Published: October 12, 2021 I APARTMENT LIVING

These are the most exciting parts of having an apartment – decorating and shopping! Whether you’re a newbie owner of an apartment or you’ve stayed there for quite some time, you’ll get to a point when you’ll need to grab some items to make your space more comfortable and inviting. So, whenever you buy things for your living room, you need to plan in advance and consider your budget, the theme of the room (e.g., boho, minimalist, farmhouse), and your personality. This is why a list of things for the living room is super important so that it will be easier when you buy these stuff.

So what are the things to get for your living room? Take a look at our list with helpful tips in buying.

1. Couch or sofa

Beautiful furniture is a living room must-have and usually the first item you need to purchase primarily because the living room is where you sit, relax, eat, read a good book, watch TV, and enjoy time with family and friends. Occasionally, it’s also a place where you doze off.

A sofa or couch is basically a long, soft seat, has a back and arms that can accommodate more than one person at a time while providing comfort.

Before going to the store and investing your money in a sofa, make sure to measure the area where you intend to put it. You must still have enough space or clearance to walk around the area.

What are the general factors to consider in choosing a sofa?

• Sofa’s length and height in comparison to your legs. If you plan to sleep on the couch, its length must accommodate you.

• Sturdiness and quality of the sofa. Try sitting on the sofa in the store. If you feel something cracking or breaking, then the internal parts may not be strong enough.

• Consider also the cushion. Is it too soft or just right? Make sure you order from a good furniture store that sells good-quality and long-lasting sofas. Try to also get recommendations from family and friends.

• With regard to color or design, it really depends on your style and the theme of the room. If you’re afraid of spilling something on your couch, try a darker shade and an easy-to-clean fabric. You can also make your sofa the focal point of your room by getting one with a bolder or brighter color.

There are many kinds and styles of sofa to choose from depending on your design style.

2. Love seat

A love seat is somewhat similar to a sofa, only it’s a smaller version of a sofa that can accommodate only two people. This is a great option if you have limited space in your living room.

3. Occasional chair or accent chair

An accent chair is functional because it provides additional seating and also becomes a stylish addition to your living room. It gives visual appeal in the space aside from your couch. It enhances the cohesiveness within the interior design of the room with its color, form, and texture. Kinds of accent chairs include an arm chair, barrel chair, club chair, lounge chair, and many more.

You can choose either an accent chair in neutral colors, dark colors, bold colors, or with big patterns. But remember, it may or may not exactly match the color of your sofa. A nice tip is to choose a particular color (not necessarily the dominant color) in your living room that can match with your accent chair so that it can still blend well with the room. For example, the blue accent chairs in the photo below.

So, where do you place the accent chair in your living room? The essential idea here is to make it a beautiful point of interest in the room. You can put two accent chairs across your sofa to accommodate more people for hanging out and to make your space more inviting.

Another great place is near the window, with a side table to serve as a cozy reading nook.

You can also choose a comfortable rocking accent chair (which is very in right now!) and put it in a corner with good natural lighting or a standing lamp and it will be a perfect place for relaxation and unwinding.

If you want to have a more luxurious effect try a multi-colored barrel accent chair with gold details or a velvet upholstered accent chair. Whatever your design style is – modern, traditional, Scandinavian, coastal or glam – there is a beautiful accent chair that will fit your living room.

4. Ottoman or pouf

An ottoman is a piece of furniture that is round, square or rectangular box with a soft top (Cambridge). The good thing about it is that it can serve as an alternative to a coffee table that you can place in the middle of your living room/ seating area and can be used for storing things or holding a tray for drinks, books, a TV remote control, and other small décor.

5. Footstool and footrest

As the name suggests, a footstool (low height stool) is a furniture used to rest your feet when you’re sitting, but it can also function as a smaller side table, a child seat, or additional coffee table for larger footstools.

On the other hand a footrest can be of help to your body. According to kensington.com it can actually help support shoulders, back, and hips and improve circulation for most people, if the angle is between 15 and 30 degrees.

