How to choose your living room furniture correctly

Especially in the living room, you can realise your furnishing dreams here. But you are spoilt for choice when looking for the right living room furniture: countless furniture shops and online shops offer a wide variety of sofas, wardrobe furniture, tables, etc. Don't just decide on the basis of price, but also pay attention to quality and that the furniture meets your requirements in terms of functionality and style.

What is living room furniture?

Upholstered furniture

Every living room, no matter how big, needs a comfortable sofa to relax and get together. The traditional seating group is increasingly giving way to a functional living landscape. Before buying, consider: Who will use the upholstered furniture? What material should the cover be made of? Especially if you have children, we recommend an easy-to-clean upholstery option - ask your furniture dealer for detailed advice. Removable fabric covers are also practical.

How much time do you spend on your upholstered furniture every day? Four hours is about average. If you use your sofa every day, you should first make sure that the cover is robust and secondly that the upholstered furniture has ergonomic dimensions. If you want to convert the sofa into a place to sleep, choose a model with a sleep function. What else you should consider when buying sofas and armchairs, you can find out in our guide upholstered furniture.

Coffee table

The coffee table is a typical piece of living room furniture. It is usually placed between the sofa and the television. Magazines and drinks find a place on the table, just like the smartphone or mobile PC. Due to its prominent position in the room, the coffee table is used as a creative design element. Different sizes, shapes, functions and materials give you a wide range of design options. The following questions will help you choose the right coffee table: What size and shape fits best in the room? Do you want the coffee table to be a design highlight or would you rather keep it discreetly in the background? Do you want to change the position of the coffee table more often? A model with a light weight or castors can be easily moved.

Living room cabinets

It is with the cabinet furniture in particular that you shape the living style of your interior. These days, the classic wall unit is being replaced by the functional living room wall unit. Display cabinets, shelves, sideboards and TV furniture are combined in such a way that they optimally meet the user's requirements. If you move house, you can simply recombine the elements. Which material do you like best? Wood, metal, glass or a modern mix of materials? Do you want to present your multimedia equipment or discreetly hide it? How many DVDs, books, glasses and other things should there be room for in the cupboards? When choosing your size, also consider future purchases. Find out more about other important considerations for buying living room cabinets and read our guide capboard furniture.

Dining area

In most German living rooms, there is a dining area where people eat - every day or only when there are visitors. When buying a dining table, consider the topic of healthy living. Quality seals, such as the "Golden M", give you valuable orientation. When choosing the right table, consider not only the size of the room, but also how the table will be used. Plan for at least 60 cm width and 40 cm depth per dining area. When it comes to chairs, we recommend that you try them out before buying. You can find many more tips in our guide to dining tables.

hülsta NURIA Wohnen
hülsta NURIA Wohnen

Which manufacturers of living room furniture are there?

List of members Living room furniture manufacturers

What are the interior design styles for living room furniture?

Natural solid wood look

The longing for nature as a balance to hectic everyday life is great. The natural solid wood look is therefore particularly trendy. Living room furniture made of solid oak, beech or beech heartwood, for example, is timeless and creates a warm and healthy living atmosphere.

Country style

With the country house style, you can bring a rural flair into your home. Country-style living room furniture is usually made of lacquered or natural wood. White country house living room furniture is particularly popular at the moment. The light shades give the room a cosy feel.

Colonial style

Dark surfaces and metal fittings characterise the colonial style. In terms of sustainability, the exotic woods such as teak or rosewood should come from plantations or recycled materials. The colonial style is something for adventurers and individualists.

Modern-purist furnishing style

Young people often prefer the modern-purist furnishing style. High-gloss surfaces and a clear design language characterise the design of corresponding living room furniture. The combination of different materials and colours gives the furnishings an individual touch.

Smart home furnishing style

Technology fans turn their living room into a personal home cinema with their sound and media systems. Modern TV and multimedia furniture skilfully integrates the technology. Unattractive cables, for example, are discreetly hidden. Ingenious LED lighting is a must in the Smart Home.

Glamour chic furnishing style

Would you like to feel like a king or queen at home? With Glamour Chic you can turn your living room into a magnificent palace. For example, with expansive sofas in oriental look, furniture and accessories in baroque style or glittering mirrors and lamps.

Shabby Chic, Vintage Furnishing Style

Intentional traces of use and signs of age give furniture in the vintage or shabby chic style a sympathetic character. The pieces of furniture create a feeling of nostalgia. With pieces of furniture in this style, you can set exciting accents in the living room.

Other furnishing styles at a glance:

  • Retro style
  • Feng Shui
  • Ethnostyle
  • Loft style, industrial style
  • Maritime furnishing style
  • Mediterranean furnishing style
  • Oriental furnishing style
  • Asian furnishing style
  • Italian interior style
  • French interior style
  • British interior style
  • American interior style
  • bourgeois interior style
  • romantic interior style
  • Classic interior style
Loddenkemper Sahara
Loddenkemper Sahara

Which interior style suits you?

In addition to the above-mentioned furnishing styles, there are many others. Dare to take the plunge and find your own. Visit exhibitions of renowned furniture manufacturers or furniture stores. There you will find detailed examples of furnishings in different styles. Where do you feel most at home? Which living room of your friends and acquaintances do you particularly like? Other great sources of inspiration are trade fairs, home design magazines and social networks. Last but not least, take advantage of the expert knowledge of your trusted furnishing consultant.

Our tip: Mix old and new, combine straightforward and playful and create your own living style.

What should you look for when buying living room furniture?

1. Is the size right?

Have you found your interior design style? Now it comes down to the right size of furniture. Measure your living room and think about how you want to use the space. Take the spatial conditions into account when planning: Where are the doors, windows, sockets and radiators? Make sure there is enough space between the furniture. What do you want to put in the cupboards? How many people should there be room for on the seating? Where do you want the television? Feel free to tape off the intended sizes of the living room furniture on the floor with painter's tape. In furniture stores, computer-aided planning allows you to try out different placement options.

Our tip: furnish the living room with care. Less is more.

2. Is the quality right?

Every supplier will advertise the high quality of his furniture. Therefore, only an independent inspection is a reliable proof of quality. Trust recognised seals of quality. The "Blue Angel" shows you that the furniture is ecologically safe. The "Golden M" is also a helpful guide to the quality of furniture. We, the Deutsche Gütegemeinschaft Möbel e.V. (DGM), only award this quality mark to furniture that meets our high standards. The safety and health of the consumer is the main focus. We check the products - for example with stress tests - and monitor whether they are manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. 3.

3. Is the price-performance ratio right?

Living room furnishings are usually a substantial investment of several thousand euros. Therefore, the price is often a decisive factor in the purchase decision. Choose furniture with a good price-performance ratio. It is often worth spending a few euros more on living room furniture. High-quality upholstered furniture, cupboards and tables last longer than cheap furniture. Quality furniture often accompanies its users for a lifetime. You can recognise quality by the material, the workmanship and the "Golden M" quality mark. 4.

4. Are the general conditions right?

Don't just look at the purchase price, but also at the general conditions. Will the furniture be delivered? How long is the delivery time? What guarantee does the manufacturer or dealer give? Can you order more furniture later? You can read detailed information on guarantees, warranties and other purchase-related topics in the Stiftung Warentest guide „Möbel kaufen Qualität erkennen“.

Conclusion: You will find the living room furniture of your dreams if you are clear about your personal requirements before making your purchase decision. Good preparation is the be-all and end-all. Seals of quality, such as the "Golden M", give you a good feeling when buying.

hülsta NURIA Wohnen
hülsta NURIA Wohnen

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