The living elbow room is the center of any home plate . It ’s where the family set about together to get up , gambling game , enjoy a good show , or relax on the couch with a good book .

But despite its grandness , the animation elbow room can well become a source of frustration when common innovation mistakes get in the way . From piece of furniture that ’s awkward and always in the way , to decor that makes your space feel crowded , or even paint colors that make your home finger less take in — all of these thing can easily be avoided . And believe it or not , more people make these misunderstanding than you realize .

Whether you ’re planning a complete renovation or just desire to refresh your space over a weekend , translate what to stave off can make the remainder between a living room that crop and one that does n’t .

1. Buying Furniture Without Measuring the Room

It happens : you see a couch , you return in love , and you immediately sneak your credit card and get it birth to your house . Then , the couch gets there , and it takes nothing short of a miracle and the military posture of God to get it in the elbow room , where it promptly overwhelm everything else .

Before you make that must - have leverage for your animation way , value the total square footage and verify that what you desire is n’t too self-aggrandising ( or too small , for that matter ) .

2. Buying Area Rugs That Are Too Small

If you have stone or wood floors , it may be tempting to corrupt a small domain rug to append a bit of “ decor ” to the space .   But if the rug you get is too minor , it will attend awkward and out of place in the space . It will ,   in essence , be worthless .

3. Buying Area Rugs That Are Too Big

also , buying an region rug that ’s too big will overtake the room and make it look mussy .   A good pattern of thumb is to get a rug that “ touches ” every piece of furniture in the way , so it can be tuck under it fittingly .

Think of your area rug like a foundation that draw all your piece of furniture piece together . It should create a natural bound for your seating arrangement without choose over the intact way .

4. Not Enough Overhead Light or Lamps

endure rooms do n’t need as much kindling as kitchen or home offices , but that does n’t think of they demand to be moody than a cave ! Make certain you have enough overhead lighting or lamps to bring passel of light into the room .

You might even consider set up dimmer electrical switch to adjust firing levels for different activities : promising for biz night and cleaning , soft for movie watching , or relaxing evenings . Position lamps near couch or armchair where people might read or work on foxiness . And think of , the lighting fixtures themselves can serve as ornamental elements that heighten your elbow room ’s style while providing essential clarification .

5. Painting the Walls White

There was a meter in the not - too - removed past when shows on HGTV encouraged homeowners to paint every wall in their theater white . Every shade of ashen , from eggshell to ecru , was advance . Today , however , homeowners realize the importance of choosing colors that excogitate their personality .

Remember , paint is one of the most impactful and low-cost ways to transform your living room from hospital sterile to showroom stunning . Do n’t be afraid to taste several coloring and celebrate them in different lighting before earn your last choice .

6. Decorating Around Something You Can’t Stand

Whether it ’s a category heirloom , an old piece of piece of furniture from your college age , or just something that does n’t do work any longer , there ’s nothing worse than keeping something in your bread and butter room that you just ca n’t remain firm .

Do n’t decorate around it — just throw it out or donate it to Jacob’s ladder . Habitat for Humanityaccepts furniture donations across the country .

7. Not Enough Functional Storage

The aliveness way is the position where everyone congregate to relax , spiel , and watch television and pic . If you have immature children , this also means that they ’ll be bring toys and game around . Not having enough storage — or no storage at all — will make the elbow room search messy and littered .

usable storage , such as an ottoman with a hidden compartment for blankets and secret plan controllers , will go a long manner in furnish store that keep things tidy and pretty .

8. Too Many Tchotchkes

Either you ’re atchotchkeperson , or you ’re not . If you ’re atchotchkeperson , do not get every type oftchotchkeand put it out on the tables , chairs , and every other surface . Not only will it make the room look cluttered and messy , but it will be impossible to scatter and keep sporty .

Fivetchotchkesof your alternative are more than sufficient in any given elbow room .

9. Sacrificing Comfort for Style

The full point of a living way is to have a place where everyone can meet up , relax , and have fun .

As tantalising as it may be to get a trendy , uncomfortable couch — or any other piece of furniture — do n’t ever sacrifice comfort for dash . You probably are n’t going to appear on the covert ofArchitectural Digest , and no one will gauge you for assure a well-fixed , affordable couch rather of a eminent - end opus of art .

10. Designing Around the TV

As TVs get big and bigger , and cost less and less , it ’s become beguiling to make the television the focal point of the living room and to choose every spell of article of furniture around it as though it ’s a statue of a Catholic saint ( or of Buddha , or Krishna , or Cthulhu , or the divinity / demon of your pick ) .

However , the elbow room will flow much well , and make more logistical gumption , if the goggle box is just a operational part of the overall interior decoration .

11. Hanging Artwork or Photos Too High on the Wall

If you have to crane your neck up to see the artwork or the pic , it ’s too high-pitched on the wall .   alternatively , hang the nontextual matter at or slightly above eye level . This way , your eye will be by nature drawn to it , and it wo n’t overwhelm the room .

This height creates a raw sight line and help oneself your art become an integrated part of the room rather than feeling like an afterthought floating near the cap .

12. Having Too Many Photos All Around

We ’ve all been to Grandma ’s business firm and seen all the old picture , in every type of skeleton , here , there , and everywhere . However , string up photo physical body indiscriminately can make the area calculate cluttered and unorganized .

rather , consider a photo wall , and make that your “ accent wall . ” This way , your pic wall becomes a conversation starter and personal nontextual matter installing rather than optic clutter . Plus , centralizing your photos in one field save the rest of your room feeling neat and goodish .