6. Chaise longue

A chaise longue is basically a long reclining chair (Merriam-Webster). It’s also described as “a long, low seat, with an arm at one side and usually a low back along half of its length, which a person can stretch out their legs on” (Cambridge). If you want more a comfortable seat for relaxing, reading, or watching TV, a chaise longue is a good option since its back is reclined.

7. Side table

A side table is designed to be placed against a wall or beside your sofa, on which you can put a lamp, some candles, a vase, or your coffee cup.

8. Coffee table

A coffee table is a small table on which coffee is served or books and magazines are arranged, usually placed in the middle of the living room sofa and chair.

9. Console table

A console table is a type of furniture typically placed and fixed against a wall. It needs legs or support only in the front, and the back is usually not decorated since it is never seen (Britannica).

You can place a console table as a decorative and functional piece in a small space like in the entryway or in the hallway (which is why it’s also called a hallway table), to drop your keys, hats, cards, etc. Another way is to put the console table against a bare wall in your living room with a mirror above it, or at the back of your sofa with a beautiful lamp, vase, and other décor.

10. Television stand

There are five common materials for a TV stand: glass, wood, metal, particle board, and medium-density fiberboard. Some practical tips on how to choose are to check whether it has a comfortable viewing height and whether it’s wide and long enough for the TV.

11. Rug/carpet

Rugs and carpets are some of the essential things to put in your living room. They provide comfort and make your space look more homey. A carpet provides coverage for the whole space while a rug only covers a part of the space in your living room, bedroom, or home office. It also helps the eye to distinguish and separate the different parts of the house.

In choosing a rug, a general rule according to Crate and Barrel is that it should cover the front legs of the couch and chairs of your living room. Also, it should have a space of about at least a foot of unfurnished floor around the perimeter of the room. So, in short you don’t have to cover the entire floor area of your living room.

12. Mural/ wall paper/ wall art/ paintings

Murals, wall paper, and wall art/ paintings are used mostly to create a focal point, bring life to the space, and complete the look of the room. It should also match with the interior design of your living room.

Here are some practical tips: Avoid putting a small wall art or painting against a huge wall, otherwise it will just look weird and unnoticed because of the other elements in the room. Thus, the size of the wall art should complement the size of the wall.

You can also have several wall art or personal photos on your wall, similar to a gallery. Buying wall art should not break your bank. You can get lots of good and quality paintings from the thrift store or from Etsy. Lastly, buy a painting that speaks to you.

13. Shelves or cabinet

Use shelves and cabinets to display photos, baskets, and decorative pieces from your travels, and of course to store your books and other supplies.

This gorgeous traditional cabinet makes the look of this neutral living room complete. I personally like cabinets more than shelves because they’re more low-maintenance since dirt doesn’t get inside so there’s less cleaning to be done!

14. Trunks and boxes

Trunks and boxes are used as extra storage space to organize your stuff. They can also serve as coffee tables or side tables. Rattan and wooden trunks are popularly used nowadays because they give a beautiful natural vibe to the living room.

15. Wicker/baskets

Try beautiful and unique baskets to store magazines, throws, toys, and other items. They can fit with almost any design – coastal, modern, or traditional, and are made of different materials like bamboo, rattan, abaca, or straw.

16. Cable box

A cable box lessens the mess that comes with chargers, wires, or cables in your living room. It prevents them from lying around the house and keeps them out of reach of children and pets. 

17. Curtains and curtain rods

Curtains are super essential to your home. They control the sunlight that enters your window and give you privacy. Silk, linen, and cotton are popular fabrics for curtains.

There are different types of curtains used depending on preference and style. Usually, light curtain fabrics such as silk, linen, and polyester are great for hot climates. Heavy curtain fabrics like velvet are for colder climates.

18. Blinds and window shutters

Blinds and window shutters are also great options for your windows and there are several kinds such as wood, plastic or metal. They are also a less expensive option to buying curtains.

19. Mirror

A mirror is a useful and nice decorative piece that can also make your living room look larger. When the mirror reflects the light, it adds luminosity to the room.

You may choose different sizes and shapes to suit your style, like rectangular, round, square, or octagon-shaped mirrors. You can also have your mirror customized to be shaped like different objects.

