Living Spaces is known for its stylish, contemporary, and modern designs that cater to trend-conscious shoppers, whereas Ashley Furniture offers a much broader range of styles, from traditional to rustic, at some of the most competitive prices on the market. Key differences include Living Spaces' focus on higher-quality materials and customization in a specific aesthetic, versus Ashley's emphasis on affordability, sheer variety, and widespread availability.
Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right furniture retailer for your home and budget.
Living Spaces: The Contemporary, Style-Conscious Choice
Living Spaces is a popular furniture retailer that has built its reputation on offering a vast selection of on-trend, contemporary furnishings at accessible prices. Its collections appeal to first-time homeowners, young professionals, and families who want clean-lined, modern pieces without a luxury price tag. The brand blends a seamless online platform with impressive physical showrooms, making it a go-to for modern home updates.
- Product mix: A comprehensive selection of home furnishings, including sofas, sectionals, beds, dining sets, and office furniture. They also offer a wide array of decor, rugs, lighting, and outdoor pieces.
- Style/vibe: Primarily modern, contemporary, and transitional. Expect sleek silhouettes, neutral color palettes, and versatile designs that fit well in urban apartments and suburban homes alike.
- Price point: Mid-range and affordable. Sofas typically start around $499, and complete bedroom sets often fall in the $1,000–$3,000 range.
- Quality: Construction often includes durable materials like kiln-dried hardwood frames, high-density foam cushions, and stain-resistant performance fabrics. Many wood products are FSC-certified.
- Customization: Offers customization on many upholstered items, allowing customers to choose from a variety of fabrics, colors, and sometimes configurations to fit their exact needs.
- Sales: Holds frequent sales events, especially during major holidays like Presidents Day and Memorial Day, making its already reasonable prices even more attractive.
- Shopping Experience: Operates large-scale physical showrooms in several states and has a robust e-commerce site with features like 3D room planners and virtual design tools.
- Delivery & Assembly: Flexible delivery options are available, with in-home setup and assembly services offered for an additional fee. Lead times are generally reasonable.
Living Spaces is a strong choice for those who want stylish, modern furniture that is both affordable and built with mindful quality and sustainability practices.
Shop Living Spaces: livingspaces.com
Ashley Furniture: The Affordable & Versatile Option
As one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world, Ashley Furniture is a household name known for its incredible variety and unbeatable value. With products sold through its Ashley HomeStore locations and countless other retailers, the brand serves a massive customer base looking for practical, budget-friendly furniture. Their extensive collections cover nearly every style imaginable, ensuring there's something for almost every taste and home.
- Product mix: An enormous catalog covering every room in the house: living room, bedroom, dining, home office, outdoor, and kids' furniture, plus mattresses and home decor.
- Style/vibe: Extremely broad, covering everything from traditional, rustic, and farmhouse to modern and contemporary designs. Ashley's strength is its stylistic versatility.
- Price point: Highly affordable and budget-focused. It's common to find sofas starting around $399 and entire bedroom sets for under $2,000, especially during sale events.
- Quality: Construction typically relies on value-oriented materials like engineered wood, particleboard, and veneers, with some higher-end lines incorporating solid wood. It's designed to be sturdy for everyday use but may not offer the same longevity as premium brands.
- Availability: Unmatched physical presence, with a massive network of Ashley HomeStore showrooms and independent retailers across the country, supplemented by a comprehensive online store.
- Sales: Famous for constant sales, discounts, and promotional financing offers, making it a leading choice for shoppers focused on securing the lowest possible price.
- Delivery & Assembly: Provides various delivery and assembly service levels, from curbside drop-off to full-service, in-home setup.
Ashley Furniture is the go-to for shoppers prioritizing budget, variety, and the convenience of finding everything they need in one place.
Shop Ashley Furniture: ashleyfurniture.com
Living Spaces vs. Ashley Furniture Comparison
Price Comparison
Both Living Spaces and Ashley Furniture are considered affordable, but they target slightly different segments of the market. Ashley is typically the more budget-friendly option of the two. You can often find accent chairs, coffee tables, and even small sofas at lower entry price points than at Living Spaces. For example, an Ashley sofa might start at $399, while a similar-sized sofa at Living Spaces would likely begin around $599.
Living Spaces justifies its slightly higher prices with a focus on trend-forward designs and more durable materials in its standard collections. While Ashley heavily competes on price and frequent, deep discounts, Living Spaces positions itself as offering better long-term value through higher-quality construction. However, shoppers on a strict budget will find their money goes further at Ashley Furniture.
Style & Aesthetic
This is one of the biggest differentiators. Living Spaces has a clear stylistic point of view, focusing on modern, contemporary, and transitional aesthetics. Their furniture features clean lines, neutral fabrics, and an uncluttered feel that appeals to those who follow current design trends. It’s ideal for furnishing an urban loft, a minimalist space, or a home with a mid-century modern vibe.
