The living room is the most prominent part of a home where the entire family meets up and socialises. It is also the place for watching movies together, having snacks, and gossiping. True to the Indian concept of “Atithi Devo Bhava,” the living room in India also acts as a place where we receive our guests and treat them with hospitality. Hence it must personify the culture and principles of a family.Whether your apartment is big or small, a few well-designed pieces of furniture, which are both elegant and practical, can bring a beautiful ambience to your living room.

Indians have always been fascinated by wood, and wood accounts for 65% of the furniture made in India, including the living room furniture. Indians have a fancy for showcasing their traditional wooden carved furniture to their guests. Until a few years ago, it was impossible to imagine home living room interiors sans wood. Nowadays, one can find ample material choices like rattan, cane, wicker, banana bark, water hyacinth, etc. Whether you opt for the timeless classic wooden furniture or the mid-century or modern style of furniture for the living room, here we give you our list of ten vital pieces of living room furniture that will help bring out the best in any home.

Ten Best Living Room Furniture to Redefine How You Live

1.The Sofa
True to the above quote, there is nothing more pleasant than a plush sofa in the living room that you can sink into and relax. No doubt, a sofa is the first essential piece of furniture that you must purchase for the living room. Right from entertaining guests to enjoying a family movie night, sofas are just invaluable. But choosing the right sofa is not easy. Size is an important consideration while buying one. The general rule of thumb is that the sofa must fit the 2:3 rule. That is, the sofa should be about two-thirds the size of the entire living room. Style, shade, and softness are other essential aspects that one must take into account.One can also use ottomans as add-on pieces of furniture as colourful ottomans add more vibe to the living room.


2.Television Cabinet
Whether you decide to mount your TV on the wall or have it sit on a stand, a TV console is the perfect way to enrich your entertainment experience. Plus, by providing ample storage for your media essentials and a solution to stash away unsightly clutter, the right entertainment unit can also give your decor an extra injection of cleanliness and style. While most Indian homes have a wall-mounted flat-screen television, one still needs a TV cabinet to store remotes, movies, or music collections. Furthermore, a sleek TV cabinet helps to minimise the clutter in the living room.


3.Accent Furniture
Accent furniture is anything that stands out against the rest of the space's decor or style. The term comes from the meaning of the word "accent," which means stress, or emphasis. For example, if a room consists of mostly beige furniture and there is one colorful chair, the chair is considered accent furniture. Prominent side tables and coffee tables will act as a nice contrast to the large sofas. They also suffice as functional furniture. For instance, a coffee table with storage underneath will be helpful to store extra throw pillows, books, magazines, etc. It is better to design this accent furniture smartly to minimise volume or bulkiness to the rooms.


4.Stackable Furniture
Whenever trying to save space or make room, we find ourselves stacking things one on top of the other. It’s the natural response to the situation and the most basic solution we can find. Inspired by this concept, furniture designers have come up with a variety of creations that allow us to do exactly that. It’s a category that includes stackable furniture of all types, all based on the same main concept. Opt for stackable furniture such as nesting tables, coffee tables with stools underneath, folding chairs, etc.


5. Multi-Use Furniture
Quality multifunctional furniture is versatile in its ability to adapt to many situations. Modular, reconfigurable elements provide freedom in arranging your home’s decor. The current surge in downsizing is the driving force behind a palette of creative and elegant furniture solutions. Many of which are not only ingenious in their functionality but very stylish as well.

Regardless of the size of your home, it’s difficult to include in the decor every little object that you might or might not need at some point. It’s not practical either as it’s much simpler to just opt for fewer multipurpose pieces of furniture that will serve you just as well. This way you save space and money and you get to have everything you need right there in your small home. The most prominent and versatile multi-use furniture is the humble bench. One can use Tufted benches as additional seating furniture in the living room, and if needed, one can also shift them to the dining room when one needs extra seating space at the table.

6.Pull out Sofa
In smaller apartments, space is always a constraint when you have guests staying over. However, one can plan smartly and buy a well-upholstered sofa that pulls out as a bed for guests. To curl up on with popcorn and a blanket for movie night or to accommodate a couple of unexpected overnight guests, a sofa bed is a great way to add function, comfort, and style to your home. Spaces both big and small could benefit from the dual functionality of a sofa bed and there is truly one for every style. Our list covers everything from Mid-Century Modern futons for movie marathons to sleek and stylish velvet couches that secretly fold out into a guest bed and everything in between.


7.Floating Shelves
Floating shelves are a great way to add extra storage space without making the room too cramped. They take up very little floor space, rather, no floor space at all. A display of your favourite books or artwork on a floating shelf can be a good conversation starter for your guests. Floating shelves also help to organise clutter.Displaying your most priced decorations or even just some books could mean that you actually have to put shelves on your walls – of course, you could opt for a book case or something to do that, but for convenience, you could also add a floating shelf! From the name itself, you know that this is something that you could easily do by yourself.


8.Nook Furniture
All it takes to transform a plain ugly nook into an exciting area are some quirky furniture. Bring in a cosy recliner and a tiny table to convert the nook into a reading area. You can also install shelves and place a table to change the odd space into a beautiful workstation. Alternatively, if there is a window beside the nook, then one can place a small upholstered bench that can double up as an activity area for kids.


9.Living Room Bar Furniture
Without a doubt, having your very own bar at home can help you relax and let loose. While those who have the luxury of a spacious apartment can afford a separate custom home bar, people staying in smaller apartments can consider incorporating a living room bar. If you have (or consider having) a living room bar at home, then this bar furniture is a must-have. A living room bar can contain furniture that is either free-standing or built-in.Whether you have a palatial villa or a pocket-sized apartment, incorporating a home bar into your interior design doesn’t need to take up a lot of space. If you are the kind who thrives on entertaining family and friends often, then you just cannot do without a well-designed bar unit in your home!

Unless your home has been designed to your specifications (and a bar was high on your priority list), you will need to find a way to squeeze it into the best possible location available. Your kitchen or dining room would be ideal choices, although you can locate your bar in the living, basement or even under the staircase! If you have a large terrace or a garden, an outdoor bar is also a lovely idea. You should remember that wherever you decide to place it, you will need to draw utility lines for lighting and refrigeration, and it should be in close proximity to a sink.

10.Other Interesting Must-Have Add-Ons
With every Indian family longing to showcase their tradition, furniture like diwans and swings (Jhulas) in the living room can be considered must-have add-ons to balance traditional and modern design.