Living room furniture is the furniture used in the main sitting room of a house, including sofas, armchairs, occasional tables, side tables, coffee tables, bookcases, cabinets and footstools. The term is modern, but antique pieces originally made for drawing rooms, parlours, morning rooms and libraries are widely used to furnish today's living rooms.
In Georgian and Regency houses, the drawing room was furnished with suites of seat furniture arranged around the walls, along with card tables, pier tables, sofa tables and display cabinets, while the Victorians filled their parlours with buttoned upholstery, whatnots, davenports and occasional tables. Many antique forms translate easily to contemporary living, such as a Chesterfield or Regency sofa, a pair of wing chairs, a low oak coffer used as a coffee table, or a glazed bookcase. Mixing periods and styles, and combining antiques with modern upholstery and lighting, creates relaxed and characterful rooms. When choosing antique living room furniture, consider scale, comfort and durability as well as style, and look for sound frames, good upholstery and practical surfaces. Well-made antique furniture often offers better quality and longevity than new equivalents.
