Furnish the living room

Author: DREIECK DESIGN Editorial Team
Last updated: June 17, 2025

Furnishing the Living Room: Comprehensive Ideas for Colours, Furniture, and Decoration

Whether for reading, playing games, relaxing, or enjoying cosy get-togethers with friends and family, the living room is the heart of most homes. This makes it all the more important for this space to exude a welcoming atmosphere and be a place where you love to spend your time. Are you looking to furnish or redesign your living room? In this article, we provide you with numerous professional tips and creative ideas – from optimal colour schemes and clever furniture placement to choosing the right interior design style.

(Photo shows QUADRO coffee tables and CD wall shelves by DREIECK DESIGN)

Furnishing a New Living Room: What Do I Need? A Checklist

Especially when you're furnishing a living room from scratch, it's best to start with an overview and assess your needs: What furniture is actually required? What functions should the room serve? The following pieces of furniture form the foundation for most living rooms and should be considered during the planning phase:

The Sofa: The Heart of Sociability

The sofa or couch is almost always the central meeting point and the heart of the living room. The choice of the right sofa depends heavily on the size of the room and your lifestyle. Is a compact two-seater sofa, a generous corner couch, or an entire sectional seating group most suitable? A small couch can be perfectly complemented with one or two armchairs and an upholstered pouf to create a flexible seating arrangement.

By the way: The sofa doesn't necessarily have to be placed against a wall. Especially in large or open-plan living rooms, you can also position the sofa as a stylish "living island" in the middle of the room to elegantly zone the space.

(Photo shows CUBE CD stand and FILIO coffee tables by DREIECK DESIGN)

The Coffee Table: A Functional and Aesthetic Partner

A coffee table not only visually completes the sofa landscape but also offers indispensable, practical surface space for drinks, books, remote controls, and decorations. To round things off in the literal sense, it's best to choose a circular or oval table – this looks particularly soft and harmonious and facilitates walking around it. If you prefer something more classic and structured, opt for a square or rectangular model.

As a general rule for shape: Elongated sofas often pair well with a rectangular or long oval coffee table. For smaller sofas or for a more flexible arrangement, round or square tables, or even a set of two small side tables placed on either side of the sofa, are often a better fit. You can find detailed advice in our guide, "Which Coffee Table for Which Sofa?".

(Photo shows JANUS III side table and QUADRO coffee table by DREIECK DESIGN)

Shelves, Display Cases, and Sideboards: Storage and Display Space

Whether you want to display your favorite books, a vintage record player, a Hi-Fi system, or some beautiful decorative items, a shelf, sideboard, or display case is also a "must-have" for furnishing a functional and homely living room. Depending on your interior style, suitable options include, for example, models with a natural wood look, an elegant colored lacquer finish, or a transparent glass shelf, which appears particularly light. For valuable collectibles, an illuminated glass display case is ideal, protecting and showcasing your treasures.

In most cases, these pieces are placed against a wall – but in large living rooms, they also cut a fine figure as elegant room dividers. As a modern and often airier alternative to classic tall shelving, you can also opt for sideboards and console tables.

(Photo shows illuminated SOLUS BACKLIGHT glass display cases and ST 06 nesting tables by DREIECK DESIGN)

Pictures, Accessories, and Textiles: The Personal Touch

For a truly homely atmosphere and coziness, a personal touch is essential. Especially in the living room, decorative design plays an important role. With pictures on the wall that reflect your taste, color-coordinated decorative pillows, a cozy throw blanket, curtains, and various home accessories like vases, bowls, or candle holders, a simple room is transformed into your individual place of well-being.

Tips for Designing Living Rooms of Different Sizes

The right furnishings also depend significantly on the size and layout of the room. For this reason, you will find some tips and tricks here specifically for small and large living rooms.

