Whether you’re working on an empty space while designing or a crowded room while remodelling, knowing where to start can be difficult. Although professionals make designing and decorating a living room look simple, it’s actually very challenging. A living room is a place where families and friends gather and create memories, so, they deserve to be designed in a proper way. While planning any living room, the layout, furniture, flooring, decor, etc., must be considered to create an ambience of comfort, intimacy, and practicality. To put it another way, every single interior design and decor aspect of your living room counts a lot, from the false ceiling and wallpaper to the sofa and TV unit you choose.
We have provided a detailed guide on how you can design your living room layout. Furthermore, we have discussed some common mistakes you can avoid while planning your living space, along with tips from experts. In order to provide you with some inspiration, we’ve put together an exclusive image gallery of our best living room design ideas. Continue reading the article to upgrade your home or give it a complete makeover.
Contents
- 1 Trending living room designs in 2023
- 1.1 Living room design idea #1 – Transform boring walls using marvellous mirrors
- 1.2 Living room design idea #2 – Go subtle with neutral palettes
- 1.3 Living room design idea #3 – Bring the outdoors indoors
- 1.4 Living room design idea #4 – Add cosy vibes with rustic aesthetics
- 1.5 Living room design idea #5 – Create a focal point with oversize-art
- 1.6 Living room design idea #6 – How about laid-back living rooms?
- 1.7 Living room design idea #7 – Opt for a mid-century style
- 1.8 Living room design idea #8 – Keep it minimal with Scandinavian elements
- 1.9 Living room design idea #9 – Splash some colours
- 1.10 Living room design idea #10 – Choose bookshelves over wall-hangings
- 2 Living room designs to revamp your space (Image gallery)
- 3 How to design a living room?
- 4 Common mistakes to avoid and suggestions from experts
- 4.1 Common mistake #1: Avoid harsh lighting in your living room design
- 4.2 Common mistake #2: Overlooking the height of furniture in your living room design
- 4.3 Common mistake #3: Picking up a rug that’s too small
- 4.4 Common mistake #4: Ignoring clutter
- 4.5 Common mistake #5: Leaving out prime wall space
- 4.6 Common mistake #6: Turning a blind eye to colours in your living room design
- 4.7 Common mistake #7: Dressing windows wrongly
- 5 Watch this video: How to elevate your living room – Do’s & Don’ts (12 mins 5 secs)
- 6 FAQs
- 6.1 How do you plan a modern living room?
- 6.2 How do I make my living room classy?
- 6.3 What is the best shape for a living room?
- 6.4 How to arrange the TV in the living room?
- 6.5 Which shape of the sofa is best?
- 6.6 Which corner is best for the living room?
- 6.7 What are the most popular colours for living rooms?
- 6.8 Which two-colour combination is best for the living room?
- 6.9 What is the best position for a sofa and TV?
- 6.10 What are the seven steps to decorating a living room?
- 7 Conclusion
Trending living room designs in 2023
Living room design idea #1 – Transform boring walls using marvellous mirrors
Image Source: Homary.com
Just painting your living room walls isn’t enough if you want eye-catching decor. If dressing the bare walls with traditional artwork feels overplayed, consider using decorative mirrors. This home decor arrangement adds character to your living room interior design. Moreover, it helps reflect the light properly and makes the room appear larger.
Living room design idea #2 – Go subtle with neutral palettes
Image Source: Unsplash
Neutral palettes can make your living room appear stylish, offering a perfect base. Whether it’s the paint, furniture, or decor, shades of white, grey, brown, black, and tan can create a serene and livable atmosphere.
| Also see: Room colour: 115+ sublime wall colour schemes & combinations |
Living room design idea #3 – Bring the outdoors indoors
Image Source: Luisa Brimble on Unsplash
Adding a biophilic touch and bringing nature inside can help brighten up your living room decor. Indoor plants not only will enhance the decor but also purify the air and bring positivity. Pairing the plants with stylish and decorative planters can add a wow factor.
| Also read: Indoor plants designing guide (+41 shopping options) |
Living room design idea #4 – Add cosy vibes with rustic aesthetics
Image Source: Andrew Maged on Behance
Embracing a rustic or a modern rustic feel in your living area is a great idea. You can go all in installing antique accents. For modern rustic aesthetics, you can blend vintage accents with contemporary furniture designs. Moreover, adding accent pillows with plaid patterns can make your space feel more rustic.
