Living Room Decorating

Growing up, it never really felt like an official family party until my dad and uncle retired to the twin tan recliners in my grandparents’ living room after dinner, while my grandpa settled into his own rusty orange recliner on the opposite side of the room. Within minutes of sitting down and kicking up their feet, all three would be sound asleep. How they could sleep through the sounds of six shrieking children pretending to be wolves, I’ll never know. It must have been the chairs.

After 29 years, any home is due for some updating—well, any home except, perhaps, the home of TV’s most famous family, The Simpsons. For 29 seasons (soon to be 30!), Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have been running into the same exact living room, brown couch and all. Part of The Simpsons’ charm is that everything remains very much the same, but just for fun Home Advisor took six specific design aesthetics and applied them to the iconic space.

The Duchess of Sussex and (queen of our hearts) left behind a treasure trove of tips to achieve a life well lived. Self described as “a hub for the discerning palate–those with a hunger for food, travel, fashion & beauty,” The Tig was Goop, without the jade egg stuck up its you-know-what. But alas, after becoming a member of the British royal family, The Tig had to go.

Recently, we teamed up with Amazon to bring you some first apartment essentials. When you have to start from almost nothing, it’s hard not to look towards budget. But rather than going generic, we found useful, design-forward buys that are also budget-conscious. Of course, you don’t need to be moving, or even in your first apartment, to want some of these affordable buys. Here are some of our favorites perfect for your living room, or anywhere you might want to hang out.

If you’ve finally convinced yourself that nothing sears a steak like a cast iron skillet and that you absolutely have to have one to make crusty cornbread, your next decision is figuring out which one to buy. In our opinion, there’s only one choice. The good news is that it’s remarkably inexpensive. (That’s right—”the best” often means “the most expensive,” but not when it comes to cast iron!) Our must-buy is the Lodge 10.

With the Fall 2018 season underway, we are returning to some our favorite TV abodes, and getting invited inside a few new ones. Join us this month as we explore the best homes on the small screen. Show: Murphy Brown (the revival!)—CBS Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. Style: This history-making heroine’s Georgetown townhouse is filled with colorful, antiques, and memories. Why we love it: Murphy is back and as a go-get-’em journalist, her home reflects a life full of adventure and style.

Believe it or not, foam sponges—you know the cheap ones, like this 2-for-$1.29 pack from Target that you use to hand-wash your dishes and wipe down your kitchen sink—can be used in all sorts of unexpected ways around the house. To prove our point, we rounded up a handful of fun ideas for repurposing kitchen sponges, so you can keep your home clean and under control—all on the cheap.

If I were plotting revenge and generally cooking up evil plans, a sleek, modern loft sounds like a pretty good place to do it. In Marvel’s “Iron Fist,” the character Joy Meachum’s apartment is haunting in its stylishness. But if you don’t focus on the evil deeds happening, it’s really just an impossibly chic lair. What keeps this look interesting is the moodiness. The industrial loft certainly plays into this, but more importantly, so does the lighting.

Have you looked on Amazon for decor items recently? And I mean really looked. Since launching their private label home goods last year, Amazon’s offerings have really come a long way. Obviously, you can get other brands on the site too. But if you’re looking for something budget friendly that’s a little more under-the-radar, start with the site’s exclusives.

Decorating isn’t cheap, especially when it comes to shopping for furnishings and finishes that are stylish, durable, and comfortable. Finding all of those qualities in a single piece for a sensible price is a little bit like finding a diamond in the rough, but it’s doable. And if anyone knows how to stretch a dollar, it’s a designer. I mean, no clients are ever mad when their project comes in under budget, right?

Two is always better than one, and the same rule applies to coffee tables. Over the last year, there has been a spike in styled living rooms that have taken the usual formula of one big coffee table and broken it up into two separate pieces. Nesting coffee tables don’t just apply to big living rooms that have the extra square footage for additional tables.

You know that kind of creepy feature some online stories have where you can click on what other shoppers are buying? The “Customers Also Viewed” and “Customers Also Liked” selections? I’m a sucker for those because I like to see all the options, and who knows, maybe someone out there is a more neurotic shopper than I am and really has done the legwork to know which humidifier is truly the best. Or what comforter is warm but won’t make you wake up in a sweat.

