When it comes to buying living room furniture, the two most important things customers want are comfort and style. Typically, the women are a little more interested in the living room style and the men are more about the living room comfort. But almost everyone wants a blend of both. Comfort, because it’s where you spend much of your time as a family. Style, because it’s usually where you entertain company. And of course, both comfort and style are in the eye of the beholder.
As a design consultant, it’s my job to ask what’s most important to the customer and how they’re going to use the furniture. Who’s going to use what pieces the most? For example, some people want a sofa they can lay across and not sit up straight in. Some want it to sit up and watch the game in. What is the overall look or style that they want? By getting a feel for how they’ll use the furniture and what their home design aesthetic is, what the personality of their home is – then I can start to help them find the right blend of comfort and style.
To Recline or Not To Recline
A lot of people when they think of comfort, they think of reclining furniture. And when they think of reclining furniture, they think of that poofy, bubble looking furniture that may not be the most stylish furniture on the market. But that’s not necessarily the case anymore.
There are several different companies that offer a power reclining sofa that looks more like a stylish, non-reclining sofa. One example we have at Grand, is the La-Z-Boy Duo line. It has several different reclining accent chairs, sofas and sectionals that offer this type of look. It’s available in leather or fabric, has the nail head trim and you can really dress it up or keep it casual. Another example we have of reclining furniture that doesn’t look like reclining furniture is the Craftmaster F-9 series. It offers the same type of options of sofas, love seats and sectionals. Of course, if you like the style of one of our non-reclining sofas, there are some things you can do to create some added comfort. You can add a plusher seat or add a cocktail ottoman to put your feet up on. Things like that could add a little bit extra comfort to that stylish sofa or sectional.
Adding Style to Comfort
For people who put the same value on comfort and style, there are things you can do to add more style to your living room beyond the sofa. Although the sofa or sectional is the largest piece of furniture in the living room, it doesn’t necessarily have to set the mood for the entire room.
Choose a color that’s neutral and warm and inviting. You can get a sofa that’s more neutral like a mushroom or pewter. Or you can go with something a little more bold, that’s a mustard or clay or dark green. And then you add some accessories that enhance your style – such as wall art, end tables, rugs and pillows.
The Open Concept Living Room
Now, many homes are designed with an open concept, so you just have just a living room instead of a living room and family room or den. This tends to be the hardest place for people to design because it is the biggest open space. It’s also the hardest to keep clean, because you use it for everything. With the open concept, almost everybody sees the living room, so your personality, your style really shines through the most in that room. It’s really the place where you define your style. What makes it even harder to design is that there aren’t really any decorating rules any more. I’ve seen the change over the years. You can mix and match the different styles, but you do have to consider size and scale of the furniture. And I think there’s more to comfort than just the reclining sofa or the sofa. What sometimes defines comfort is how much it feels warm and welcoming. I think that can be the most important aspect. And I try to help my customers achieve that when they come in and design their room.
Help, When You Need It
But, don’t feel overwhelmed when trying to find that right mix of comfort and style. We have design consultants in every store and we can help you find that perfect blend. Just ask for help and let a design consultant work with you to figure it out. Just wandering around the store without a solid concept in your mind can be fun for a while, but eventually, if it doesn’t come to you, you feel like giving up. There are so many choices and when you’re trying to find something but you don’t really know what you’re looking for, you might just walk away frustrated. So, instead of getting frustrated, just ask us for help. Not only is our design consulting there for you, it’s free. And we’re always more than happy to help. Even if you don’t see what you’re looking for on the floor, we can help you create the look you want and order it for you. You can have it all, the comfort that makes everybody happy and the style that really reflects your personal flair.
 This part of a series of posts on Living Room furniture by Crystal McKenrick, one of Grand’s top Design Consultants. She’s been a part of the Grand family for over 15 years.
If you'd like to contact Crystal or schedule a consultation with any of our design consultants, just send an email to FurnitureExpert@grandhomefurnishings.com |
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