Living room design idea #5 – Create a focal point with oversize-art
Image Source: Helen Thomas on Unsplash
Do you find bare walls boring and looking to add some creativity? Then liven up your living room walls using oversize artwork. This will create a focal point giving a layered effect to your space; you can also pick an art featuring abstract shapes. It will give a touch of modernity to the living room.
Living room design idea #6 – How about laid-back living rooms?
Image Source: Unsplash
To make your living room precious, you don’t have to make it stuffy. Soft texture can be used to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere. Choosing high-quality materials for your furniture, curtains, rugs, and so on can create an opulent appearance. Moreover, you can add a hint of casualness using furniture or other elements. It doesn’t have to be elegant all the time.
| Also see: 29+ budget-friendly living room decoration ideas |
Living room design idea #7 – Opt for a mid-century style
Image Source: Behance
Want to create a striking yet homely atmosphere in your living room? Then mid-century modern interior design is a saviour. Clean lines, muted tones, the combination of natural and manmade materials, vibrant hues, graphic shapes, etc., are some elements you should include for a mid-century living room design. Moreover, this iconic look combines comfort with cutting-edge styling and a retro aesthetic.
Image Source: Behance
Scandinavian design can be extremely minimal. A Scandinavian living room design emphasizes clean and simple lines, functionality, and minimalism without compromising beauty. In addition to this, it makes your space appear uncluttered. That’s the most pleasing thing about it.
Living room design idea #9 – Splash some colours
Image Source: Pinterest
Consider contrasting colours in your living room for a standout appearance. You can pair a brightly coloured statement-making piece of furniture with neutral-toned walls. Adding vibrant sofas, chairs, or coffee tables is a playful way to splash a pop of colour to your living room design.
Living room design idea #10 – Choose bookshelves over wall-hangings
Image Source: Unsplash
Are you a book lover and want your living room design to say it loud? Install a unique piece of living room wall decor with the bookshelf instead of wall hangings. Moreover, this will save your floor space. You can place a few small works of art near the front of the shelves to add decoration to the bookcase and give it depth.
| Also see: Shop from 95 modern bookshelf designs online (Starts at ₹1899) |
Living room designs to revamp your space (Image gallery)
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1. Image Source: Ala Amin on Behance
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2. Image Source: Jared Kuzia Casagrande
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3. Image Source: Domkapa on Behance
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4. Image Source: Monica Ayoub on Behance
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5. Image Source: Spacejoy on Unsplash
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6. Image Source: Sidekix media on Unsplash
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7. Image Source: Eman Hassan on Behance
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8. Image Source: Spacejoy on Unsplash
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9. Image Source: Reel studio on Behance
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10. Image Source: Kyoshi Reyes on Unsplash
How to design a living room?
Shape & size
Shapes have a great impact on how your home feels. The shape of the layout greatly influences the arrangement of the furniture in a living room. So, the arrangement of fixed furniture is planned to complement the flexibility of the room.
The size of a living room varies from a small to a large one.
Small living room: This can be a 7 x 10 ft (about 2.1 x 3.0 m) space, which will allow a small 2-seater sofa to fit in your layout.
Medium living room: The next size is roughly 10 x 13 ft (about 3 x 4 m). These living rooms can easily accommodate 4-5 people and allow a 2-seater sofa to fit in. If you want to add a TV unit to your living room design, this setup will allow 2-3 people to watch it comfortably.
Large living room: This living room allows 6-10 people to fit in a space measuring 12 x 18 ft (about 3.7 by 5.5 metres). Additionally, 3-seater sofas, along with other pieces of furniture, can fit in large-sized living rooms.
Layout
Open-plan
Create a living area enclave in an open-plan room that connects to a dining area and kitchen by separating the space with a large L-shaped sectional sofa. When selecting a sofa, keep the side of the L-shape in mind. Keep it next to the windows rather than blocking the path. If your room is large enough, leave a good 60 cm distance between your sofa and the window to make it feel more refined. Add a coffee table and side tables beside the sofa to complete the look.
Conversationalist
This layout is ideal for people who like to host guests. It is suitable for living rooms where the fireplace is located across the entrance, as it maintains harmony and balance throughout.
Here, seating should be no more than 8 feet apart for face-to-face conversations. If there isn’t much space in the room, pick sofas that are narrower to make room for movement. Place two sofas in the centre of a room, and at one end, place a group of chairs and side tables to create a separate conversation area. Moreover, there is plenty of room for a TV and additional storage when bookcases are placed on either side of the fireplace.
Walk-through
There are several doors in the walk-through living room that you can use to move from one part of the house to another. There is more than one way to enter and exit this room. A pass-through space is another name for this kind of space.
