Choosing The Right Living Room Furniture Style

Home improvement and interior design projects can cover a very wide range of different elements, but aesthetics are always going to be an important point to consider. If you are planning on overhauling how your home looks, then it can be important to choose a style that suits the designs you are going for.

Having at least a basic understanding of popular living room styles can make a big difference. Not only does it mean that you can see examples of how these styles fit together, but it can make it much easier to ensure that you are choosing furniture and decorations that will all go together well.

Modern Styles

A generic, all-encompassing “modern” style can be a great choice for many people. Sometimes you simply do not want to think too hard about what you are putting in your home, and there is nothing wrong with leaning into simple, straightforward, practical modern choices as often as you need to.

It might even be a nice return to form if you have spent the last few years with a very specific aesthetic in your living room. Modern spaces tend to be clean, easy to use, and very functional, all of which can make for a great living room that can become a major part of your home’s activity as a whole.

Contemporary Styles

Many people mistakenly think that "contemporary" and "modern" are the same things, but that is not actually the case. Contemporary styles are constantly changing, using whatever the current fashions and trends are rather than sticking with a more vague understanding of "modern" furniture.

This can be a big risk, especially since furniture trends can change on a whim, but it also allows you to dive straight into an aesthetic that is currently popular. If it is an aesthetic that you like, then trying to adopt it during its peak popularity will make it easier to find suitable furniture options and brands.

Traditional Styles

A traditional living room takes a lot of elements from recent history, which usually means finely-crafted wooden furnishings and carefully-chosen fabrics. While elegant, these aesthetics also tend to be quite functional, offering a practical space that also looks great.

It is worth noting that a lot of traditional furniture can be quite cheap, especially if you are buying old items that people would otherwise throw away. Upcycled and freshly-produced old-style furniture can also work and adds some sophistication to even the most basic living room. 

Mid-Century Styles

Mid-century living rooms are designed using a combination of geometric shapes, angular patterns, and the heavy use of varied fabrics. A lot of these spaces focus on combining white and grey shades with more natural and vibrant tones, allowing for some very interesting combinations.

One of the most notable elements of mid-century design is that spaces are meant to be clean and free of clutter, allowing for more open floorplans and easier-to-use spaces. Maintaining this style can be hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, it can make a huge difference to any living room.

Cottage Styles

Cottage styles, as well as the “cottagecore” niche, have become increasingly popular in recent years. The idea is simple: comfortable, cozy, and humble space that can be gradually turned into a highly personal space. Furnishings are often distressed and worn, but not to the point that they look like they need repairs.

Cottage styles provide the perfect excuse for you to reuse old furniture. A mixture of modern and vintage interior design elements provides each living room with a very unique look, as well as offering some interesting combinations that fans of careful decoration will really enjoy.

Cabin Styles

If cottage styles are cozy, then cabin styles are rugged. These are meant to be authentic and natural, focusing more on the practical side of things than the overall meaning behind the aesthetics. This can be a great option for anybody who wants a living room that feels practical and comfortable.

The nature-inspired color schemes also make it easy to incorporate both real and fake plants well, along with plenty of rustic decorations. There are countless ways to approach cabin-style home improvement projects and very few ways that you can actually ruin the aesthetic for yourself.

Country Styles

Country styles are exactly what you expect: warm, welcoming, relaxed, and perfectly suited to people who want a more upbeat and functional space. These can be great for people who love the idea of country life but do not have the opportunity to move or who simply want an aesthetic that will make them enjoy warming up to start the day.

This is another style that works well with antiques, but it is a good idea to focus on bright colors first and foremost. A darker country style can slip too far into looking like a mish-mash of different elements, but brighter shades can really elevate everything to a new level and give you a new appreciation for your living room.

West Coast Contemporary Styles

West coast contemporary living rooms combine modern and classic elements, using a range of cabin-style details like number structures and grand entrances while also including modern elements alongside it. For example, you might have a stone fireplace alongside a set of modern deep-brown furniture.

This is a very specific aesthetic that not everybody will love, but it is inoffensive enough to look great in any home. It is not the kind of style that requires you to sacrifice a lot of floor space on furniture that is too large to be functional and provides your home with plenty of added flair.

Why Does Style Matter?

Planning ahead is always important, both for interior design and home improvement as a whole. If you have a style in mind for your living room, it becomes a lot easier to find unique living room furniture that fits that aesthetic.

By understanding the aesthetic that you are looking for, you can narrow down your options and the kinds of furniture you want to find. From there, it is as simple as choosing the best option to suit your exact wants and needs.