Q: We recently had our first group of weekend guests (4 adults in addition to our family of 2 adults and a toddler) and we found our setup isn’t great for socializing. It’s an 11’6″ x 17’4″ rectangular room [photo below]. We currently have a 79″ x 36″ sofa and two 30″ x 30″ chairs. Doorways and the breakfast bar limit our options. We have been considering a corner sectional.

We’ve found the perfect place to watch the Olympic swimming events. Here is an Australian home with a sunken living room that’s right at water level. The pool, designed by Melbourne company OFTB, further blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living—like when being inside is just too far away from the water. An acrylic panel separates the pool from the sunken living room, and is giving us clear glass tub vibes.

Organic Modern style, with its soothing mix of contemporary furniture shapes and tactile textures, has always been a contemporary look that embraces the comforts of nature. If you want a living room that’s ultra comfy and welcoming, Organic Modern is for you. Historically known for soft color palettes and neutral tones, I’ve noticed a rise in a new kind of Organic Modern: The Moody Organic Modern.

It doesn’t matter if you have a streaming service or cable box or if you binge-watch the latest shows the second they air or only tune in for big things like the Super Bowl, practically everyone has a television set somewhere in your home. And, more likely than not, your television is the focal point of whatever room it’s in. Do those lounge chairs in your living room face your television set instead of each other?

Day 17: Friday, January 24….and the weekend of January 25 & 26 Assignments: Bring home some Friday flowers, empty your outbox, clean your living room and take a look at your lighting Yes! Here we go: the last full (and yes, busy!) weekend of the January Cure. This time next week, we’ll be done. This final stretch is when things should start coming together, as you spruce up your living room for your gathering and start the big emptying of the outbox.

There are a lot of projects in my house that could use my attention. There’s the China hutch in the hallway that needs to be turned into a small armoire. There are three chairs that need to be reupholstered. Or I could finally figure out a decent storage solution for my sewing supplies. But for my Cure project this year, I’m going to focus on the design of the room that gets the most use and that is seen by the most people: The living room.

Is it just us, or do all living rooms kind of look the same? It doesn’t matter if they’re large or small, minimalist or maximalist. most living rooms follow the same cookie cutter format. There’s always a cozy couch, maybe an accent chair or two, a few coffee and side tables, and a nice, big television. It’s a bit of a snooze, but what’s the alternative? Turns out, there are plenty of ways to shake up your living room layout.

If the kitchen is the stomach of your home, the living room is definitely its heart. It’s where you can curl up with a book on a lazy Sunday, catch up with some friends over a glass of wine, or spend the entire weekend binge-watching whatever’s on Netflix (hey, we’re not judging). Your living room is such an important part of your home, it’s important to keep it looking its best at all times.

Looking for a little spring refresh, but don’t feel like spending a ton of money? We feel you. While we generally turn to IKEA to supply us with stylish basics (BILLY bookcases, anyone?), it’s a great source of inspiration as well. Below, we found 10 great items—all clocking in at under $50—to breathe new life into our living rooms this season.

This Valentine’s Day I’m celebrating the special kind of love many of us feel for gorgeously decorated homes. I asked my co-editors here at Apartment Therapy to divulge their favorite rooms from house tours have been… of all time. It was a hard task for us all (there have been so many gorgeous tours throughout the years), but we’ve managed to narrow it down to those rooms that make us swoon the most. Today enjoy the picks of some of our favorite living rooms ever.

According to the experts.

If your living room could use a jolt of color, these images are sure to inspire.

Whether with color, pattern, shape, or something else, dare to try something new and bold with decor in 2019.

For those who have small living rooms, picking out paint colors can be a little tricky. On the one hand, painting the whole room white can open up the walls and make the small room feel a little more airy. On the other hand, limiting yourself to just one stark color can put a cramp on some people’s creativity.

It’s time to ditch this classic living room item.

The seven deadly sins of living room decorating—and how to fix ‘em.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Amazon has a bunch of home decor pieces that look expensive, but are ridiculously affordable. It’s not that surprising, right? After all, you can buy just about everything (and we mean everything) at the mega-retailer—and usually for a low, fair price. Of course, we’re not the only ones who think Amazon is a decorating enthusiast’s paradise.

We’re always saying that switching up your throw pillows is a quick way to update your decor seasonally without blowing your budget. But we get it, picking one set you like can be hard enough—you don’t want to be too matchy-matchy, but you want them to go together. Luckily, sofa startup Burrow announced today that they’re now selling pillows and throws—and they’re also grouped in collections for easy styling.

