which storage pieces are right for you. A tall cabinet with shelving above and drawers below might be the perfect solution for versatile storage in a smaller room, while a piece with glass panel doors like this Colby Media Console is perfect for those constant curators. Like glass panel cabinets—or curios—bookshelves should also be thought of as a place for storage and display rather than a depository. Livable design is all about transforming practical features into beautiful moments.
To Mix or Match?— How to Curate a Cohesive Space Without A Living Room Furniture Set
Living rooms are highly individualized spaces, and as such, they offer an excellent opportunity to bring a personal touch. Our usual advice is to avoid styling a matching living room furniture set. A matching sofa and lounge chair can work in a carefully tailored traditional-meets-modern look, but as a rule, contemporary living room furniture looks best with variety in the mix.
The key is to create contrast while maintaining harmony. In other words, you want to look for common threads between pieces. Perhaps two accent chairs could match each other in scale or finish but differ in design—or you could play with the palette in the room by pairing a neutral chair with one that matches or complements other colors that repeat throughout.
One thing to keep in mind is visual weight. Larger pieces with darker finishes tend to have more visual weight—that draws the eye—and you want to be sure you balance that impact in a room. A coffee table with a dark finish is a great way to emphasize it as a focal point—but you want to offset this with another large piece like a media console or sofa table. That’s not to say they need to match—but you want to give visually heavy elements room to breathe by styling them away from each other and incorporating plenty of variety in texture, color, or pattern, to hold the space together with visual interest throughout.
However you style it, your living room furniture allows you the flexibility to showcase the nuances of your design aesthetic. More than any other room, the living room is a place where we live—enjoying leisure and company as we drink in the surroundings. By styling a lounge you love, you can elevate the time spent there—whether with friends, family, or unwinding alone.
Lulu and Georgia Living Room Furniture
When you shop living room furniture at Lulu and Georgia, you'll find pieces that complement the style of your home but also make it feel more elevated. You can choose from our wide selection to find the perfect purchase, no matter what you're looking for. Check our living room inspiration page for more ideas on styling a space you love.
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