5 Features Designers ALWAYS Notice in a Living Room
The pros reveal the design features that make the biggest impact in your space.
The living room might be the place for camaraderie and connection, but it’s also one of the very few spots you can actually show off your design style. Unlike other areas—where precious real-estate is allocated to refrigerators, tubs, and toilets—there’s no one way to decorate a living room. That also means a lot of eyes will be on how you treat this room. Some features might catch someone’s attention for good reason, but others can be the design-equivalent of a red flag.
Ultimately, it’s crucial to craft a spot that evokes a feeling, according to design pros. “Relaxed and cozy, elegant and refined, or vibrant enough to gather friends over cocktails,” suggests Chanel Sansregret of Studio Miles Design in Charleston. “When I'm not sure how a room is meant to feel, it usually means the room lacks direction.”
Below, designers share what they always notice when they walk into a living room. With any luck, their observations will ensure your space makes an impression for all the right reasons.
The Seating
The living room is where people come together, which is why Wyleigh Myers of Rumor Designs always clocks a room’s layout. In a perfect world, the furniture should be arranged in a manner that “encourages conversation and makes a room feel lively.”
“I also look for seating variety,” says Myers. “For instance, providing a single accent chair allows a guest to sit comfortably without feeling ‘sandwiched’ between others, which is especially important in more formal social settings.”
Looking for a schmooze-worthy setup? Check out this pro-approved formula.
The Rug
When Charleston-based designer Sarah Hart steps into a living room, she immediately looks down. “Start with the rug, the rest can follow,” she says.
While it’s important to find a color palette, pattern, and pile that matches your space, be sure to prioritize proportion. “People often think a smaller rug makes a room feel bigger, but the opposite is true,” says Ansley Majit of Lark + Palm Interiors. “A properly scaled rug anchors the furniture and actually makes the space feel more expansive.”
Every designer has their go-to rug rules, but all furniture legs should fit on your rug underfoot, says Hart.
Oh, and don’t forgo a rug pad. “There's nothing that kills a good design faster than a flat rug with no rug pad that feels like an afterthought,” she says.
Layered Lighting
Want to create a warm, welcoming vibe? It all starts with mood lighting. If you ask Mark Schubert of M2 Design Lab in Chicago, there’s strength in numbers. “A single overhead fixture rarely creates a welcoming living room,” he says. Careless lighting design can make a room “fall flat,” echoes Jen Dean of Jede Interiors. Instead, a variety of lamps, sconces, and pendants can make a space feel cozy and aesthetically pleasing. Bonus points, the pros say, if your fixtures are on dimmers.
A Screen-Centric Setup
Many people notice a living room’s television—but not always for the best reason. Since this entertaining essential is often hung above a fireplace, it often dictates the room’s layout. Screen-free spaces are always chic, but you can minimize a television’s effect by placing it on an easel in the corner.
“Create a recessed niche for the TV and conceal it behind stylish, custom-framed art panels,” recommends Jennifer Worts, a designer in Toronto. “You’ll never even know it’s there.” However, if you absolutely must mount a television over a mantel, select one that displays artwork or a mirror when idle, she suggests.
Artwork
“What is hanging on the walls can make or break a space and is often one of the first things I notice,” says Jessica Hobson, an interior designer in New Jersey. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, and there’s more than one way to bring an artful touch to your living room. Hobson is a big fan of mirrors, but also says corralling a bunch of frames to create a gallery or grid wall.
Regardless of what you add on your walls, it’s important to avoid a few common mistakes. The most pressing, of course, is where your works sit on your wall. “Never hang so high that there’s no relationship, or off on its own like an island,” says Krystal Reinhard of Old Soul Design Studio in Philadelphia.
As a general rule of thumb, aim to hang your art 60 inches above the floor or six inches over furniture.
Kelsey Mulvey is a freelance journalist who has over a decade of experience in print and digital media. She covers interior design and lifestyle content for a breadth of publications, including Good Housekeeping, Country Living, House Beautiful, Veranda, and more. Her hobbies include themed spinning classes, Netflix, and nachos.
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