When you think of monograms, do the frilly handkerchiefs from your grandmother’s handbag pop into your mind? Sure, monogramming has been around forever, but we’re loving all of the fresh, modern takes on the age-old classic that we’ve been coming across. Check out our favorite inspiration images and shopping picks below; we guarantee you’ll have a hard time settling on just one!

It’s kind of hard to innovate when it comes to upholstered furniture. Truth is, it’s pretty darn comfortable for the most part already. Sure, you can stain-guard the fabrics, introduce more finishes and add decorative flourishes like nailhead trim to the equation. But lately, I’m digging the throwback to the more graphic, modern lines of channel back pieces. This silhouette is part-retro, part-’80s even, and we’ve talked about it as a wall treatment before.

If you aren’t following Mandy Moore on Instagram, you should be! She’s been living it up in her gorgeous mid-century maison and even graced the cover of Architectural Digest showing off her new digs. Designed by the California-cool interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel, it embraces the mid-century lines of the house while bring fresh life to each room.

Welcome to Scandi Week—Apartment Therapy’s seven-day focus on all-things Scandinavia (often defined as the countries of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway). Sometimes it seems like the whole world is obsessed with trying to copy this corner of the globe, from its timeless style aesthetic to its now-famous coziness rituals. For the next week, we’ll take a look at all of it—cleaning, pop culture, and of course tons of eye-popping design inspiration.

Tired of looking at your same predictable sofa every day? We’re here to help you change things up. Instead of simply placing a pillow in each corner and calling it a day, check out our favorite inspiration images and shoppable picks below for a fresh take on an age-old decor dilemma. For a modern, clean look, try placing pillows in contrasting shapes right beside each other on one side of the sofa. The consistency in color ensures continuity.

It was one of those "huh!" moments where I wondered why this had never occurred to me before.

The folks at IKEA seem to have a knack for making pieces that are incredibly simple and also fit into all different kinds of interiors. They’re like the little black dresses of design. Case in point: the IKEA PS cabinet, which looks like a school locker and a credenza had a baby and somehow, despite its somewhat industrial appearance, is just the right thing for all kinds of spaces. And the best thing? It costs less than $100.

When furnishing a small space, it would seem to make sense to pick pieces that are small. After all, you don’t want to overwhelm the room with bulky, oversize furniture. But there’s one big exception: the sofa. In most living rooms, the sofa is the biggest piece of furniture, and the biggest design statement, and a larger sofa (that still fits comfortably in the room, of course) can help to visually expand the boundaries of the space.

Let’s talk, for a moment, about a curious architectural feature of many mid-century homes: the sunken living room. For a while, it was all the rage to step down into your living space, until, all of a sudden, it wasn’t. To what do we owe the rise and fall of the sunken living room? Both Realtor.com and Houzz trace the origin of the sunken living room to Kansas-born architect Bruce Goff, who in 1927 designed a house for his teacher, Adah Robinson.

Welcome to Design Doctors, our new series in which two designers offer expert prescriptions to readers who need help with a room in their home. These are not full renovations being suggested, but rather approachable, generally affordable changes that can be made by laypeople. The doctors are in! In this second installment, we have a basement that the owner describes as, “A half-timbered dingy cream stucco kinda tavern.

There’s a new term roaming the corridors of the internet that made our ears perk up the second we heard it and we think you’re going to like it, too. It’s called a “pajama lounge”, and we want one. The idea is nothing new, though: growing up in suburbia, you may have had an upstairs loft or living room where the kids studied, watched TV maybe before heading down to the kitchen for a bowl of cereal if your home was spacious enough.

These get our vote for stylish space savers.

My family and I live in a remote area—the nearest town has 200 people—so when it came time to replace our falling-apart sofa, our IRL shopping options were very limited unless we wanted to devote our lives to driving to furniture stores. The closest shops were perfectly respectable but lacked a certain flair. It seemed like ordering a sofa online was our only good option, and I’m thrilled it was, because it ended up working out great.

Let's focus on another time-honored living room pastime: conversation.

Or as the actual (but too long) title to this post should read: How to Pull Off Painting Your Living Room Black and It Not Look Like an Angsty Goth ’80s Teen Is Gearing up for a Halloween Party While Their Parents Are Out of Town. I’m here today to let you know it is possible to rock super dark paint on the walls, ceilings, shelving, mantel, fireplace, etc. and not look like you went on Trading Spaces with The Addams Family.

