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How to Fix These Incredibly 4 Common Living Room Mistakes

The living room is not only the most important space in a home, but it is also the place where the most serious interior design mistakes are made. Fortunately, there are easy fixes for most mistakes in the living room design.

Whether you are aware of the mistakes you have made in your home design or not, we will provide a guide to detecting these flaws. We will also explain why such designs do not work and the changes you can make to improve them. Sometimes, all that is required is to make small changes.

Also read – 7 Ways to Create a Focal Point in Any Room

Misunderstanding proportion

Proportion is a vital element in interior designs, it is about arranging the items in the room such that they complement one another. All the items in a room vary in size and dimensions, which keeps the space an interesting appeal, but they can be arranged to give the space a unified appearance.

One of the approaches most designers use in making excellent proportions is called the golden rule. The rule says that furniture gives a better aesthetic appeal when placed in a ratio of 2:3.

The picture above is a typical example, you will notice that the coffee table is two-third the length of the couch. Consequently, the length of the couch is two-third of the width of the central rug. You can replicate these kinds of dimensions in your home design.

It is simple to achieve the dimensional ratio without measuring all your furniture with a tape. Just use your perception to find the dimensions while rearranging the space. When you are done, sit back and inspect how the new settings make you feel. If somethings feel odd, tweak the arrangement again, until you feel at ease. That is how to know that your proportion is in the right shape.

Phoning in the layout

It is not uncommon to see living rooms where every furniture is positioned against the wall and leaving the center more like a game pitch. Although it might be a good way to make the room look bigger, it eventually leaves the space off balance and limits the usable space in the room.

The approach to fixing this issue is to use the furniture to create distinct groups in the room. First, you need to pick a focal point in the room, it can be some big-sized TV screen or the fireplace. After that, build the furniture arrangement around that point.

Most living room designs will follow this pattern, but other arrangements exist that give a captivating appeal as well.  If you have a large space, you create a second arrangement that serves a secondary function, such as a work desk or reading nook. All you have to do is to arrange those items to form another group. The most important aspect is to align each group such that it works with the rest of the furniture in the room.

Disregarding layering

Nowadays, the living room is about the busiest place in the home. That is where the entire household meets to unwind after the day’s work, watch the TV, and many more. Since the living room is more or less “lived in” these days, it is common to overly focus on functionality such that the living room eventually feels incomplete.

One of the best ways to bring a boring living space to life is through effective layering. Use a combination of the following elements to make a complete design.

• Lighting: Table lamps, wall lights, overhead lights, and other ambient features.
• Wallcoverings: Wall paints and Wallpapers.
• Furniture: Beds, couch, chairs, tables.
• Flooring: Wood, tiles, carpet, vinyl
• Textiles: Curtains, pillows, blankets, area rugs, bedding
• Wall hangings: Artwork, Pictures, mirrors.
• Decor items: Flowers, ceramic vases, coffee table books.

To start elevating your room, take stock of the layering items that are missing in the design. After that, start including them one after the other, at your convenience. It is essential to use items with a variety of shapes, texture and sizes to increase the visual appeal.

Forgetting about harmony

It is possible the living room gradually loses its definitive style statement and degrades to a repository of design items that we’ve gathered over the years. This may result from moving to another home or sharing a living space. All that is required to restore the electric aesthetic to your living room is to create a harmony with the stuff you have. Color is a powerful tool that can help you achieve this goal.

Take a look at your home, do you notice the pictures carry the same color scheme? You can elevate the look in the room by adding matching color shades. Besides colors, adding textures can help you create a matching theme in the living space.

Since the living room is becoming the most dominant space in the home, it is important to give extra attention to its design.  It is time we start correcting the flaws that have plagued this living space over the years. The guide above outlined common mistakes in the living space and how to fix them easily. At times, you just need to make a few changes to bring a fresh look to your home.

What is your opinion about these common living room mistakes? Are there other mistakes  you think should be included in the list? You can share them in the comment below.