How to Decorate Your Living Room From Your Couch

I love online shopping. I know I’m not alone when more than 40% of U.S. consumers shop online several times a month. While many people shop for smaller items, hard-to-find selections, or daily necessities, fewer use the Internet to shop for furniture online, but that trend is growing.

“People are engaging with their home spaces or office spaces very similarly to how they engage with their wardrobes. A space is never really done – it becomes a continual reflection of themselves,” explained Noa Santos, CEO and Co-Founder of Homepolish, an on-demand interior design service.

Online shopping makes it very easy for homeowners to consistently engage with or improve their homes. A new rug here, a mirror there, new lamps, an accent chair, or side table… these are all examples of furnishings that are relatively “safe” to buy online. Because, while online shopping is convenient, there’s something to be said for shopping for living room furniture in person. It’s the best way to gauge the comfort, texture, and feel of a piece, so it’s understandable that consumers may hesitate to buy bigger pieces or pieces they’ll be using every day without testing them out first, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shop for accessories, décor items, or unique selections online. In fact, sometimes the Internet is the best way to find that final missing piece of décor that will bring a room together.

That said, let’s dig in to explore some of the top online retailers of living furniture and décor!

Popular Online Retailers For Living Room Furnishings

Just about every major retailer of home furnishings has an online store where buyers can browse, compare prices, and even order furniture online. We won’t be exploring those big name brands in this post. Instead, we’ve decided to focus on sites that offer more unique selections.

Besides being able to find anything on the web, other benefits of shopping for furniture online are the options those websites offer. Room visualization tools, sort and filter tools, comparison tools, photo galleries and design advice, idea boards, and prices that range across the board. There’s more of a chance that you’ll have too many things that you love in your price range, rather than not enough! All of the sites we’ve chosen have that little something extra, be it a great search function, unique selections, or a robust ideas area.

Birch Lane. A subsidiary of online home furnishing giant Wayfair, Birch Lane is dedicated to classic, traditional designs. Living rooms products range from sofas and chairs to rugs, lighting, and accents. Wait for flash sales – they offer incredible deals.

CB2. CB2 is Crate & Barrel’s modern arm. If you’re into contemporary looks or want to add some modern flair to your home, you can’t go wrong with CB2. The company has 22 locations in the U.S. and Canada which means consumers can shop online and pick up at the store or swing into a store and shop in person. Of course, you can always shop online and have your purchases shipped to you too, that’s my personal favorite option!

Dot & Bo. Dot & Bo is full of unique, handpicked selections from around the world. I love the Trending Collections banner on the home page and their huge list of categories to shop and browse. The site is made more approachable by grouping furnishings by fun themes like “Farmhouse on a Dime”, “Organic Minimalism”, and “The Rustic Distillery” to name a few.

ETSY. ETSY is the place to go for handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items. This site is full of mom and pop shops or even solo artisans who are selling their wares in a virtual flea market. In addition to home and holiday décor, you can find handcrafted tables and chairs, vintage pieces, and antiques.

Hayneedle. I always equate Hayneedle with trying to find a needle in a haystack. There is so much to choose from at Hayneedle, it can feel very much like searching for that elusive needle…but in a good way! One thing that is unique about Hayneedle is the addition of products related to hobbies, sports, and home improvement. They also have a huge pet supplies selection.

Joss & Main. Joss & Main is part of the Wayfair and Birch Lane family. Their selections are more eclectic than Birch Lane, but less broad than Wayfair. Besides their gorgeous offerings, what I really like about this site is the “My Projects” tool. This lets you save favorite items for later and use their Room Planner tool to virtually furnish each room before making a purchase.

Overstock. If you’re a bargain hunter, Overstock has to be at the top of your list. This was one of the first online furniture sites and it’s still one of the best. An extensive range of products, regular sales and coupons, a members rewards program, and awesome deals every day make this a favorite furniture shopping site● Restoration Hardware. For high-end, luxurious furnishings, Restoration Hardware can’t be beat. As the name implies, you can purchase home hardware here, but there’s much more offered too. You’ll find timeless, update classics, and authentic reproductions for every room, textiles, window treatments, artwork and home décor to name a few. Even if it’s not in your budget, Restoration Hardware is worth a peek.

Restoration Hardware. For high-end, luxurious furnishings, Restoration Hardware can’t be beat. As the name implies, you can purchase home hardware here, but there’s much more offered too. You’ll find timeless, update classics, and authentic reproductions for every room, textiles, window treatments, artwork and home décor to name a few. Even if it’s not in your budget, Restoration Hardware is worth a peek.

Wayfair. Similar to Overstock, Wayfair is a one-stop-shop for great deals on home furnishings and décor. In addition to the usual home furnishings, Wayfair also sells renovation items like appliances, sinks and flooring, making it a favorite with do-it-yourselfers who are on a budget. Not to mention, they have the best jingle ever, “Wayfair, you have just what I need!”

West Elm. West Elm is a branch of Williams-Sonoma and has that WS flair throughout the site. It’s full of modern, affordable selections that just scream comforting. You’ll find many organic, handcrafted, sustainably sourced and Fair Trade Certified™ products here and a much larger tabletop selection than most of the other sites.

World Market. If eclectic, worldly, and unique items are your thing, head over to World Market. Just like their retail store, the online site is chock full of selections that have been curated from around the globe. It is a great place to find items that are fun, funky, and different. Bonus – they sell foodstuff from all over the world (again, my personal favorite reason for shopping here)!

ZGallerie. ZGallerie is best described as modern glamour. Sumptuous fabrics, rich textures, plush furnishings, bold statement pieces…it’s all here, ready to transform your home into a piece of art itself.

Whew! By no means exhaustive, this list should get you started as you search for living room furniture and décor online. The most important thing to remember is to have fun and give yourself time!

“Buying…can take time. Expect it to take time, and don’t get frustrated if you can’t find what you want immediately,” advises Kimberly Brown, Senior Director of Home and Art at The RealReal, an online consignment destination for both high-end fashion and home.

Andrea Stanford, brand marketing advisor and design editor at Everything but the House, an online estate sale marketplace, agrees saying, “The best thing about adding layers is doing it as you understand and grow with your home.”