Did you catch this rad house tour from Buenos Aires? Each room was bursting with bold design elements balanced and mixed to perfection. But something about the living room really stuck out to me: it’s an excellent example of the versatility of a black and white color palette. In other words, if you’re someone who gets tired of the same look after awhile and you like to mix it up, take some notes from this home.

Project by: Fiona of Fiona Duke Interiors Location: Chelmsford — Essex, U.K. Fiona purchased her home knowing they would have to invest in major renovations. While saving and planning for it they decided to add some personal touches to their living room to make it feel like home before the big reno. By using a dramatic dark color and filling the space with tons of textures and fun artifacts, the living room packs in a lot of personality and feels strikingly cozy.

World Market has been one of our go-to retailers for global design, especially at an often affordable price point. Now, it’s even more of a bargain, because living room furniture is on mega sale, with pieces up to 50 percent off. Check out our picks below.

Project by: Karen Knox of Making Spaces Location: Harrogate, Yorkshire Karen’s clients were ready and willing to do a full renovation of their Edwardian home but wanted to ease into the process with their living room, which only needed a cosmetic upgrade. After talking with her clients about how they saw themselves living in the space, and the type of design they’re drawn to, she created this dark and layered space.

To someone like me—a person who has an appreciation for design but lacks the vision—the task seemed impossible. We asked three designers to take four items given to them in a “secret basket” that they might never have chosen on their own and turn them into a cohesive design that spoke to their signature style.

Most decades have a signature style (both in fashion and interior design), but that doesn’t always mean a room follows that aesthetic to a T. At times, it can be tricky to date a space just by looking at a photo, though there are usually telltale signs here and there. What’s that you say? You could spot a 1960s living room with one eye closed? We encourage you to put those eagle eyes to the test. All the spaces here are either from the 1950s, ’60s or ’70s.

Project by: Melissa Milakovic of Joydom Design Location: Ottawa — Ontario, Canada Melissa was enlisted by her clients to give their living room an entirely new look for a limited budget. They wanted a “coastal” feel and she delivered with rich blues and greens but spiced things up with bursts of bold yellow throughout. From Melissa: My clients were looking to do a complete overhaul of their living room but didn’t quite know where to start.

Built in 1928, this Michigan house came with plenty of architectural charm when Justin bought it, but it needed updating. And that’s just what Justin did, transforming the dated interior into a modern, cozy abode. Every room packs in interior design inspiration, but the living room deserves a longer look. It’s a simple, elegant composition that looks sophisticated and high-end. But you can totally pull this look off on a budget.

How to make guests as comfortable on your couch as they'd be at the Ritz-Carlton (ok, maybe not exactly).

Project by: Sandra Gudaviciute of The Knotted Touch Location: Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom Sandra transformed this living room from fine, if a little basic, to a dark and cozy statement room. Given a lot of great elements to work with (helllooooooo floors) she really upped the drama of the room, giving a little nod to the Victorian era in which the home was built. From Sandra: The house was built around 1900, converted into maisonettes in 1950.

The mere mention of marble conjures up the honed surfaces of luxury hotels, iconic landmarks such as the Taj Mahal, and lavish dream kitchens and bathrooms, yet the longstanding stone favorite is making a grand entrance into our homes these days in more affordable ways than just via floor or counter surfaces. Whether splurging for the natural stone itself or opting for the faux look, the trend has never been more attainable to get. Peruse our roundup of marble-ous (see what we did there?

If you’ve ever lived in an apartment, particularly a small apartment, this situation probably sounds familiar: you’ve signed a lease, you’re so excited about your new place, and then you realize—you have no idea where to put the furniture. And that’s where we come in. In this new column, we’re tackling the weirdest and most perplexing space planning solutions. Did the Room Layout Doctor do a good job of fitting everything in? You be the judge.

Having a small living room can be a bit of a challenge, especially if you love to entertain. How do you fit in seating for all those people and still leave room to move?

Isabelle’s house tour is endlessly inspiring to me, for starters because it’s just flat out gorgeous but also because it so clearly illustrates how all of the small choices we make can add up to something wonderfully, personally beautiful. And for those of us who are renting, that is pretty damn empowering. Ok, first thing’s first: Isabelle’s rental living room is not exactly problematic to begin with. In fact, it has supermodel-level good bones for a rental.

