Size, shape, and upholstery – we tell you how to choose a fashionable sofa for the living room, taking into account functionality and current trends.
The main element of any living room is a soft seating area. It should be not only stylish but also comfortable to use. In this article, we tell you which sofas for the living room in a modern style are now in trend and what to look for when choosing a model.
General trends
If you look at the photos of sofas in the interior of the living rooms, you can identify several obvious trends that will be relevant in the coming years.
Monochrome
Modern design as a whole strives for monochrome, simplicity, and comfort. If earlier beige or gray interiors seemed boring to many, now these are one of the most popular color schemes. In an era when we consume a huge amount of information every day, including visual information, we want to give our brain and eyes a rest at home. Therefore, bright living rooms full of color and activity patterns are being replaced by cozy spaces in neutral shades.
For a soft group in such an interior, they also choose a common shade: gray, brown, beige, etc. It can be darker or, conversely, lighter so as not to completely merge with the walls and floor. The volume is created by an interesting upholstery fabric or decorative textiles (it can also be a little brighter to dilute the overall monochrome). In such a space, you can just experiment with the form – for example, choose a product with a complex curved back or asymmetric modules.
Sofa as an accent
Fans of brightness should not be upset. Now the opposite technique is also relevant when furniture is made as an accent, moving away from the rule “large elements are neutral, small ones are bright”.
At the same time, the sofa in the living room (photos below) can attract attention in different ways:
- Through color – for a bright accent, choose any natural muted shades (for example, deep blue, wine, emerald or olive, terracotta, brick). They look noble, do not hurt the eyes, and do not reduce the cost of the interior.
- Through the texture – you can stay within the neutral palette, but highlight the furniture due to the bright texture. For example, boucle, dense jacquard, and eco-leather look very impressive.
- Through the shape and size – a non-standard shape or a large format of the product will also attract the eye.
Smooth lines
Rounded streamlined shapes are one of the main trends in interior design in general.
Despite the fact that right angles are easier to fit into space, now comfort and coziness at the level of object design come to the top. And smooth lines are inherent in nature and therefore are perceived by us as something natural, safe, and pleasant. So more and more often circles, ovals, and any curved elements appear in the silhouettes of furniture. A fashionable sofa can be in the form of a crescent, zigzag, shell, round “island” or a classic rectangle, but with softened corners.
Large format
Another striking trend is the departure from classical proportions. Designers break the scaling rule and add custom-sized items to the space.
For example, large sofas are increasingly appearing in living rooms now. This is expressed both in general dimensions (for example, a product can occupy the entire length of the wall), and in the size of individual elements. It can be enlarged modules in the design, backrest, pillows, and armrests. Such disproportion, if it is correctly played out, attracts attention and automatically makes the soft group accent, even if the entire interior is as neutral as possible.
Minimalism
Another global trend is a minimalist approach to the design of living spaces.
This is expressed in several aspects at once.:
- Refusal of unnecessary things.
- Thoughtful, mostly closed storage.
- Ergonomics and functionality of furniture.
- Laconic design.
- Conscious consumption and care for nature.
Therefore, the product must be of high quality, durable, and made of environmentally friendly materials. The design is appropriate: simple shapes, natural colors, and lack of decorative elements (fringe, carriage tie, rhinestones, various inserts). Upholstery is almost always plain. If the fabric is patterned, then it should be concise and non-contrasting, barely noticeable.
Functionality
This trend is directly related to the ideas of minimalism that are now prevalent in design.
If there is not enough furniture, then it should be functional – but it is better to solve several problems at once. Therefore, the sofa in the living room now rarely plays the role of only sitting. Most often, this is part-time a bed or an additional storage system that can replace a whole chest of drawers or shelves. In small spaces, where it is difficult to organize a separate bed for guests, folding models are indispensable. Various transformers are also popular: for example, a sofa cabinet or a desk.
Model
Choosing upholstered furniture in the living room, first of all, you need to understand what type you need.
Straight
This is a classic format that is easy to fit into any space. A straight sofa can stand both against the wall and in the center of the room. For example, if you have a combined kitchen-living room, you can put its back to the dining space in order to visually separate the living room without any partitions. The size of direct models varies from a compact sofa for two to a three-section euro book, which, when unfolded, is similar to a full-fledged double bed.
