Is your living room starting to look a little…dated? Many people hold off on getting new furniture for a long time. Some people go a lifetime with the same furniture. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but now and then it's time for an overhaul.

This is especially true if you want to give your living room a modern look. Even if you're not trying to do a full overhaul, there are some pieces of furniture that you can get rid of that will get you halfway there.

Subtract to Add

Sometimes it's not the color scheme or the layout that makes your living room look outdated. There are some pieces of furniture that date a living room just by being there. By removing these pieces from your living room, you will automatically give yourself a few upgrades.

More space – Many modern designs are all about space and openness.

Less clutter – Too many pieces of furniture only detract from the whole look of the living room.

More functionality – With more space and less clutter, you can get a better idea of what you'd like to do with your living room.

What Constitutes Outdated Furniture?

So, what are these pieces of furniture that are making your living room look geriatric? There's no one thing, but you know it when you see it. That old loveseat you inherited from grandma. That coffee table that's supposed to look like an antique but only just looks old. Anything that only serves a single purpose, or no purpose at all.

These are today's bad guys:

Entertainment centers – The old bulky entertainment centers of yesterday serve no real purpose in the modern world of flat and sleek. They take up an enormous amount of space.

Chaises and lounge chairs – Not just chaises, but any kind of odd sofa-chair-hybrid furniture should probably go. These things represent old world styles that usually don't have a place in modern décor. They also take up space if you already have other furniture that you can sit or lounge on.

Desks and office furniture – Working out of the living room isn't something that many people do anymore. Either you get a dedicated office space or create one for yourself. Having an old roll top desk or other office furniture gives your living room a cross purpose that it shouldn't have.

Tables and platforms of no use – Do you have that single table on the wall or that platform that hangs lonely with a book or two on it? These things serve no purpose. Alternatively, they can serve one very specific purpose. But the name of the game is multi-purpose functionality.

These things aren't always the pieces to get rid of. It's all up to your individual style and preference. So, take a close look at them before you make a decision. There are modern chaises and having a desk may fall into your overall design scheme.

This process of elimination should get you started on figuring out what really works, rather than what you're just keeping around out of convenience. After you figure out what needs to go, you will have a better understanding of what type of furniture you can use to replace these things and upgrade your living room through a company like Barr's Furniture.