Let’s start by saying that even though the market is flooded with MCM furniture at the moment, you have to have the right pieces in order to achieve the desired MCM look and style. And even though the small details are a personal choice for all interior decorators and interior stylists these tips here are what I recommend in order to have the MCM living room of your dreams. Enjoy!

1. A killer Rug: I suggest you start from the ground up. A lot of my customers have asked me how can they have a living room make sense and feel cozy in their homes. And the answer for me is always: start with a foundation rug. It can be as neutral or as colorful as you want it to be. But a large scale rug will define the space, give richness and softness and make the living room intimate and cozy. You can also layer a large scale rug of neutral colour and add a decorative one on top to bring more texture and style to the space.

2.  A straight sofa: A solid straight sofa can really be the key piece to any MCM living room. A 3 or 4 seating sofa would give you plenty of seating for all of your guests and can give the perfect MCM vibe. It can be the strongest piece you have in your living room or it can be just part of the space. It all depends on how you want to play it.

3. A pair of lamps: I have said it before, lighting is a wonderful way to add mood, to improve the look of a space and if you illuminate every area of the room you can create the illusion of more square footage. Two matching lamps over a 

credenza with a painting between them can make a focal point on a wall or over a credenza floating in the middle of the space.  They can create the perfect backdrop for a seating area if you have a large open space. And of course, matching lamps on the sides of a sofa can add balance and symmetry to any living room.   BTW even though in this example the lamps are wall attached, you can still see the effect of what I meant.

4. A pair of upholstered chairs: I would definitely recommend adding a pair of upholstered chairs for the perfect MCM feel. They sit the same amount of people than a settee or a small sofa and they still give you enough room to walk around. MCM is all about balance and comfort for your eyes. Believe me when I tell you that you will want to see some repetition in form and texture, especially on large pieces. It will give your eye an opportunity to rest as well as creating the perfectly balanced living room,   In addition to that, you can make them as unique and personal as you want. Your chairs don’t have to match your sofa in style or fabric so they will give you a chance to inject color and personality.

5. A statement case piece: by a statement case piece I mean a credenza, a hutch, several shelves together or a wall unit. Any large piece that would complement the space and would counterbalance the weight of the sofa. Not only it can help you create a focal point if your space lacks one but also you can use it for storage and displaying all those beautiful MCM accessories you have been collecting for years.

*Bonus! Include negative space in your place. Make sure that you are leaving enough negative space between the furniture, on the walls, on the furniture, etc in order to truly achieve the MCM style you desire. Nothing is more anti-MCM as clutter.

And that is it for the 5 must-have furnishings for a MCM living room my friend!

xoxo 
Grethel

Feeling inspired? Select new pieces for your own prefect MCM living room