Ashley Furniture, on the other hand, is stylistically diverse. Their catalog includes everything from ornate traditional bedroom sets and rustic farmhouse dining tables to sleek, modern sectionals. This "something for everyone" approach means you are almost guaranteed to find a piece that matches your existing decor, no matter how eclectic. If you want a one-stop shop for any style, Ashley wins. If you have a specific modern aesthetic, Living Spaces is more curated for you.
Quality & Construction
Living Spaces generally has an edge in material quality. The brand often uses kiln-dried hardwood for frames and higher-density foam for cushions, leading to pieces that hold their shape and structure longer. They are also more transparent about their use of sustainable materials, like FSC-certified wood.
Ashley Furniture’s products are designed to be affordable, and the materials reflect that. Many of their pieces are constructed using engineered wood, particleboard, and wood veneers over a less expensive core. While perfectly functional and sturdy enough for daily life, they may be more susceptible to wear and tear over many years compared to solid wood furniture. For high-traffic family homes, investing in Ashley's higher-tier collections or considering Living Spaces might be a better long-term choice.
Shopping Experience
Both brands offer strong omnichannel experiences, combining physical showrooms with full-service websites. Living Spaces' showrooms are typically large, modern, and inspiring, designed to showcase complete room setups. Their website is known for its user-friendly interface and modern tools like 3D room planners.
Ashley Furniture has a significantly larger physical footprint, with Ashley HomeStores located all over the country. This makes it easier for many shoppers to see and touch furniture before buying. Their website is vast and functional, but Living Spaces often gets praised for offering a more modern and streamlined digital shopping journey.
Sustainability & Ethics
In recent years, sustainability has become more important to furniture shoppers. Living Spaces is generally more vocal and transparent about its eco-friendly initiatives. They frequently highlight the use of responsibly sourced materials, such as FSC-certified wood, and promote their efforts to reduce their environmental impact through sustainable manufacturing.
Ashley Furniture has also made commitments to sustainability, including waste reduction in their manufacturing plants and responsible wood sourcing. However, these initiatives are often less prominent in their marketing, and finding specific information and certifications on a product-by-product basis can be more challenging for consumers.
Which One Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your specific priorities for your home. Both retailers offer compelling value, but they serve different needs.
Choose Living Spaces if:
- You prefer modern, contemporary, or transitional styles.
- You're willing to pay a slight premium for on-trend designs and more durable materials.
- Sustainability and eco-friendly sourcing are important factors in your decision.
- You want the option to customize upholstery with different fabrics and colors.
Choose Ashley Furniture if:
- Your primary focus is finding the most affordable option.
- You need a very wide selection of styles, from traditional to rustic to modern.
- You value widespread store availability to see furniture in person before you buy.
- You are furnishing a first apartment, guest room, or space where budget is the main concern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Living Spaces or Ashley Furniture cheaper?
In a direct comparison, Ashley Furniture is typically cheaper. Their business model is built around high volume and affordability, with frequent sales that offer deep discounts. While Living Spaces is also considered budget-friendly, its starting price points are generally slightly higher.
Which brand has better quality furniture?
Living Spaces generally offers better quality construction in its standard lines. They often use more durable materials like kiln-dried hardwood frames, while Ashley relies more on engineered wood and particleboard to keep costs down. However, the quality can vary by collection at both stores.
Does Living Spaces have more modern furniture?
Yes. Living Spaces specializes in modern and contemporary styles. While Ashley Furniture does offer modern collections, Living Spaces' entire brand identity is much more focused on clean lines, current trends, and a contemporary aesthetic.
Is Ashley Furniture good for families?
Ashley Furniture can be an excellent choice for families, largely due to its affordability and the practicality of its designs. The lower prices mean messes or damage from kids and pets feel less catastrophic. Many of their collections are built for everyday use and are available in durable, easy-to-clean fabrics.
Can you customize furniture at either store?
Living Spaces offers stronger customization options, particularly for sofas and sectionals. Shoppers can often choose from a wide range of fabrics, colors, and sometimes even leg finishes or configurations. Customization at Ashley is more limited and varies significantly by product.
Which is better for small apartments?
Living Spaces is often a better choice for small apartments. Their focus on modern and contemporary design means many of their pieces have smaller footprints, sleeker profiles, and include smart solutions like apartment-sized sofas and modular sectionals that are ideal for compact living.
Which has a better return policy?
Return policies can change, so it's critical to check each brand's website before purchasing. Historically, both brands have fairly strict return policies on furniture. Typically, you only have a short window (sometimes as little as 72 hours) to report damage or initiate a return, and restocking fees often apply. Always read the fine print carefully.
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