Corner sofa
L-shaped models are more spacious and help fill an empty corner. This option is suitable for small apartments where several people live. On such a sofa it is convenient to spend time with the whole family or chat with friends. For greater functionality, transformable models are often chosen: in folding corner sofas, the “dolphin” mechanism is usually used.
Modular
Modular systems are very popular now. They not only make the interior more mobile, transformable but also personalize it as much as possible. Since they are made to order, you can specify the dimensions you need, as well as assemble exactly the modules you need. This applies to everything: their colors, shapes, and functionality. The result is a beautiful, ergonomic, and functional soft group, in which there are no unnecessary elements.
Sofa upholstery in the interior of the living room in a modern style
The upholstery of furniture is important not only from the point of view of use in everyday life but also from the point of view of aesthetics.
The same color will look different on a particular texture. So, for example, brown eco-leather will create a completely different mood than the same shade on a dense velvety fabric. You need to take this into account, as well as understand what other textures are in the interior of the living room so that they harmoniously combine with each other.
But still, the practical component matters first of all. Now there are two trends: to use natural or high-tech materials. Often they intersect: for example, upholstery is chosen for a product made of natural fabric, but with modern protective impregnations. This allows you to choose a design that you like visually, and at the same time make cleaning easier, as well as extend the life of the furniture itself.
What fabrics are in trend right now?
- Velours – dense, tactilely pleasant material with a thick short pile. It combines natural and synthetic ingredients, so it is both environmentally friendly and durable, resistant to bursting and wear. Visually it can be smooth, and shaped with an embossed or printed pattern.
- Flock – a layer of special glue is applied to the non-woven base, and then a large amount of fiber is poured onto it. The result is an incredibly durable anti-vandal fabric, visually similar to velour. It is also resistant to any environmental influences (such a sofa is not afraid of direct sun from the windows or too dry air in the apartment) and is unpretentious in care. Flock is a great choice for those who have pets at home.
- Boucle – one of the most fashionable materials that will be relevant for a long time. This is a voluminous “fluffy” fabric that is immediately recognizable. Most often, it is painted in light tones of beige, gray, brown, or white, because this way its unique texture is better visible. Boucle can be fully synthetic or blended. Most often it is viscose and acetate, but sometimes cotton, wool or even wool are added to them – such models will cost more. No glue or toxic substances are used in the manufacture, so this upholstery is eco-friendly and hypoallergenic.
- Chenille – dense, but at the same time soft and tactilely pleasant fabric, which is made in a special way: weaving fluffy fibers from cotton, viscose, polyester, and other materials into smooth threads. Thanks to this, there are many types of chenille upholstery, which differ both in characteristics and in pattern, texture, and color.
- Eco-leather – leather sofas in the living room look very impressive, but such upholstery requires careful handling and special care, and for some, it is not suitable for ethical reasons. Another thing is its synthetic counterpart, consisting of a cotton and polyurethane layer. Visually, the material looks almost like genuine leather but lasts longer, and is resistant to abrasion, mechanical damage, and creases. Eco-leather allows air to pass through, so in hot weather, sitting on the sofa will not sweat. Also, the artificial counterpart is easier to care for.
- Microfiber – hypoallergenic, inexpensive, durable artificial fabric, which is now very popular. It does not shed and does not roll, it is resistant to deformation, it can be washed. And manufacturers offer a huge number of colors to choose from.
- Faux suede – Another synthetic material with excellent appearance and performance. It consists of cotton and polyester, which are impregnated with a special laminating composition. Available in many colors, very pleasant to the touch.
- Jacquard – this fabric will appeal to those who appreciate luxury and aesthetics. The complex interweaving of fibers gives high strength, but at the same time the matter turns out to be hard and slippery, so it is not always comfortable to sit on it for a long time. In addition, jacquard cannot be washed. But this compensates for the elegant look, the beauty of patterns, and the nobility of colors. The fabric has a more practical analog – thermal jacquard, which, thanks to a special impregnation, is resistant to moisture, elastic, and durable.
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