Defined space
With an open floor plan—where the kitchen, living room, and dining room might all be in one big space—use a sectional couch in a bold color to define living room boundaries. Throw rugs help, too.
Low and high
Add throw pillows to a bench or daybed to make it function like a couch. Add art or a mirror to the adjacent wall so you don't visually miss the sofa back.
Sense of place
- Premium Leather Rhys Settee ($3,998), Anthropologie
Select furniture with unique designs that evoke the style of a place you love. Here, a couch of white full-grain leather upholstery with a maple wood frame reminds us of the tropics.
Sectional savvy
- Harmony 2-Piece Chaise Sectional ($2,698; solid wood frame), West Elm
Sectional sofas are no longer just dark leather-clad pieces intended for the TV den in the basement. Beautiful designs and materials now allow for high style and true lounging.
Perfect pairs
- Jack Chair ($1,899; shown in green velvet), Schoolhouse Electric
An occasional chair can look lonely solo, so work in twos. This stylish duo is a nod to mid-century design and custom-made in Los Angeles.
Material luxe
- Reeve Mid-Century Oval Coffee Table with Marble Top ($799; Carrara marble and solid wood), West Elm
Add a splash of high-end to your keeping-it-casual living room with a coffee tabletop in a unique material.
Working art
- Hex Side Table ($179; metal base with marble top), West Elm
Choose a side table in an interesting shape or material for visual interest for a piece that works overtime. Or, expand the look to a modular coffee table by clustering multiples of this hexagonal-shaped table honeycomb-style.
Multi-purpose pieces
- Ladder Shelf Media Console ($499; solid wood shelves), West Elm
In small living rooms, make use of vertical space and furniture that serves multiple uses. For instance, this piece has both a media cabinet and bookselves.
Room for fun
Floor space at a premium? Get creative. We love this living room swing made of reclaimed wood.