Do Living Room Chairs Have To Match (Helpful Furniture Guide)

Here's a helpful guide for answering the question, "Does living room furniture have to match?". Learn more about how to design stylishly.

A living room with a chair and symmetrical design.

A living room is a space in your home to relax, enjoy family and friends and find comfort in your surroundings. Everyone has different interior decor tastes and it is important to remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Decorating your home is an investment and taking the time to figure out what works right for you is key to creating a living room you will love. So do your living room chairs have to match?

It is not necessary for your living room chairs to match. They should coordinate and blend with other furniture, window treatments, wall colors, and accents in the room.

There are some easy-to-follow design rules to get started in the right furniture journey direction. This guide will share tips, ideas, and helpful tricks of the trade from professional interior designers. We’ll also give real-life examples of how to make your living room chairs and other furniture look stylish and interior designer-approved.

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Do the Chairs in the Living Room Have to Match?

If you are worried that you might make a mistake when purchasing chairs for your living room, opt for a furniture collection that is professionally designed to coordinate together. Furniture brands usually name collections to make it easy and convenient for you to coordinate your living room. Based on your budget limitations, you can either purchase the entire collection at once or purchase one or two pieces now and add them to your collection later. On the other hand, for a more eclectic and one-of-a-kind look, you can mix and match living room furniture as long as it coordinates and blends well with the overall look of the space. For example, there should be some type of connection to each piece. If your sofa is beige with patterned pillows, select chairs that are the same color as the pillows.

Pictured, two matching loveseats, and two living room chairs are from the same collection.

Living area with the ideal furniture color coordination — A charming living area with the ideal furniture color coordination.

What is an Accent Chair?

A colorful accent chair is a visual and functional piece of furniture. Accent chairs instantly add beauty and interest to a room. They can serve as decorative focal points or as additional seating. A colorful accent chair immediately enhances the space, especially if it doesn’t perfectly match other chairs and furniture. This adds a charming and special feeling to the room. Texture and Pattern accent chairs for living room layouts should provide a contrasting color, size, and silhouette to the room.

Pictured, a vintage accent chair with pillows adds a pop of color and interest to a living room

The wooden chair blends nicely with the décor — The wooden chair blends nicely with the decor of the living room.

Does Living Room Furniture Have To Match?

The match is an open-ended word in the world of interior design. As mentioned earlier, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and what one person likes, another may not. According to interior designer David Boulud, “Don’t be afraid to experiment with your room and note that not everything has to match to add charm.” Take a look at this entertaining video for ideas and inspiration.

Pictured, color creates a coordinated living room and the accent pillows match the area rug.

A beautiful color scheme design of the living area — A beautiful color scheme was employed in the design of the living area.

How Can you Select Furniture That Complements The Room?

First, you should have an idea of what you want the entire living room to look like. This includes color, style, textures, lighting, and furniture. This is to help you select items that blend and complement each other. Interior designer Amitha Verma recommends creating a wish list or a vision board that includes pictures of rooms that inspire you. She searches the internet to discover what she likes and posts all the ideas to a poster board or documents them in a journal. This process helps you find the colors, style, and textures that you can later incorporate into your living room.

Pictured, the marble coffee table, leather chairs, and gray couches combine to create different textures for a well-balanced living room.

Luxurious living space with seats that blend in with the architecture.

Does the Way The Living Room Furniture and Chairs Face Matter?

The key to a livable living room is figuring out what is the best way to design your space for your lifestyle. The furniture layout is a very important element in a living room. Furniture placement creates the flow of the room, but visually and physically. The sofa is usually the focal point in a room because it is the largest piece of furniture and takes up most of the space. Next, a coffee table could be placed in front of the sofa, end tables at each side of the sofa, and then accent chairs placed nearby to make the room comfortable and inviting. The chairs don’t have to match but should feature coordinating fabrics, colors, and designs. Accent throws that feature similar colors can help tie the furniture together.

Pictured, two living room chairs and carefully placed in front of a fireplace creating a comfortable and intimate area for conversation.

The living room's vintage chair creates a cozy atmosphere — The living room’s vintage chair creates a cozy atmosphere around the fireplace.

Can Living Room Chairs Visually Break Up A Larger Room?

If your living room is large with high ceilings and opens into other rooms, using furniture like accent chairs can create smaller spaces. Furniture can also create a visually appealing transition from space to space. Correct placement of area rugs, coffee tables, and end tables will add charm and personality. Bookcases displayed within the space are also another idea for enhancing the area. The best advice to give the space personality and a touch of coziness are to layer coordinating pillows on the chairs, sofa, and even in baskets or decorative crates on the floor. This adds texture, dimension, and interest.

A modern interior style complements the furnishings — A modern interior style that nicely complements the furnishings.

Pictured, a larger room is visually separated simply by the couch and shelving arrangement.

Can You Have Two Different Chairs in Living Room?

Two different chairs in a living room are a great way to add personality and hominess to a living room. Keep in mind, the colors and patterns should coordinate, and complement other furniture in the overall space. Designers at Southern Living Magazine encourage homeowners to embrace heirlooms passed down through the generations and let history take center stage. Combine new furniture with older ones, and mix instead of match fabrics. If they share a similar vibrancy and color temperature, they’ll look good together,” explains interior design expert Lindsey Ellis Beatty. This is easily accomplished with different chairs that blend but don’t match as well as other pieces in the room including footstools, coffee tables, end tables, and attractive home accents.

Pictured, antique furniture and heirlooms enhance the ambiance of a living room making it extra special.

Living room with wooden accents and big seats — Living room interior design with wooden accents and big seats.

What Are Ways to Select Accents For A Living Room?

Interior design experts have tips that can help you find and design a living room that looks beautiful. First, select a color scheme to work with. Select several colors that are on the same side of the color wheel. The color wheel shows the color spectrum on a circle and shows the relationship between colors and will help you select complementing colors. Take these colors and find inspiration from your vision board or colors that you like. Surround your room with colors that make you comfortable and happy. Select two or three colors and use shades of them. Next, add unexpected accent pillows, lamps, potted plants, and other statement items. Finally, experiment with textures, patterns, and sizes to show your personality and style.

Pictured accents and visually appealing color combinations create a cohesive, eclectic living room.

The sofa's green shade color blends with the indoor plant — The sofa’s green shade color blends in beautifully with the indoor plant aesthetic.

How to Match Accent Chairs With Sofa?

Two-color chairs mix nicely with the décor — Two-color chairs mix nicely with the decor and provide a peaceful tone.

A couch with 2 accent chairs or even three accent chairs makes a lovely furniture ensemble for a living room. If you only have one colorful accent chair to arrange with your sofa that works, too. The idea to make the design flow and look put together is to select fabrics and sizes that are similar in nature, especially if they are right beside the sofa. Take a look at an instructional video that provides ideas that will inspire and help you with your room layout. They suggest always arranging two identical chairs side by side, as well as other ideas. A sofa is the focal point of the room which is your starting point for accent chairs and other furniture and accents.

Pictured, pattern accent chairs for the living room add a touch of charm and color while blending in with the nearby sofa.