(ARA) – Just about every family has one – an older relative who has plastic covers on all the furniture, the better to protect it and keep it looking new. Never mind the fact that the covers also make it unpleasant to sit in. And let’s not even talk about what it does to the ambience of the room.

Today’s living rooms are not rarified areas of the house reserved for use only when company comes calling. The living room or great room is the heart of the home, the place where families spend a lot of their time. You want furniture that is stylish, yet inviting. Pasquale Natuzzi, designer and CEO of Natuzzi, the world’s largest leather upholstery company, goes even further. He believes furniture should invite you to touch and experience it.

“Living rooms should be ‘living,’” says Pasquale Natuzzi. “We want people to find their own style, to awaken their senses and invite them to touch.”

Part of what makes for an interesting and complete room is a pleasing combination of color, lines and texture. Pay attention to the finishes on the wood or metal components of furniture pieces as well as to the feel of the fabric. Follow Natuzzi’s credo and strive to stimulate all your senses – is the color pleasing to your eye, can you smell the leather?

Gone are the days when rooms were filled with furniture meant only to look good, not to feel good. Whether your style leans toward casual, vintage or urban, you can find furniture that melds high style with a high level of comfort.

To get an idea of how all these elements come together, take a look at two styles from Natuzzi.

* The casual lifestyle celebrates a combination of quiet tone-on-tones, where you might combine a tweedy beige fabric with elegant blonde leather in the Maya sofa and more vibrant Mediterranean influenced greens, lavenders and oranges on poufs, ottomans and pillows. Leather framed mirrors, carved and woven leather privacy screens and wall units finished with a combination of wood, leather and foil finish add studied texture on walls and behind furniture groupings. Like a well-executed piece of art, all the elements are thoughtfully combined, creating an elegant take on mixing media.

* If the urban lifestyle suits you, Natuzzi’s Diagonal sofa is designed to use up to three coverings, allowing you to mix color and pattern or to introduce traditional woven fabrics provides a dramatic multi-textural approach.

While looks alone are enough to recommend this mix-and-match design aesthetic, don’t be fooled into thinking that looks are everything. These pieces are as lovely to sit in as they are to look at. The fabrics feel wonderful against your skin, and the quality construction of Natuzzi sofas and chairs provides ultimate comfort.

And you won’t have to break out the plastic covers to protect your furniture. All Natuzzi fabrics are designed to adapt to the needs of a dynamic life and are easy to maintain and long lasting.

Who says you can’t combine style with practicality? Just don’t try to convince Aunt Gertie.

You can learn more about Natuzzi by visiting www.natuzzi.com.