Choosing the type of mirror depends on how you want it to look and function in your living room. The material of the mirror frame can be wood, steel, glass, ceramic, leather, etc. You can easily place a mirror on top of the fireplace or console table, in the entryway, or in an empty space in your living room.

20. Clock

Wall clocks are also a popular choice for the living room. Several types of wall clocks include wooden clocks, modern clocks, and classic clocks.

21. Coat rack

A coat rack can hold coats, jackets, umbrellas, and scarves. When choosing a coat rack, you need to think about whether there’s enough space and where best to place it, like near the entrance of the living room. You also need to choose the design, material (wooden, metal, or plastic), and size that match the overall look of the living room. The common types such as a stand-alone coat rack or wall-mounted coat rack are generally more functional for a living room.

22. Fireplace accessories

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, these items are important to have. Fireplace accessories like a rack and a fire screen/ fireguard can shield the fireplace and ensure that the temperature of the logs inside the fireplace is controlled and that the ashes don’t escape into the room. A fireplace screen will also protect you from rolling logs and embers. Other fireplace accessories include fireplace tool sets to pick up logs, clean up ashes, or stoke the fire. To store your logs, you also need a basket or log holders. Grates hold logs inside the fireplace. An ash bucket helps you to transport the ashes and throw them away.

If you don’t want a traditional wood-burning fireplace, you can choose an electric fireplace as it is safe, is cost-effective, and helps the environment by not burning any logs to heat your apartment. 

23. Television

There are different kinds of televisions depending on the technology [e.g., liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED), organic LED (OLED)]. Televisions can also be categorized in terms of screen type (flat screen, curved screen), resolution (4K, 8K), or feature [high dynamic range (HDR), smart TV, voice activated TV].

24. Sound bar, surround sound speakers, or home theater

If you’re after a more dynamic sound from your TV without having to place speakers around your room or embed them in your walls, then a sound bar may be an adequate option for you.

Sound bars have a sleek design to complement most flat-panel LCD, LED, and plasma TVs, and usually provide a much better sound than the TV set’s in-built speakers. They can also imitate the experience achieved by 5.1 and 7.1 surround systems, as a sound bar contains several speakers in one housing that are positioned to bounce sound off walls and distribute audio around your room.

A home theater creates a more realistic and three-dimensional sound. It usually includes a home theater receiver (where the power comes from) and several speakers (right and left speakers for front and rear, a center speaker, height speakers, and one or two sub-woofers).

25. Air conditioner

There are different kinds of air conditioners – central air conditioners, ductless mini-split, window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, floor-mounted air conditioners, and smart air conditioners. If you want to know how to choose an air conditioner, consider the buying guide here.

26. Electric fan

You can choose from desk fan, ceiling fan, floor fan, standing fan, rechargeable fan, or mounted fan. You should check if it’s noise-free, has oscillation control for a balanced airflow, and is of good quality.

27. Indoor lighting

According to happyhiller.com, there are many considerations in choosing lighting because it has an effect on the emotions and productivity of a person. A few of the things you need to think about before installing lighting fixtures are the size and space of your room, traffic (or how many people are walking around that area), colors of walls and furniture, ceiling type, etc.

Also note that there are types of lighting you may need, such as:

• ambient or general lighting for the whole space
• task lighting specifically for working, cooking in the stove, cutting, and studying
• accent lighting to create a focal interest on an object or area in your living room such as a painting or gallery hallway.

Here is a highly recommended buying guide with helpful tips for lighting from happyhiller.com.

28. Décor items and accessories

These are vases, lamps, beads, flowers, throw pillows, throws, trays, plants, figurines, and books to complete the look of the room.

After checking out the list for your living room, now it’s time to buy some nice items (don’t forget the living room printable checklist here). Which ones will you go for?

Lastly, there are a lot of practical tips above, but every house is different so better consult a professional before you splurge in any of these items. 🙂

Recommended shopping and moving lists for your new apartment

• Ultimate Kitchen Items List For Your First or New Apartment
• Buying Guide: Bathroom Shopping List for Your New Apartment
• 50 Things to Buy for Your New Bedroom + Bedroom Essential Items Checklist
• Practical Planning, Packing, and Organizing Ideas for Moving Into A New Apartment

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