9 Living Room Design Mistakes to Avoid, According to Experts

Even the most beautiful living rooms can be undermined by small but significant design errors. Professional interior designers have identified the most common mistakes homeowners make when styling these central spaces, from practical oversights to aesthetic missteps that affect the entire room's balance.

These experts reveal that proper rug sizing, strategic furniture placement, and thoughtful lighting choices form the foundation of successful living room design. The mistakes are surprisingly common—many people instinctively push sofas against walls or mount televisions above fireplaces without considering the visual and ergonomic consequences.

The good news is that most of these errors can be corrected without major renovations. Simple adjustments like floating furniture away from walls, adding multiple light sources, and choosing appropriately sized pieces can dramatically improve both the look and feel of your living space.

Rug proportions can make or break a room's entire aesthetic. According to Gena Kirk, vice president of design at KB Home, selecting the wrong size creates immediate visual problems. An oversized rug overwhelms the space and makes rooms appear smaller, while a rug that's too small forces furniture into awkward groupings and leaves wasted empty space around the perimeter.

Kirk's practical solution involves simple measurement techniques. She recommends using painter's tape to create exact outlines of potential rugs directly on your floor, allowing you to visualize how each option will interact with your furniture layout before making a purchase.

Furniture placement follows similar principles of spatial awareness. Lauren White, owner and principal designer of Ellen W. Interior Concepts, challenges the default practice of pushing sofas against walls. Instead, she advocates for 'floating' furniture—positioning pieces away from walls, sometimes even in the center of the room.

Floating furniture means that you place pieces off the wall, sometimes in the middle of the room. When you do this in your living room, it makes the room feel and look larger because you will be able to walk around it.

This technique creates natural pathways and improves traffic flow, though White acknowledges it works best in spaces with adequate square footage.

Walking into a furniture showroom might inspire your design choices, but copying the showroom look exactly can backfire. White warns against purchasing entire furniture sets, which create spaces that feel inauthentic and overly coordinated. The 'matchy-matchy' aesthetic lacks the personality that makes a house feel like a home.

Instead, designers recommend curating separate pieces over time. This approach allows for more interesting combinations of textures, colors, and styles. The result is a layered, collected look that elevates your home's style and reflects your personal aesthetic rather than a store's marketing vision.

Another common style mistake involves television placement. While mounting TVs above fireplaces has become popular, White points out that this arrangement creates serious ergonomic problems. Looking upward for extended periods causes neck strain and discomfort, turning your relaxation space into a source of physical tension.

I know that placing your TV over the fireplace is the 'it' thing to do, but it does a huge disservice to your neck. Your TV should be eye-level to where you are sitting. You should not have to look up.

Design should serve both beauty and function, and proper TV height is essential for comfortable daily viewing.

Comfort must remain central to any living room design. Sonja Rasula, founder of Unique Markets in Los Angeles and former HGTV designer, emphasizes that sacrificing comfort for style creates spaces that feel cold and unwelcoming. A sterile, showroom-like living room defeats its primary purpose as a gathering space.

Rasula recommends prioritizing pieces you'll actually enjoy using. Choose sofas that invite lounging, rugs soft enough for bare feet, and add tactile elements like cozy blankets and plush pillows. These touches make a significant difference regardless of budget constraints.

Lighting mistakes frequently undermine living room functionality. Sara Ray, a Nashville-based interior designer, explains that single overhead fixtures rarely provide adequate illumination for a room's varied activities. Living rooms serve multiple purposes—from entertaining guests to reading quietly—so lighting should be equally versatile.

• Overhead lighting on dimmers for general illumination
• Task lighting for reading and activities
• Accent lighting on bookshelves and artwork
• Secondary sources to create warm ambiance

Ray suggests creating layers of light using multiple sources. This approach allows you to adjust brightness for different times of day and activities, transforming the room's mood while ensuring practical visibility.

Furniture scale directly impacts how spacious a room feels. Rasula notes that oversized pieces in small spaces create compression, while undersized furniture in large rooms leaves awkward empty areas. The solution lies in understanding proper spacing.

For larger living rooms, maintain 30 to 36 inches between furniture pieces to allow comfortable movement. In smaller spaces like apartments, 18 to 24 inches provides adequate flow without overcrowding. These measurements ensure rooms feel balanced rather than cramped or sparse.

Shelving presents another common pitfall. While built-ins and bookcases offer valuable storage and display space, overloading them creates visual chaos. Rasula warns against overhang—when items extend beyond shelf edges—because this makes spaces feel cluttered and disorganized.

Finally, functional surfaces are essential for practical living. Ray emphasizes that every seating area needs reachable surfaces for drinks, books, and personal items. A well-designed living room should include at least one or two side tables plus a coffee table, with additional surfaces added as space allows. This ensures the room works as beautifully as it looks.

Successful living room design balances aesthetics with practicality. The most impactful changes often involve simple adjustments rather than complete overhauls—floating furniture, adjusting lighting schemes, and selecting appropriately sized rugs can transform a space quickly.

Remember that your living room should reflect your lifestyle, not just current trends. Prioritize comfort, ensure proper scale, and create multiple lighting layers to build a space that functions beautifully for daily life while maintaining visual appeal.