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5 Living Room Essentials

The way you decorate your living room can pretty much set the mood for the whole house. It’s the space you use for just about everything, so it needs to be cozy but practical. Say your friends stop by, this is probably where you’ll be having coffee. Or maybe you want to unwind with your favorite show at the end of the day, this is likely where you’ll curl up on the couch in front of the screen. So your living room design shouldn’t just be about looks. It should be a space where you want to spend time every day.

Refreshing the design rarely calls for drastic and expensive changes, though. A few practical additions are usually enough to give the room a new feel. Throw pillows and a rug from Dressup.ge’s online collection will make your living room cozier, and a coffee table will make the space more functional. New lamps can set a completely new mood and decorative plants can make it feel more lively.

Throw Pillows

If you’re a little tired of your old couch but don’t feel like replacing it anytime soon, try changing up its look. Throw pillows are one of the easiest ways to bring new colors and textures into the room.

If your couch is a neutral color, try bold shades or prints. If your furniture has an unusual shape or there are a lot of details in bright colors, balance it out with softer tones instead. A wide couch gives you room to play around with different pillow sizes and colors. With a smaller one, try not to crowd it. Putting one pillow on each end should be enough.

Not sure which color to choose? Use your existing living room accessories as a cheat sheet. Pick out a color that stands out in your rug, curtains, or a noticeable piece of decor, like a vase or a picture on the wall. Then choose a throw pillow in a similar shade. That way, it’ll fit in with other decor better.

An Area Rug

A rug can change the whole mood of a room. When choosing one, pay just as much attention to its size and texture as you do to its design.

Ideally, your rug should cover a good portion of the floor without stretching fully from one end of the room to the other. An oversized rug can swallow up other living room decor, while one that’s too small can get lost in the space. Try looking for a rug that comfortably fits your coffee table and the front legs of your couch or armchairs.

A Coffee Table

A coffee table is one of the most practical pieces of decor you can have. For one thing, you can use it as a display. A large illustrated book, a candleholder, a vase, or other small pieces can add character to the room and make it look nicer.

But also, it’s where everyday things tend to end up. Think of the remote, your coffee mug, and a bowl of popcorn while you’re watching a show.

So don’t buy the first coffee table that looks pretty. Its size, height, and shape matter just as much as its design. Sometimes we may fall in love with things that just don’t fit our space. That’s okay. Table it (ha!) for now and think more practically.

When decorating a small living room, a compact, round table is a good choice because it takes up less space and leaves you room to move around. Try to look for one with built-in storage so you have extra space to keep things.

If you have plenty of space to play with, go for a wider table with a more unusual shape. Use your couch as the reference point here. The table should look proportional to it, with enough room left around it to move comfortably.

Local Lighting

A ceiling light is practical, but one light source is rarely flexible enough to play with the mood in a room. For example, when you want to create a soft, cozy feel in the evening, the overhead light might be too bright.

Figuring out how to style a living room gets easier if you divide it into areas by function. If you have a separate reading nook, for instance, you can put a floor lamp beside the armchair for soft overhead light right where you need it. To give your living room a calm or romantic feel, try small wall lights. They’re especially useful when you place several all around the room and can choose how many to turn on and which areas to light.

Decorative Plants

Have an empty corner that feels like it’s missing something? Maybe your living room could use a little something green.

If your living room decor needs some life, try adding at least one potted plant. The pot can be a decorative piece on its own, but with a plant in it, it’ll truly brighten up the space. If you’re working with a limited space, putting a small pot on a shelf, the coffee table, or even the windowsill will be enough. Just pay attention to how much natural light each part of the room gets, and choose your plant with that in mind.

If you already know you won’t have time to care for real plants, you can decorate your living room with artificial decorative plants instead. They’re ideal if you’re not home much, come home exhausted, or don’t get much natural light in your living room.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to furnish a living room?

Even in the smallest living rooms, you’ll usually find a couch, a couple of armchairs, a coffee table, a TV, and a bookshelf. To add character to the room, use decorative pieces that can reflect your specific taste: a colorful rug, interesting light fixtures, throw pillows, plants, etc.

How do I choose a rug for my living room?

Your coffee table and the front legs of your couch or armchairs should fit comfortably on the rug. Ideally, it should extend about 20 cm beyond each side of the couch.

How do I choose the right coffee table size?

The table should be proportionate to your couch. Ideally, it should be between half and two-thirds of the couch’s length. Guests should be able to freely walk around it.

How do I decorate a small living room?

Choose compact furniture with smooth lines, and don’t overdo it with decorative details. It’s better to choose one or two focal points, like a rug and a coffee table.

How do I match throw pillows with my decor?

Pick a background color from something else in the room, like your rug or curtains, and try to match your pillows with it. If you want to liven up the space, choose a bright color to create contrast.