How to Choose Living Room Furniture
Measuring Your Space
Measure the room before you choose, and note where the doors, windows, power points and TV are. Then measure the way in, including doorways, hallways and any stairs or lift, so larger pieces can reach the room.
When you're buying living room furniture online, most listings give dimensions in millimetres: length × depth × height, or diameter and height for round pieces. Across our range:
- Coffee tables run from compact round tables 480 mm across to rectangles 1,400 mm long.
- Side and lamp tables are mostly 450 to 650 mm across and 450 to 600 mm high.
- Console tables are 1,100 to 1,500 mm long, 350 to 500 mm deep and 750 to 800 mm high.
- Display cabinets and bookshelves stand 1.6 to 2.1 m tall.
Our coffee table guide suggests a coffee table about two-thirds the width of your sofa. The table should sit level with the seat cushions or a little lower, which generally means 40 to 45 cm high. The guide also suggests leaving about 45 cm between the table and the sofa so people can walk around comfortably. For side and lamp tables, our accent-tables guide suggests a top near the arm of the seat the table stands beside.
Which Tabletop Material Should I Choose?
Each top material on a living room table needs different care, so match the material to how the table will be used.
Ceramic and sintered stone resist scratches, stains and heat, and wipe clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent. If you want a top that resists scratches, stains and heat, start here. The downside with sintered stone is weight: as our coffee table guide points out, marble and stone tables can be heavy. If you've heard about WA's engineered stone ban, sintered stone is excluded from it.
Marble tops in our range are resin-coated over a colour film. The resin isn't heatproof, so use coasters, placemats or trivets, and strong sun can yellow it over time. Wipe it with a soft, damp cloth and mild dish soap. Avoid abrasive sponges and powders, and don't drag heavy or sharp objects across it. Our care guide also recommends a clear protective film. Marble suits you if you're happy to use coasters and the table will sit out of direct sun.
Solid marri is a hardwood from WA's south-west, used for the tops of several of our tables. Every piece has its own colour, grain and natural markings. It isn't heatproof, direct sun changes its colour over time, and it needs a timber-safe oil or wax every 6 to 12 months. Wipe it with a dry or slightly damp cloth, never soak it, and dry it after cleaning. Not every piece in a marri-named range is solid timber, so check the materials in each listing.
Veneer and high-gloss finishes appear on many of our consoles, cabinets and coffee tables, including oak, ash and walnut veneers over MDF or engineered wood. Veneer needs different care from solid timber: dust it weekly, clean it with mild soap and water only, then dry it. High-gloss lacquer wipes clean with a soft, damp cloth and mild detergent, and needs coasters and placemats.
Glass tops in our range are often tempered glass on a metal frame. In a smaller room, our coffee table guide notes, a glass coffee table can make the space feel more open and airy. Clean glass with a glass cleaner and a lint-free cloth, and avoid abrasives.
Storage: Doors, Shelves and Drawers
Start with what needs a home: books, glassware and keepsakes you want on show, or keys, remotes and everyday clutter you'd rather hide.
Our display cabinets come in three styles. Glass-door cabinets keep what's inside on view behind doors, solid-door cabinets hide it, and open display units have tiers of glass or sintered stone shelves. If a living room cabinet will sit beside your TV unit, plan the two together, including the total length of wall they'll need.
Some of our bookshelves pair open shelves with lower drawers, so books and decor sit on show while everything else stays out of sight.
Console tables are slim enough for a hallway or entry as well as the living room. Some add a drawer or a lower shelf for keys, mail or decor.
Coffee tables can store things too. Some have drawers or a lower section for remotes and magazines, and some come as sets with smaller tables that tuck underneath.
Table Shapes and Sets
Our coffee tables come in round, oval, square and rectangular shapes. Shape changes how a room feels: in one study of simulated rooms, people felt more pleasure and calm with curved furniture than with straight-edged pieces. Our coffee table guide also matches shape to the room. Round tables suit smaller rooms or compact seating. Rectangular and oval tables suit larger living rooms or longer sofas and give you more surface area.
Some tables come as sets. Nesting side tables are three tables that stack back into the space of one. Some coffee tables come as a pair in two sizes and heights. Our coffee table guide suggests nested tables if space is tight or you want to spread them out when you need them.
Should I Buy a Matching Set or Mix Pieces?
Many of our ranges include a coffee table, side table and console table with the same top and finish. Some add a display cabinet or a TV unit. Buying from one range gives you pieces made to match.
If you're replacing one piece of your lounge room furniture rather than starting fresh, compare each listing's materials, and its colour where one is given, with what you already own. Our accent-tables guide suggests one common thread to hold a mixed set together: a shared metal finish, a repeated shape or a single tone. Colours across the range include:
- white, grey and black marble looks
- natural, caramel and black oak tones
- white wash and walnut
- metal in champagne gold, gunmetal black, gold and silver
How Do I Protect My Furniture From Sun and Everyday Wear?
Sunlight is tough on some materials, and Australian homes get plenty of it: Perth averages 8.8 hours of sunshine a day. Direct sun changes the colour of marri over time and can yellow the resin on marble. Our care advice is to keep furniture out of direct sun, especially those two materials.
Everyday care is simple once you know what each surface needs:
- Use coasters for hot, cold or wet items, and placemats on marble.
- Put felt or soft pads under decor.
- Never use harsh chemicals on any surface.
- Open and close drawers and doors gently.
Our care guide covers each material in more detail.
Common Questions About Living Room Furniture
How Do I Arrange Living Room Furniture With a TV?
Plan the TV wall first, then arrange the rest of the room around it. Measure the wall before you buy. Add up the length of every piece you want along it, such as the TV unit and any display cabinet or bookshelf beside it. Then place the coffee table and side tables within easy reach of the seats facing the screen. Watching TV or streaming is the most reported free-time activity in Australia, so this wall is worth getting right first.
How Do I Pick Furniture for My Living Room?
Decide what the room needs to do, then measure and choose the largest pieces before the smaller ones. Think about who uses the room and how: watching TV, having friends over or working from home, as 36% of employed Australians usually did in August 2025. Then choose coffee and side tables that suit your seating, and match the tops to your household. Choose ceramic or sintered stone if you want surfaces that resist scratches, stains and heat, or marble and timber if you're happy to use coasters.
How Do I Arrange Living Room Furniture in a Small Apartment?
Choose pieces that use height, stay slim or tuck away, so more of the floor stays clear. Space can be tight: WA's apartment design standard allows living rooms as narrow as 3.6 metres in studio and one-bedroom apartments. Nesting side tables spread out when you need them and stack back into the space of one table. A slim console table can hold a lamp and keys against a wall. Going tall is one of our small living room ideas: bookshelves and display cabinets add storage without taking much floor space.
Need a Hand Choosing?
Take your measurements, then browse the collection above to compare sizes, materials and finishes. If you're torn between two pieces or want a second opinion on how everything will work together, get in touch with the Adore Home Living team. We'll help you find pieces that suit your room and the way you live.