5 Living Room Design Mistakes (And How To Fix Them)
Photo: Kara Mercer
The living room is the room you spend the most time in, and the one you most want to get right. But in the effort to make it stylish and comfortable, a few small design mistakes tend to sneak in over and over: an undersized rug, furniture pushed too far apart, one lonely lamp doing all the work.
The good news: every one of these living room design mistakes is an easy fix once you know what to look for. Here are the 5 Living Room design mistakes I see most often, and exactly what to do instead
Looking for more Living Room Design Advice? Check out The Best Living Room Paint Colors and How to Arrange Furniture in a Small Living Room.
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
1. A Rug That’s Undersized
This is the mistake I see more than any other. A rug that’s too small just floats in the middle of the room, and it makes everything around it feel disconnected instead of pulled together. My rule: every piece of furniture needs at least its front legs on the rug. That’s it. It sounds simple, but it’s the difference between a room that feels grounded and one that feels like it’s still being unpacked.
Photo: Kara Mercer
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
2. Furniture That’s Out Of Scale
Style matters, but scale matters just as much, and it’s the thing people forget to think about. If you’ve got a big sectional, you can’t pair it with a tiny coffee table and call it a day; it’ll look like it shrunk in the wash. My approach: I always start with the biggest pieces first- sofa, chairs, media console, coffee table- and make sure those work together before I add anything else in.
Learn how to Scale your furniture in a Small Living Room.
Photo: Kara Mercer
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
3. Not Enough Plants
A living room without any greenery just feels unfinished to me, like an outfit with no accessories. Plants soften up all those hard lines from your furniture, and they genuinely make a space feel alive. My go-to move is a big tree in the corner, then a few smaller plants scattered on the coffee table, floor, or built-ins. No natural light or not much of a green thumb? Grab some good faux plants. Nobody will know the difference.
See my guide for the Best Air-Purifying Plants That Actually Work (and Are Hard to Kill).
Photo: Kara Mercer
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
4. Furniture Pushed Against A Wall
I get why people do this; it feels like it opens up the room. But pushing everything to the perimeter just creates dead space in the middle and kills any sense of connection. I’d rather pull furniture in and create an actual conversation area. Just leave about 17 inches between your seating and the coffee table for legroom, and you’re set.
Discover The 10 Living Room Essentials You Need.
Photo: Sara Ligorria Tramp
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
5. Only Using One Type of Lighting
One ceiling fixture or a single lamp is never enough, and it’s the mistake that makes a room feel flat no matter how nice everything else looks. I always layer three types of light: ambient (your ceiling lights, to fill the room), accent (table lamps or sconces, for mood and depth), and directional (a reading lamp, for actually getting things done). Get all three in there, and the room does the rest of the work for you.
Discover the Best Lighting for Mental Health.
LIVING ROOM Design Mistakes
Frequently Asked Questions
What size rug should I get for my living room?
As a general rule, I want at least the front legs of every major piece of furniture sitting on the rug, sofa, chairs, all of it. For most living rooms that means an 8×10 or 9×12 rug at minimum. If you’re between sizes, always size up. A too-big rug is far less noticeable than a too-small one.
How far should furniture be from the wall?
There’s no single magic number, but I almost never push a sofa all the way back to the wall unless the room is genuinely tiny. Pulling furniture in even 6 to 12 inches and grouping it into a real conversation area makes a much bigger difference than people expect.
How many plants does a living room actually need?
I don’t think in terms of a count, I think in layers. One larger floor plant in a corner, then 2 to 3 smaller ones on a coffee table, console, or built-in shelf. That mix of heights is what makes a room feel finished instead of just “decorated.”
Do I need overhead lighting, table lamps, and floor lamps all in one room?
Ideally, yes, some combination of all three. You want ambient light to fill the room, accent light for mood and depth, and at least one directional light for reading or tasks. A room lit by a single source almost always feels flatter than it should.
What’s the easiest living room design mistake to fix without spending money?
Rearranging your existing furniture into a proper conversation grouping. It costs nothing, takes an afternoon, and it’s honestly the fix that makes the biggest visual difference of anything on this list.
Hey Bobby,
Thanks for the tips, we are already guilty of mistakes number 1 & 5. We have a very small, square living room. We have to push the sofa against the wall, do you have advice for furniture placement for small spaces?
In a small space, it’s ok to push furniture up against the wall. You also want to make sure you are choosing pieces that are smaller in scale (and won’t feel huge or take up too much room). Check out this post for even more ideas for making a small space feel bigger. xx -B
Hi Bobby!
What do you recommend for ceilings? I feel stuck in a rut always painting my ceilings a flat white satin paint. How do you make a ceiling pop without going awry?
Painting a ceiling a darker shade than the walls is one way to make a room look taller, add some appeal, and draw the eye up. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even wallpaper a ceiling to add a lot of visual interest. Check out this article for some paint color suggestions and tips. Thanks for your comment! xx -B
Hi Bobby,
In your recent Instagram post talking about Memorial Day Sales you posted a picture with a gorgeous wallpaper (yellows, turquoise, terra cotta) with cool yellow chairs. Can you tell me who makes the wallpaper? I have scoured the internet and cannot find!
The wallpaper is called La Palma and you can find it here. Thanks for your comment. xx -B
We have an open plan living room, dining room and kitchen all next to each other in a big rectangle. I find it difficult to choose a wall colour to tie the three together and still give them their own twist. Or do I stick with safe white walls?
White is always a good neutral backdrop, especially for a large open area. I would recommend sticking to this, as you can always being in color and personality through furniture and accessories. xx -B
Hiii would you PLEASE do a segment on how to design small spaces? I live in a 950 sq ft townhome, 2 bed/1 1/2 bath.
Check out our posts What You Need To Know When Decorating A Small Space and Small Space Living: 5 Affordable Solutions To Help You Live Smarter (and more organized). xx -B
Bobby, I have two dark purple velvet chesterfield style sofas in our living room. What is the best style coffee table for our living room? The media center is an espresso colored piece of furniture and the walls are pale gray. Everything is so dark I was considering a glass and brass oval coffee table. I just can’t decide.
I love the idea of a brass and glass-top coffee table. Since you have some heavy furniture and dark colors, it will be a nice, light contrast in the space. xx -B