Project by: Samantha Gore of Samantha Gore Interiors + Design Location: East Village —New York, New York Samantha Gore was tasked with adding some flair to her client’s living room, keeping in mind the demands of the family’s newest addition. Baby-friendly and bright, the living room shows off the family’s considerable art collection without a stuffy gallery feel. Textures mix with sunlight to create a welcoming and open space.

Have you ever had a room crush? You know the feeling: you see the photo of a room so enviously gorgeous that it stops you dead in your tracks, and you can’t help but think about it – heck, you’re even talking about it to your friends who care to listen. Sometimes, the crush is on a room that’s totally on your level; something you can Pin for later and aim to recreate with your own twist.

Slipcovers have earned themselves a reputation as being shabby chic traditionalists, but to the contrary, these transformative beauties are proving to also have a modern side. These days, slipcovers are sporting more modern, simple silhouettes to accommodate in-demand contemporary furniture lines—the result is a fresh upholstered piece that embodies that cozy-modern vibe that’s been sweeping the design world right off its feet.

Name & Location: Nicola in Leeds, United Kingdom My Favorite Room: Living Room Specs: 215 square feet, owned Nicola’s living room if full of deep, dark colors, funky textures and the sort of textiles and fabrics you just want to snuggle up and get cozy. With a fun mix of thrifted and new purchases, the space has a ton of personality that complements the Victorian architecture of the home. All of the elements work together to make a perfectly welcoming family living room.

It’s up for debate for sure but I think for many, the living room—especially for apartment or condo dwellers—is the most used space in their home. It’s where you relax, entertain, get some work done and maybe even have a bite in front of the T.V. Having a small space doesn’t mean you can’t do all that and still have a stylish and functional living room.

It’s a funny thing what happens when you move into a new home. All of a sudden, the furniture pieces that worked so well for you in your previous abode just don’t feel…right anymore. Sure, some things transition seamlessly, but others end up feeling too small or too basic in the new space. Vijay Nathan—Apartment Therapy Media’s Product Manager—and his wife Anita would certainly agree. If you’ve been following along with the couple’s rental loft 2.

Back when I made the coveted transition from dorm to first college apartment, my living room consisted of a Walmart futon, curbside coffee table, and my roommate’s gigantic, cheetah print shoe chair lovingly transported from Long Island. And even though I’m well into early adulthood, I’m still slowly but surely building up to having a fully furnished, grown up apartment.

Moving into a new place can be a fun adventure. It can also be a little daunting when you realize a hefty amount of the furniture you had in your previous home just doesn’t work anymore and you aren’t sure where to start the refresh process. Such was the case for one of Apartment Therapy’s Product Managers, Vijay Nathan and his wife Anita.

Sarah likes a visually interesting home, as shown by the eight patterns in her living room. “I like each room to have pops of color and pattern to keep things fun and eclectic as you move from room to room,” writes Sarah. “I like to mix and match patterns so they relate, but also contrast for visual interest.” Sarah shared her pointers for mixing patterns in her fearless living room.

If the long, dark winter days have got you down, it may be time to warm up your home’s lighting. While adjusting your lighting may not be something you think about on a daily basis, you’ll be surprised how much adding an extra table lamp or switching lightbulbs can alter the mood of a room. Don’t believe it? Take the challenge: Try one of these nine lighting tips, and we’re willing to bet you’ll find the results to be illuminating. Nothing screams “dorm!

As part of our quest to bring you the most interesting, unusual, and inspiring small spaces, allow us to present this incredibly stylish, high-ceilinged Italian apartment—that also happens to be a studio. It’s outfitted in that funky, eclectic-yet-streamlined European way that I’m convinced is the Next Big Thing— proof that sleeping in the living room doesn’t have to mean sacrificing style. The studio, located in Milan, is the former home of designer Pietro Russo.

I love the look of fall—the pumpkins and the fallen leaves, sure, but also the particular quality the light takes on when the sun sinks low in the sky. It’s a sad, melancholy quality, but also moody and dramatic and interesting, and in some way these living rooms just seem made for that kind of light—a place to sip tea and curl up with an obscure tome and mull over the ashes of the year.

The living room of an eclectic collector is like a treasure trove. Quirky accents mingle with modern seating and a classic Warren Platner coffee table, while throw pillows of all prints and textures play nice on a vintage sofa. The telltale sign of this look is that you can’t quite put your finger on the style of the room, and that’s what makes it so special. 1. Indigo 3 Light Drum Chandelier, $318.64 from Wayfair 2. Infant Ikat Robe VI from Uzbekistan in Lucite Frame, $895 from St.