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The living room is the hub of the home. It is the entertainment center, the conversation "pit" and the "relax, put your feet up and chill out" zone! With this in mind, the latest designs in living room furniture have a plush, comfortable yet chic "safari baroque" feel. Muted colors that give a feeling of extended space, with bright accessories that add vibrancy to the room and give one a feeling of welcoming warmth, are what the latest trends are all about.

Finding furniture that will last makes a lot of sense to the family budget and with this in mind it's wise to look for good quality wood. Oak, mahogany and saligna (gum or eucalyptus wood) are superb quality woods that will last forever and won't loose their gloss. Make sure that quality of the hinges and finishes are in line with the furniture quality. Buying furniture from a reputable dealer is a sensible idea. Many can be found on line or at "house and garden" shows. House and Garden magazines are in abundance and have the most amazing selection of styles and furniture types to suit most budding home owners.

The best places to find chic modern furniture are at young designer exhibitions. Look out for pieces from the rather austere young Dutch master designer Oz Van Hoogen to the very trendy Spanish craftsman Fernando Velazquez - who, incidentally, only uses the finest woods - to the strange but trendy design by Japanese designer Miko. Try and find pieces that will go well with what you already have. Buying modern furniture that will blend with period pieces is an adventure in itself. Go bold! Buy pieces that will stand out but will also blend well everything else in the living room.

A great way to buy less expensive pieces of furniture is to attend auctions and garage sales. Alternatively, make use of what you have, find material that you love and then find an upholsterer that will change the look of your old furniture. The results are usually very rewarding, especially if the furniture is comfortable and has simply become shabby from constant wear and tear. A good upholsterer will up grade the furniture by adding extra padding and strengthening the wooden base or legs of the furniture.

A good leather set of chairs and couches will last forever, but it has to be top quality and one has to really enjoy the "feel" of leather. It doesn't work in hot climates unless one makes use of "throws". Throws make a huge difference to leather - especially the blacks and browns. They also work well with the muted beige's and white. Leather recliners blend well with most furniture sets if one does not want to go "the whole hog" and buy a complete leather suite.

Contemporary furniture is becoming more and more popular when one considers the type of architecture that is in vogue. Period furniture looks out of place in a modern designer home and contemporary furniture with its fuss free feel is far more suitable. The sky is the limit with contemporary furniture - it can be austere with lots of slim line finishes to plush and chunky with a more masculine feel. Stainless steel and melamine has also made a massive comeback, as has glass and opaque plastic.

The cottagey "country" look is timeless and one can go for solid cane furniture covered in colorful, pretty designs to the plain gingham old farm house look. Pine combines well with cane for the country look as does brass and large pottery containers which could be used for indoor plants and ornaments.

The ideal living room furniture set for a family of five would possibly be a three seater couch, two two seater's and two standard chairs. A standard solid wood coffee table with four matching smaller side tables, bookcases and glass cabinets made in the same wood would finish off the look nicely.

Learn more about this author, Glenda Thompson.
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