4 Living Room Decor Mistakes That Make Designers Cringe

Whether you’re looking for a new sleeper sofa or want to improve your home’s flow, Apartment Therapy has your back — it’s kind of what we do best here. Not all advice is worth taking, though. On social media, it can seem like everyone wants to give their two cents about how to make a home more stylish. But if you ask interior designers, a lot of that’s lip service, which often falls short in practice. 

Take the living room, for example. Because it’s generally one of the most frequently used rooms in a home, it can be one of the hardest spaces to decorate. Everyone seems to have an opinion on what’s best — from layout and color scheme, to sofa fabrics and furniture. So I asked four designer friends: What’s the worst living room decorating advice you’ve ever heard? Below, they’re challenging conventional wisdom by getting brutally honest about the advice you should definitely ignore — and what they’d do instead.

Despite the prevalence of the term “light and airy,” ethereal living rooms can be totally overrated, says designer Athiana Makar of Studio Clae in Canada. The idea is that making your living room brighter and more open will make the space seem larger, but Makar says that bigger and brighter doesn’t always mean better. “I think we’ve become so focused on creating light, airy spaces that we sometimes forget what actually makes a room feel inviting,” she says. And in the living room, cozy, welcoming vibes are essential. 

Claire Sá, co-founder of De Rosee Sa, says that “light and airy” vibes imply a space needs to “disappear” to be covetable, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. So put down the white paint and the sheer window treatments (unless you truly love these styles)! Instead, focus on highlighting the character and features that make your living room unique. (Yes, even if that means venturing to the dark side of the color spectrum.) “Not every room needs to feel expansive to feel beautiful,” Makar explains. “Darker colors, rich woods, natural materials, and layered lighting can create an incredible sense of warmth and intimacy.” 

You might think that having all your furniture hug a room’s perimeter will create a big, open space for foot traffic; that’s why it’s so common to see a living room couch backed up against a wall, likely opposite the TV. But designers like Jacqueline Gonçalves respectfully disagree with this decorating convention. “It often creates a disconnected arrangement with awkward gaps,” says Gonçalves, who runs MOKSA Studio in Los Angeles.

Instead, she says to try “floating” your sofa — moving it off the wall, closer to the middle of the room — to create a more sociable setup. “Thoughtfully grouping seating and tables closer together encourages conversation and can make a room feel both more intimate and spacious,” she says. 

Above the fireplace might be the most sensible spot for a TV screen, but Gonçalves says to avoid this move if you can. Not only does it usually mean the TV ends up way too high off the ground, but it also can become an eyesore when it’s off because it’s a big black box otherwise.

Gonçalves argues there are many more creative (and less clichéd) spots to mount your TV. Or if you can’t find a good spot for it, hide it! Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. “It can be placed off-center or concealed within a beautiful piece of furniture,” Gonçalves suggests. “Or opt for an art TV that integrates more seamlessly into the room.”

Finally, this isn’t exactly advice, per se, but social media might also make you think a pristine, picture-perfect living space is the norm. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth; designers say it’s especially important that your living room look like people actually live there. According to New Jersey-based designer Meghan Meehan of Hudson East Design, “The best [living] rooms aren’t just beautiful to look at; they’re beautiful to live in.” 

Let go of the idea of a showroom-style space. Living rooms that are layered, collected, and, okay, a little flawed almost always look and feel so much better. As Meehan puts it: “If your family or guests can’t relax, move a pillow, leave a magazine on the coffee table, or enjoy a cup of tea without worrying about messing things up, then what’s the point?”