The TV is positioned in front of the sofa in this traditional living room arrangement. You can also place a set of chairs across the sofa or on one side of the room beside each other, depending on whether your space is more square or narrow. Add a stunning TV unit, a few side tables, and lots of mood lighting to complete the living room design.
While planning this room, be careful not to obstruct the entrances to the other rooms. Also, consider the purpose of the space when arranging furniture. This could be a single-purpose room, such as a living room, or it could serve multiple functions, such as a living room & dining room combo or a living room office.
Lighting
When it comes to living room lighting, there are some things you should consider. Ask yourself what you would like your living room light to do. It can help you decide on the right type of lighting for the space. Do you want it to hang off the ceiling while serving as a lovely art piece? A chandelier will work perfectly in that situation. However, if you want the light to be ambient and brighten up your living room, you should choose a different type of lighting, such as wall sconces or concealed ceiling lights.
Flow of traffic
When designing your living room, keep traffic flow in mind. The way people enter, exit, and navigate the space will be influenced by your furniture arrangement. Is it challenging to enter and exit the space? When there are several people in the room, does the space feel crowded? Work with the size of your room by selecting the appropriate size of furniture to ensure an easy flow of traffic.
Common mistakes to avoid and suggestions from experts
Common mistake #1: Avoid harsh lighting in your living room design
Image Source: Ralph Kayden on Unsplash
Proper lighting is essential when designing a space. The right lighting can turn your living room into a cosy, welcoming space. The wrong lighting, on the other hand, can make your living room feel gloomy. Also, adding too many lights to your living room will make your space look like a lobby.
What do experts suggest?
Make a lighting strategy! Based on the area’s dimensions and the lighting’s purpose, consider working with a lighting specialist to identify the needs of your project when remodelling. Elevate your living room design with a false ceiling with recessed lights, as they provide both direct and indirect lighting.
Common mistake #2: Overlooking the height of furniture in your living room design
Image Source: Overstock
The furniture in your living room has a big impact on how it feels and looks. But putting aside the appearance and feel, the size should be your top priority. After all, furniture that is too small will draw attention to empty space and give the impression that your living room is vacant, while furniture that is too large will make the space feel crowded.
What do experts suggest?
There is no standard that dictates the height of living room furniture. However, a good rule of thumb is to keep furniture between 26 and 30 inches high so that most people can use it comfortably.
Common mistake #3: Picking up a rug that’s too small
Image Source: Mohammad Yasir on Behance
A common problem in living room design is the inadequately sized rug. Since it’s a focal point in your living room, it must be chosen carefully and styled properly.
What do experts suggest?
Make sure your rug is at least 6 inches (ideally 8 inches) wider than your sofa on each side. Usually, the rug is placed along the entire sofa length. If your living room allows, leave a space of 30 to 36 inches between large furniture pieces; if not, leave at least 18 to 24 inches of space. This will help you determine the size of your rug.
Also read: Rugs: A quick buyer’s guide with 25+ modern styling ideas (Shop now!)
Common mistake #4: Ignoring clutter
Image Source: Ikea
No matter how much you spend on planning your living room, if it’s not organised, it will always stress you out rather than relax you.
What do experts suggest?
Invest in wall-to-wall shelves for your living room. You will have plenty of space to display your favourite finds if you line a wall in your living room with open shelving or glass-front cabinets. Combine them with low-level cabinets or drawers for quick access to necessary items. Additionally, choose a TV unit for your living room design; it will add aesthetics as well as storage space.
Common mistake #5: Leaving out prime wall space
Image Source: The best wallpaper place on Twitter
When designing a living room, people always focus on the floor space and forget about the walls. However, it is important to consider vertical elements in addition to the horizontal floor space.
What do experts suggest?
You can use wallpaper patterns to enhance your living room’s proportions. For instance, a subtle vertical stripe can make a room look taller, whereas horizontal stripes make it look wider. If you have an open-plan layout, go for a living room design with bold wallpaper that separates the living and dining areas. Paint can also be an easy-to-update option for living room walls. Consider hanging indoor plants or artwork to add to the aesthetic.
| Also see: 63+ Ideas for wall decoration: Upgrade from dull to dazzling walls |
Common mistake #6: Turning a blind eye to colours in your living room design
Image Source: Burrow.com on Pinterest
Inappropriate colour combinations can really drag down a room’s aesthetic. Choosing the right colour palette is critical; otherwise, your living room’s appeal will suffer.
What do experts suggest?