Furnishing a Small Living Room: Creating Visual Space

Especially in cities, living space is often limited. But even in just a few square meters, you can create a cozy and stylish spot. With the following ideas, you can make the most of a small living room:

• Light Colours: White, beige, cream, or soft pastel colours make the room appear more open and larger, as they reflect more light than dark tones. Therefore, opt for a light color scheme for the walls and also for large pieces of furniture.
• Strategic Placement of Mirrors: Mirrors can also make a room appear larger and brighter than it actually is. For example, hang a large mirror opposite a window or place it above a narrow console table or sideboard.
• Furnish Sparingly and Deliberately: It's worthwhile to furnish small rooms in a more minimalist way. Limit yourself to the truly important and beloved items and consciously leave some surfaces free to maintain an airy atmosphere.
• Furniture with Transparency and Lightness: Pieces of furniture made of wire frames, wicker, or glass are particularly suitable because they allow an unobstructed view through the room and appear less massive. How about a glass coffee table or a delicate glass shelf, for example?
• Avoid Bulky Furnishings: Massive, heavy pieces of furniture can quickly feel overwhelming in small rooms. It's better to choose more delicate furniture, such as side tables with thin legs or sofas on high, slender feet.
• Utilize the Height of the Room: When floor space is scarce, it's important to make good use of the room's height. With ceiling-high but narrow shelves or clever wallboard systems, you can create a lot of storage space without losing valuable floor area. Here, custom-made solutions are often ideal.
• Use Targeted Lighting: With the right light accents, you can also optically create more space – e.g., with indirect lighting from LED strips on shelves, bright uplighters, or several small light sources distributed throughout the room.

(Photo shows curved glass coffee table UT 20 and side table FADO by DREIECK DESIGN)

Furnishing a Large Living Room: Creating Structure and Coziness

A spacious living room for playing, watching TV, and cozy get-togethers is, of course, wonderful! However, the question can also arise here: How do I design a large living room so that it doesn't feel impersonal or bare? Ultimately, the room should come together to form a harmonious and cozy whole.

• Create "Living Islands": Divide the room into several functional areas (e.g., a reading corner, a TV area, a conversation lounge) and visually separate them from each other. This works very well with rugs, thoughtful placement of furniture (e.g., a freestanding sofa), or the use of room dividers, such as screens, open shelves, or even large standing mirrors.
• Be Bold with Substantial Furniture: A large sectional sofa, a wall-filling solid wood bookshelf, or an impressive coffee table – you can afford these in a large living room. What's more, the room even benefits from them, as it looks pleasantly filled and gains a clear focus.
• Define a Common Framework: When furnishing a large living room, you should ensure that the room has a common visual framework or a "common thread" to avoid appearing disjointed. This can be, for example, a recurring pattern, a specific color tone, or a material type that runs through the entire room.
• Arrange Decor in Groups: A single small picture or a single delicate vase can quickly look lost in a large living room. Therefore, opt for accessories in groups, e.g., several pictures hung together as a gallery, a group of side tables, or several plants of different sizes next to each other. Also nice: a single but impressive oversized painting – you can only afford that in particularly spacious rooms.

(Photo shows solid wood console table FLAIR in oak by DREIECK DESIGN)

The Right Colour Scheme for Your Living Room

Grey, white, greige, or a cheerful orange? The right colours are, of course, essential for a positive living experience! Depending on personal preference, these can be muted and calm or strong and invigorating. To design the living room in a harmonious color scheme, it's best to think about a specific color palette in advance that will run through the entire room. You can then consider this when choosing the wall color as well as when purchasing large pieces of furniture, decorative items, and textiles. Some ideas for popular colors:

• White: The classic among wall colors never goes out of style, as white walls create a bright, clean, and flexible impression. If you opt for a living room painted white, you can then set stronger color accents with furnishings and accessories.
• Light, Warm Tones: Slightly warmer and often cozier than pure white are various shades of beige, greige (grey-beige), and warm yellow tones. Soft cream and sand tones stay subtly in the background and create a calm, inviting atmosphere.
• Bold Accent Colours (Orange, Red, Teal): Such colours have a dynamic and modern effect – however, you should ensure that they don't create too much visual unrest. It is often advisable to paint only one or two walls with a bold color (accent walls) and keep the rest in a neutral tone.
• Calm, Cool Tones (Grey, Green, Blue): Grey, green, and blue tones exude tranquility and can also be an attractive option for wall design. However, these colors tend to absorb more light, which can make the room appear darker. Therefore, be sure to compensate with light-colored furniture, good lighting, and some white walls if necessary.

