There is no room in your house that says more about you and your family than your living room. Other than the bedroom, it's the place where you're likely to spend the most time. Whether chatting with friends, watching movies with the kids or relaxing with your special someone over a bottle of wine, your living room should be a place that invites you to relax and settle in for a while.

The most central piece of furniture in your living room, and the one that draws the most focus, is your sofa. Your sofa should be comfortable above all else. It should be something that you can spend hours on a lazy weekend afternoon, something that active kids can climb on and something that will encourage friends to stay just a little bit longer. Your sofa should be pleasing to the eye. Rather than the overstuffed, over-pillowed giants that were popular a generation ago, the modern sofa is sophisticated, with a refreshing elegance that seamlessly combines form and function. Whether you choose leather or fine upholstery, there are more elegant sofa configurations than ever before.

An elegant rug will help you delineate the space in your living room. Modern homes tend to be quite spacious, which can make a living room appear to be floating haphazardly on your floor. A rug will anchor your living room in whatever space you choose.

Choosing between a coffee table and a large ottoman should be your next step. There are benefits to both choices. A coffee table gives you a sturdy surface upon which to set anything you like. It also has much cleaner lines that help to tie a room together. Using a large ottoman rather than a coffee table does have a functional drawback in that you can't simply set whatever you like on it. Using a tray for serving drinks or food can provide an elegant accessory piece to your living room. The ottoman, with its curved lines and shapely contours can also give an overly linear room a bit of softness.

The television cabinet in your living room should be sleek and understated. Modern electronics don't require enormous cabinets like they did in the past. If you have a wall-mounted plasma or LCD TV, a small TV cabinet placed beneath it will provide ample storage space for your home electronics.

Accessories should be well-placed. A neutral palette will encourage a sense of relaxation, but choosing one or two focus colors for your accessories can make a bold statement. Using accessories to display your focus colors will extend the style life of your living room by allowing you to easily change when a color falls out of fashion. Changing your accessories is also an easy way to make elegant seasonal changes.

Whether you're buying an entirely new set of living room, or updating your current one with some sophisticated modern furniture, creating a living room that reflects your taste and provides comfort to your family can make your home the inviting retreat you always dreamed of.