THE BLOG

If you’re living in a city apartment, or any apartment for that matter, you probably only have one living room. This means, other than the kitchen, you only have one dedicated space that everyone will gather in.

Of course, this means that you’re going to have to have the right type of seating in your living room that acts not only functionally, but stylishly as well. Over the next few months, I will discuss all of the different types and options of seating you can have in your home, but in this post, I’m going to specifically talk about the couch.

First, let me start off by saying that there isn’t one certain type of couch that works for everyone. When choosing the right couch, you have to consider a few factors such as the size of your space, the number of visitors you usually have per week and the look you’re trying to achieve. I’m just going to assume that if you’re reading this, you’re a city girl who lives in a small apartment and has a decent amount of people over per week.

The #1 tip I have for buying a couch is to not spend too much on it- especially if the living room is the only area of congregation in your home. No matter how hard you try to take care of it, your couch will get dirty over time, and after a few years, you’re going to want to buy another one. Think about it: How often do you eat on your couch? How often are you drinking on it? How often are you sitting on it? Trust me on this one- a couch is not something to splurge on if you live in the city.

Now, I’m not saying to go out and buy a $100/$200 couch (unless you find it super comfortable!), but definitely don’t go out and spend thousands on one (there are exceptions). My couch, from World Market, was $700, and I bought it 2 years ago. In another year or two, after many more wine and pizza stains, I am going to buy another couch of the same value.

The second tip I have for purchasing a couch is to buy one in a neutral color. Blacks, grays, whites and tans are the best colors to chose from. If you are always having people over, I would shy away from white, just because that will get dirty very quickly. Your couch is considered one of the “bases” in your space. I’ll talk more about bases in another post, but in short, the 3 bases of any room are your wall color, large furniture and area rug. A neutral colored couch will not only bring out the details in your decor, such as your throw pillows, but it allows you to easily change out your decor throughout the year

In terms of styling, the #1 mistake you can make with a couch is to overdo it with the pillows. If you have a two-seater couch, two throw pillows on each side should be enough. Throwing a blanket or throw over the arm of your couch will instantly make your room feel homey and inviting.

Feeling adventurous? You can even switch out the legs on your couch! This can make a huge transformation in the look of this piece.