Creating a Cozy Living Room: 5 Ideas for More Comfort

Of course, the living room should be stylishly furnished and beautiful to look at. But the coziness factor is at least as important for it to become a true retreat. The following 5 ideas show you how to make your living room even cozier:

(Photo shows FLY TV stand, CD 504 CD stand, UT 05 curved coffee table and JANUS III side table)

1. Home Textiles: Coziness means warmth – and what better way to feel warm and secure than with a cozy blanket? Textiles of all kinds are a must for making the living room comfortable. With a fluffy deep-pile carpet under the seating area, a hand-woven plaid on the sofa, and some soft pillows, the room looks much more inviting, doesn't it? Curtains also contribute significantly to the cozy atmosphere.
2. Muted and Warm Colours: Shades like beige, light grey, soft sage green, or a warm terracotta radiate calm and serenity, thus contributing to a cozy mood in the living room. Brighter or very cool shades, on the other hand, tend to be more invigorating and can sometimes create a sense of unrest.
3. Natural Materials: Are you familiar with the Danish living trend "Hygge"? Here, cozy living is particularly emphasized! And it's no coincidence that the Hygge style is characterized by the preferential use of natural materials: with furniture made of wood, decor made of ceramic, textiles of linen and wool, and baskets of rattan or wicker, it becomes truly homely and authentic in the living room.
4. Clarity and Personal Order: Coziness and minimalism are not mutually exclusive: a tidy but personally arranged room allows the mind to come to rest and ensures more relaxation. So make sure not to overload the living room with decorations and plan for enough clever, often closed, storage. However, the room shouldn't look bare either – the famous golden mean is key here!
5. Atmospheric Light: Last but not least, the living room can be made cozy with the right lighting concept. For a comfortable atmosphere in the evenings, indirect, warm white light (with a color temperature of less than 3,300 Kelvin) is particularly suitable. This resembles the gentle glow of candlelight or a fireplace and thus ensures a particularly relaxing atmosphere. With dimmable lamps, indirect light from LED strips, or of course real candles, you can skillfully set the scene in your room.

Furnishing the Living Room Beautifully: Which Interior Design Style Suits Me?

Do you want to furnish your living room in a modern and cohesive way? Then you could, for example, orient yourself towards one of the current or timeless living trends. You can find detailed information in our comprehensive guide to the most beautiful modern interior design styles. Here is a brief overview with suitable furniture ideas:

• Rustic-Playful in Country House Style: This style is oriented towards the furnishings of British cottages. Natural materials such as wood, leather, wicker, linen, and ceramics are a must. How about a sofa with a linen cover and a charming wingback chair made of leather?
• Reduced to the Essentials in Minimalism: Do you like simple, yet beautiful and high-quality design? Then you could furnish your living room in a minimalist style. Frills and playfulness are nowhere to be found here; instead, clear lines and geometric shapes dominate. The motto is: less is more. Accordingly, decoration is limited to a few, selected statement pieces – for example, an avant-garde designer coffee table or a modern work of art on an otherwise empty wall.
• Scandinavian Style with Nordic Chic: Minimalism, but in a particularly homely way – that's what the popular "Scandi Style" offers. Here, too, the focus is on clear lines and a simple design language. At the same time, value is placed on natural materials, such as light-colored wood, and a certain down-to-earthness. Light colors – especially white – are particularly popular, but individual splashes of pastel color are also allowed.
• A Touch of Nostalgia with Vintage Style: Modern with retro charm – that's how one could describe the vintage style. Because living room furnishings in the style of the 50s, 60s, or 70s don't look old-fashioned at all, but on the contrary, really hip. It's best to decide on a style era beforehand and then look for suitable pieces of furniture to furnish your living room – for example, at flea markets or online exchanges.

(Photo shows the noble wooden console FLAIR in a special lacquer and the glass table QUADRO MAGNUM by DREIECK DESIGN)

Conclusion: Your Living Room as a Personal Oasis of Well-being

Whether minimalist, vintage style, or a colourful mix of everything: in the end, it naturally comes down to your personal taste, because you should ultimately feel completely comfortable in your living room. So don't let our tips limit you, but rather see them as professional inspiration and guidance. Because no matter how you want to furnish your living room: whatever you like and fits your life is allowed! With thoughtful planning and high-quality, timeless furniture, you will create a space that will bring you joy for many years to come.