Let’s be honest… your not looking to buy 7 accent pillows…maybe not even ready to buy one accent pillow. This list of essentials will keep things stylish and clean without looking sterile. Hope it helps you elevate your style to have a living room that invites your guests but also doesn’t cause you to buy a bunch of unnecessary shit!
Comfortable Stylish Sofa
Your sofa can be comfortable and show that you have truly arrived! Upgraded from that old rolled arm super cushy thing that looked like the marshmallow man transformed into a furniture piece. Let me teach you about down filled cushions same amazing comfy look without the ugly microfiber and rolled arms. We can even add it to the leather sofa of your dreams.
This is an example of what not to do! Ugly!!!! Please no more rolled arms, microfiber, or fake peeling leather!!!!
Comfortable yet stylish! Super sexy in my opinion
Accent Chair
When your buddies come over you don’t want to all be crammed on your sofa touching thighs...awkward! Instead have an accent chair or two if you can fit them. That way you guys can spread out. When you watch the game and John jumps up because of the winning score and doesn’t wack you in the face! When you’re not watching tv they make for a great seating arrangement where you don’t have to crook your neck to see the person next to you.
Media Cabinet
All your nerdy stuff can be hidden away in a nice media cabinet with some doors and drawers. When your date comes over for the first time you don’t need to scare her away with the amount of video games and consoles you have. Instead you can keep your place looking minimalistic and clean with a nice media cabinet to hide away the clutter.
Rug
A lot of people not only guys make the mistake of buying too small of a rug. Rule of thumb is to have the area rug go under the legs of your furniture at the very least. Fibers like wool are going to be a little more spendy upfront but last forever. Where as polyester rugs are a less expensive but can sometimes look really cheap and tacky so it’s good to check them out in person before you buy. If always nice to do a foot check if you’re shopping for a rug take your shoes off and feel that fluffy goodness between your toes!
Lighting
Lighting is essential especially in a lot of the newer condos there are not overhead light fixtures in the living room. If you’re renting an arc lamp like the one shown below is a great solution to add some additional light. If you own however let’s get the electrician in to install some real lighting!
Art
You don’t need to spend a ton of money on art but a nice stretched canvas with an abstract print or something that you love and makes you happy. Art is super personal so find something that you think looks good and you love seeing day in and day out. Same as rugs the bigger art the better! You can choose something very traditional, abstract, or even a cool graffiti piece! Pick something that you love and expresses your personality!
Coffee & Side Tables
Where are you going to set your beer during the big game? Put your feet up after a hard days hustle? Coffee table and side tables are essential to your living room! However a mix of finishes and styles looks waaay better than if you go to a big box store and but the matching set. You can use interesting things for your coffee table like a giant teak root mass that has been sanded to perfection. It will look like a piece of sculpture in front of your sofa. For side tables you could use wood or even metal with a glass or stone top to add some extra texture and refinement to your pad.