13. Choosing the Wrong Lampshade

The last thing you want is for everyone ’s attention to be draw to a uncanny lampshade in the middle of an otherwise calm , running living elbow room .

Make certain to get a lampshade that matches the rest of your colour and interior decoration scheme . While it ’s alluring to choose something unique or dramatic , your lamp shade should sense like a natural annex of your room ’s overall blueprint story .

14. Not Updating Your Crown Molding

poll molding can be hard , if not out of the question , to take down from your walls . It can therefore be tempting to allow it in place when you ’re redecorating your living room .

But if your peak molding is damaged or extremely outdated , keeping it on your walls will make the room look damaged and superannuated , no matter how modernised it becomes .

15. Cords Hanging Everywhere

In today ’s technologically innovative world , it ’s all but inevitable that your bread and butter room wall will be awash with cords , corduroy , cords everywhere .   Avoid making your elbow room front like your office space by investing in some corduroy covers that well attach to wall , or the back of furniture , and intermix in with the space .

While wireless engineering is increasingly common , most living room still call for to accommodate charge stations , entertainment system , and sassy home devices . The correct organisation prick control these modernistic necessary do n’t take away from your room ’s esthetic appeal .

16. Too Many Focal Points

A shiplap wall . A photograph wall . A wallpapered rampart . A chalkboard rampart . Too many “ different ” walls will lead to too many focal points in the room .

recollect : A well - design way gives your centre a place to rest . Multiple financial statement walls create visual bedlam that can make your space find busybodied and unsettling rather than welcome and restful .

17. Matchy-Matchy Prints and Colors

We sympathise that masses have their preferred color palettes , but reach everything all one colour — whatever that color may be — will make your way feel flat and lifeless — like populate inside a paint swatch .

Do n’t be afraid to mix up colors and patterns , within understanding , to give that way a fun and foul feel .

18. Clunky Furniture Everywhere

Even if you have a sustenance elbow room with gamy roof and more straightforward footage than a New York City studio apartment , experience large , ungainly furniture everywhere will make it look small and crowded .

Choose one cock-a-hoop piece of piece of furniture — for a life room , that furniture should be the lounge — and keep the rest of the article of furniture small and complimentary .

19. Cheap Window Treatments

You know those $ 29.99 curtains at Walmart that seem like a ripe bargain at the time ? They ’re not .

Not only will poorly made , flash window treatments fall apart quickly ( cost you more in the long run , because you have to keep supersede them ) , but it will kill the vibration of the whole room . or else , splurging on decent , semi - lasting windowpane treatments will not only await good but economise you money in the long streak .

There was a metre , not so long ago when HGTV redevelopment show boast open - concepteverything . It did n’t count if the nursing home could withstand the pressure of getting paries ripped down from stem to stern , or if it even made sense with the age and the vibe of the house — just unfastened concept everything , it will be fine !

The reality is , everything was decidedlynotfine . play too much into modern trends , especially if you have an older menage , will force you to redecorate your life way in 5 years or less . Would n’t you rather keep your money ?

21. Making the Space Too Formal

It can not be stated enough : the bread and butter room is the spot for everyone to relax , get together , and have fun .   Making the place too stately will take out from the fun , playful nature of a living room .

The living elbow room is n’t signify to be a museum where everyone ’s afraid to sit down or put their human foot up . It ’s your place ’s comfort zone — a place where youngster can make pillow forts , friends can laugh over display panel games , and family movie nights include existent popcorn without fear of deflower the “ perfect ” lounge .

22. Too Many Colors and Patterns

On the diametric end of the “ matchy - matchy ” spectrum are multitude that contrive every people of colour and pattern together , and desire for the best . Let ’s not do that , shall we ? A good rule of thumb is , no more than two colour and patterns in a given room , and that includes the living way .

Think of it like compose medicine — you need a main melody ( your primary color and pattern ) , supporting harmonies ( secondary choice ) , and occasional grace of God musical note ( small accents ) . Too many competing constituent make chaos , but too few can fall flat . The goal is to create a place that ’s visually interesting while remaining pulled together and intentional .

23. Too Many Wood Tones

If you ’re someone who likes the “ Sir Henry Wood ” look — be it in the frame of piece of furniture , flooring , wall shiplap , or some compounding of all of the above — it can be tempting to get woods tones in every shade and style .

That , however , will make your living room appear messy and sloppily decorated . Choose one , or two , woodwind flavor at most to give your room a warm , welcome feeling .

24. Plastic Couch Covers

This is not 1975 , you are not staying at your grandma ’s house , and you do n’t postulate those plastic couch covers . ( Why . Just why . )

Today ’s lounge are made with easily washable cloth , so you do n’t have to tote up this ugly , unnecessary increase to your animation room . Your Kid will give thanks you for it .

25. Doing It All in One Day… or Trying To

HGTV has brainwash an intact generation of homeowner into believing that anything and everything can be done in the home in one hr or less . Therefore , it seems all but a break that one would suppose redecorate a living room would take a day … or less .

The reality is , redecorating a support room can take workweek , or even months , to finish . Be patient with yourself , and others , and trust the process .