When making this decision, consider the room’s size and the height of the ceiling. If you have a small living room and want to make it look bigger and brighter, you should use lighter colours. If you have a larger living room, you can be more daring with colour. So, try a darker colour palette, add a striking feature wall, or get creative with bold paint colours. Opt for the 60-30-10 rule. It is recommended that 60% of the room should have a dominant colour, 30% should have a secondary colour or texture, and 10% should be an accent.
Common mistake #7: Dressing windows wrongly
Image Source: Brillcurtains.com on Pinterest
Every window requires the perfect soft furnishings, whether it’s elegant draperies or a simple swath of fabric. A space can be closed off by hanging curtain rods just above the window.
What do experts suggest?
Depending on how you want to hang the window curtains, measure your windows and make any necessary adjustments. To give a taller impression of your room, hang curtain rods and drapes closer to the ceiling. Traditionally, the fullness of the drapes should be 2 to 2½ times the width of the window. For instance, if your window is 4 feet wide, the ungathered panels should be at least 8 feet wide or, ideally, 10 feet wide.
Watch this video: How to elevate your living room – Do’s & Don’ts (12 mins 5 secs)
FAQs
How do you plan a modern living room?
While planning a living room, you should consider the layout and natural light. The layout will give you an idea of the available space and the pieces of furniture you want to include. To make your space feel bright and airy, natural light and fresh air are vital components of a modern living room design.
How do I make my living room classy?
There’s nothing tough in achieving a high-end classy look for your living room design. Here are some classy living room ideas:
- Display antique accents
- Include curvy shapes in the form of furniture, rugs, lamps, mirrors, etc.
- Opt for metallic pieces like a table, light fixtures, or decor items.
- Add fresh flowers in an eye-catching arrangement.
What is the best shape for a living room?
An L-shaped layout is typically the best choice for a living room. This layout allows you to spread your furniture far into the corner. Moreover, it makes the most of the available space while taking up less room than most arrangements.
How to arrange the TV in the living room?
Traditionally, while arranging a TV in a living room, a sectional or sofa is placed in front of it. Some arrangements include chairs or ottomans on either side for extra seating. This configuration allows every seat in the room to enjoy a good TV viewing angle. Another furniture arrangement for a TV room is to make an L-shaped seating area.
Which shape of the sofa is best?
An L-shaped sofa is an excellent choice for your living room design. It’s one of the most popular and in-demand pieces of furniture for homes today. With the help of this sofa design, you can add more space where you need it. Moreover, these sofas are both functional and room-saving.
Which corner is best for the living room?
The direction of your living room should always be either East or North. However, if your home faces South, your living room should be in the South-east corner. However, facing North is the direction that is most beneficial for a living room.
What are the most popular colours for living rooms?
Green, grey, blue, teal, black, navy, pink and white are some of the most trending colours for living rooms in 2023.
Which two-colour combination is best for the living room?
Here are some of the trending two-colour combinations for your living room:
- Black and white
- Grey and white
- Black and grey
- Cream and pastel pink
- White and blue
- White and brown
- White and gold
- Red and purple
What is the best position for a sofa and TV?
For the best TV viewing experience, the furniture should be placed in such a way that the TV is visible from every seat in the room. The traditional arrangement places a sectional or sofa in front of the TV, with chairs or ottomans on either side for extra seating.
What are the seven steps to decorating a living room?
The 7 steps to decorating your living room are:
- Measure your space.
- Determine how you want to use your space.
- Emphasise your aesthetic.
- Make a “room board” to know if your furniture fits well.
- Figure out the items to shop for.
- Consider the wall decor.
- Don’t skip the greenery.
Conclusion
The living room, more than any other room in your home, necessitates careful consideration in terms of interior design ideas and decorating items. It should be furnished with everything you need for a variety of activities since you spend most of your time there. Thus, it needs to be perfect and tidy at all hours. While planning your living room, there are many factors you should be mindful of, such as shape, size, layout, flow of traffic, etc. You can always improve your living room design by adding wallpaper as wall decor, incorporating recessed lights into the false ceiling, or adding natural elements such as plants to your space.
Now that you understand the fundamentals of living room design, you should avoid making common mistakes and follow the advice of professionals. Some of the tips include installing proper lights considering their purpose, designing and decorating your empty living room wall with wallpaper, utilizing art pieces and paint, hanging window curtains at a height for a tall impression, and adding a TV unit for storage. Feel free to use design ideas from the image gallery above and get your space ready for fun gatherings.
*The featured image used in this article is from Ebthal Soudy on Behance
