Furniture Ideas for the Living Room

Seating

• Choose seating that will be comfortable and match the theme you have selected for your living room. Arrange sofas, love seats, chairs and ottomans to create conversation areas. Add padded benches, with removable tops, that can also serve as storage. Choose colors, patterns and textures that will complement each other, but not necessarily match perfectly. This will add visual interest to your living room.

Chests

• Add a chest to your living room. Remember there are no rules that specific furniture has to be used in certain rooms. Use a short, narrow chest as a sofa table. Place a taller chest across from your fireplace or long window to balance the room. Store items in the drawers of your living room chest to save space.

Tables

• Add tables of various sizes and shapes to your living room. Place them in the conversation areas you created. Avoid cluttering your tables with unnecessary accessories.

Bookcases

• Place bookcases in your living room. Display your personal library or use the shelves for other items such as collections, photos and framed artwork. Place children's books on the lowest shelves so children will be able to reach them easily. Add lighting under the upper shelves to help showcase the items.

Desks

• Add a desk to your living room. Make sure it has enough drawers and cabinets to store mail and other personal papers. Keep the cords to your computer, modem, printer, and lamps tucked out of sight by using cord organizers or even trash bag ties. Consider a roll top desk to keep the computer out of sight when not in use.