- Finding Your Fit
- Furniture Style
- Measure – everything!
- Scale: Measure Twice, Buy Once
- Comfort-First Furniture
- Color Palette and Coordination
- Furniture Materials
- Choose a Dominant Piece
- Create Striking Visual Contrast
Finding Your Fit
When decorating your space, consider what you like, how you live, and the atmosphere you want to create. Understanding your style will help you choose furniture that truly matches your vision.
With the abundance of choices, it’s common to feel a bit overwhelmed. Whether you are searching for a couch, a side table, or a cozy bed, these suggestions will nudge you in the right direction.
If you’re on a budget, don’t worry; there are plenty of ways to find furniture that doesn’t sacrifice quality or style.
Furnishing an apartment can sometimes feel like maneuvering through a maze of numerous Pinterest boards at once. Take some time to explore design styles for inspiration. Are you attracted to sleek designs? Do you lean towards modern and minimalist aesthetics or a more traditional and timeless appearance?
If space is limited or living arrangements change frequently, finding furniture that can grow with you poses a challenge. Who hasn’t experienced the triumph of bringing a piece of furniture only to realize it doesn’t quite fit as expected?
The key point here is striking the balance between practicality and looks. We all desire our homes to exude the charm of a design magazine. We also aim to avoid awkward situations like climbing over a pile of furniture just to reach the kitchen sink.
Furnishing an apartment should be about flexibility and versatility. Your furniture should evolve alongside your lifestyle no matter where it takes you.
Furniture Style
Consider your habits. Do you enjoy snuggling up on the couch with a captivating book or prefer working at a desk with your laptop? Opt for furniture that complements your routines and improves your relaxation habits. If you have kids or pets, you might lean towards choosing easy-to-clean furniture. For those who love hosting guests, additional seating or a spacious dining table could be essential.
1. Furniture That’s Good for You
Comfort is also about how the furniture makes you feel emotionally. Your furnishings should help create a sense of calm and tranquility within your space, beckoning you to relax and unwind after a working day.
You’ll, too, want to pay attention to the ergonomics of your furniture choices. Is your chair the height for desk work? Is the sofa sufficiently deep for seating? Proper ergonomics can significantly impact your comfort and well-being.
The living room often serves as the hub of any home; therefore, selecting furniture that strikes a balance between comfort and practicality is a high priority.
Think about how you utilize your living room. Do you require seating to host guests? Do you enjoy lounging on a couch to watch TV? These considerations can assist in making decisions when selecting furniture.
Generally speaking, when purchasing furniture for your apartment, try to get items you plan to keep for about five years.
That said, your bedroom should be a tranquil sanctuary, so decide on furniture that encourages relaxation. Naturally, a snug, durable bed is a must-have.
To be fair, sofas can take up a bothersome amount of space, so if you live in a small home, avoid furniture styles that use up too much space in places where you can’t actually sit; think Chesterfields.
2. Must-Have Furniture Vs. ‘Nice-to-Have’ Furniture
We really love the functional items, like the shoe rack/entryway console and the sleek transparent C table that can easily roll up to the couch and sit over the cushions, giving you a table right by you when you’re seated.
Flexible furniture for a flexible lifestyle
Apartment life demands adaptability, and furniture that can adapt, fit into a space and serve numerous roles provides it.
If you don’t have the freedom to rearrange your furniture as much as you’d like, you’ll need to hunt for pieces that maximize space and, better still, are adjustable.
Hidden storage and movable side tables make it ideal for a small space. Built-in study areas in living rooms and glazed balconies are just a few multipurpose spaces that can be furnished with flexible furniture.
Textures and colors evoke emotions. Amidst the stress of daily life, the color and style of your furniture can evoke thoughts of peace and tranquility. Consider your furniture as the foundation of a canvas to which you will apply layers. Color and warmth should be added after creating a neutral base.
Modern Minimalism
A Scandinavian-inspired living room embodies simplicity with its clean lines, light hues, and functional furniture. It focuses on simplicity and utility. This contemporary minimalist design fosters a sense of peace and organization in your home.
Rustic Charm
For an industrial-themed room, expect to see raw materials and striking pieces that exude a tough yet inviting vibe. Fusing natural elements like wood and marble with modern touches creates a cozy, snug atmosphere.
Fusion of Styles
Picture a scenario where you want plenty of white and neutral colors, open and airy Scandinavian architecture, and magnificent green plants. And then your partner desires a practical, post-modern, industrial style where he could have a drink and, well, be a man. You’ll quite likely agree to meet halfway.
By blending furniture types and decor, you can showcase your style and experiment with new looks that truly express your personality.
Measure – everything!
Not measuring up is one of the biggest missteps you can make while arranging an apartment. Doing this lets you create a floor plan; it doesn’t have to be complicated.
Measure every square centimeter of the room before you begin looking for your ideal sofa or placing orders for dining tables. Make a note of everything, including the heights of the ceiling, door frames, windows, walls, and more.
The idea here is to start visualizing where everything will be. Don’t just measure the area where you’re placing the item. Measure the corridors, stairs, and doors the furniture piece must go through to reach its destination.
Scale: Measure Twice, Buy Once
Before you buy any furniture, measure it and use masking tape to draw out each piece on the floor to obtain a sense of its scale. This will allow you to assess how your furniture might fit together and, if necessary, adjust the size of the items.
When it comes to small apartment décor, people often think they have to scale down and choose undersized furniture. Although interior designers argue this can be a big mistake, we don’t blame you for expecting smaller pieces to take up less (valuable) space.
Designers call this the “doll house effect,” wherein an apartment may feel smaller when smaller pieces are gathered in the belief that this will make the room appear larger. It’s often better to opt for fewer, larger furniture pieces to give the illusion of spaciousness.
Round tables have the same valuable surface area as rectangular tables but take up less floor space. A round or oval coffee table also provides a bit of extra space to move around in a small living area.
Guess what: white and other light colors are excellent alternatives for tiny areas because they reflect light and provide the impression of openness. It’ll double the effect if you’ve got light-colored walls and light-colored furniture.
One more thing. Even though a sofa can physically fit in the living room, it won’t be the proper piece if it takes up eighty percent of the space.
Comfort-First Furniture
When selecting furniture for your home, prioritize comfort over all else. Choosing pieces that feel cozy and inviting for you and your family is of the utmost importance.
To ensure comfort, test furniture before purchasing, rather than relying solely on looks.
Avoid the temptation of filling your space with low-quality items that may wear out quickly. Instead, invest gradually in high-quality pieces that not only enhance the aesthetics of your home but also stand the test of time.
Where Ergonomics Meets Aesthetics
In your office setup, look for ergonomic furniture to ensure comfort during work hours. Look for height-adjustable, lumbar-supporting chairs with armrests, which can significantly improve your workspace experience. Also, our workstation should be of proper height to boost both comfort and productivity.
Furniture that experiences constant wear and tear, such as sofas, beds, and dressers, usually receives a larger percentage of your money. This is because these parts must be somewhat durable.
You can, however, avoid paying too much for some pieces. One illustration of this is a nightstand. Another chic alternative to nightstands that works well in tiny spaces is floating shelves. Pick a floating shelf big enough to hold a phone, a bottle of water, and maybe a few books. Then think about installing a sconce in place of a lamp.
On that note, you may come across the area rug of your dreams while searching for the ideal sofa, but hold off on purchasing it just yet. The issue with accessorizing first is that you’ll probably try to center your entire décor design around one or two pieces, ultimately complicating the procedure.
And speaking of, the problem with accepting furniture that’s dated-looking (from your parents or grandparents) or simply not your style is that you’ll ultimately end up trying to decorate around it.
Low-to-the-ground Furniture
Going for low-slung furniture will give your room an open, lofty vibe. Platform beds and slipper chairs, slightly shorter than other pieces, can help achieve this aesthetic.
Prioritize sturdy construction and finishes that can handle everyday wear and tear. When choosing materials, think about ease of cleaning and maintenance to keep your furniture looking its best.
Furniture shops you can find helpful during the search:
- Fly
- Merci
- La tresorererie
- La Peyre
- Camif
- Menzzo
- Maisons du Monde
- Home Store
- Beliani
- AM.PM at La Redoute
- Ikea
- La Braderie de Lille
Color Palette and Coordination
To add to the appearance of your living area, carefully select furniture and decor colors. A helpful guideline is the 60-30-10 rule, which suggests using 60% of the primary color, 30% for the secondary color on furniture, and 10% for an accent hue. Beginning with a favorite furniture piece can guide your color selection tactics. It’s advisable to limit your color palette to four shades or less. A fast and trendy method to liven up a room is making an accent wall to add some color.
Furniture Materials
When selecting a furniture style, consider the materials. Different materials can evoke varying vibes in a room. For instance, leather pieces can introduce an element of elegance and class, while wooden furniture can cultivate an inviting, welcoming ambiance.
Wood, metal, plastic, glass, cloth, and leather are the most common materials used in crafting furniture. Each material varies in cost, style, and durability, so consider your needs and lifestyle when selecting one.
The material properties determine the furniture’s lifespan, comfort level, and visual appeal. For instance, leather is known for its longevity and is well-suited for high-traffic areas like living rooms. On the other hand, velvet, and microfiber exude elegance. It’s also essential to factor in the maintenance requirements of each material to ensure you choose something that’s both stain-resistant and easy to clean.
Another tip for achieving a balanced look in your living room is to choose materials that work well with various interior design styles. Select one material as a dominant element that will be consistent throughout the room.
Choose a Dominant Piece
Start by choosing a piece of furniture, such as a sofa or dining table. This piece will establish the style of the entire room and become the main focus.
Ensure that the key piece fits well with the size of your living area. Consider an item like a sectional sofa or a sizable coffee table for larger spaces. Plus, a well-designed sofa or an interesting accent piece in smaller living rooms can still stand out without overpowering the space.
Create Striking Visual Contrast
Creating contrast is a fundamental interior design principle, especially when mixing and matching living room furniture.
Pair your overbalancing piece with complementary yet contrasting furniture. For example, if you have a sleek, modern sofa, level it with a rustic wooden coffee table.
Using contrasting colors can make your furniture pieces stand out. If your main piece is neutral, you can add accent chairs or accessories to create an exciting contrast.
Let’s be real: giving in to impulsive buys or rushing when furnishing your home is not good for your well-being. It really takes time to be clear about your style and needs, including evaluating prices, materials, and characteristics, so take it easy.
At the end of the day, style intertwining with functionality should always be nonnegotiable.
And if you need more help visualizing how different furniture pieces can work together, try out the room designer tool!
