How to Style a Living Room That You Love

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The kitchen may be considered the heart of the home, but I believe the living room deserves a similar title. 

A handful of elements come together to create a good living room. While there are many areas you can zero in on, I usually start with defining your style, then focusing on seating, lighting, decorative pieces (like soft textiles and artwork), storage, and creating zones. 

The way you choose and arrange furniture in a living room, and style decor around it, can be the difference between a space you adore and one that feels off. By focusing on a few specific areas and implementing a few tips and tricks, you can learn how to style a living room like a pro. 

So if you’ve been wondering how to style a living room in a way that feels comfortable, but looks expertly designed, you’re in the right place. No matter what aesthetic you gravitate toward, the following ideas will leave you with a room that’s fit for purpose and reflects your design preferences.

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How to Style a Living Room

Define Your Style

While this isn’t necessarily a design idea, it’s a very important starting point.

This step is essential before you jump into decorating your living room. Without a good understanding of the theme or style you’d like your living room to have, it’s easy to spend money on decor and furniture that doesn’t match or truly align with your tastes. 

I recommend creating a mood board and doing some research to help you decide. Take notes on what elements and designs really stand out to you. There are endless options, from modern boho living rooms to mid-century modern spaces to cozy farmhouse aesthetic living areas. 

I’ve pulled a few shoppable options to get you started that fall under a range of different design styles. Once you’ve figured this out, you can start styling your living room more confidently.

Balance Your Seating Arrangement

Seating is everything in a living room.

You want it to be both comfortable and design-forward. These days there are tons of seating layouts to experiment with and an abundance of gorgeous chairs, sofas, and sectionals to choose from. 

Start with your couch, as this is usually the central focus of the room. Then you can build a beautiful design from there.

Pick between accent chairs or bringing in something slightly different, like large ottomans, bean-bag style chairs, or chaise lounges.  

A little tip: Your seating doesn’t have to be in the same color and material. I’ve found that some of the most elevated combinations come from mixing fabrics and colors that complement one another, but aren’t necessarily the exact same shade!

Try a slate blue couch with cream-colored bouclé accent chairs or mix a leather couch with leather and wood chairs. You could also add a pop of color either through a sofa or a loveseat.

And remember, seating arrangements don’t need to follow the perimeter of a room. Sofas don’t have to rest against a wall. Floating arrangements are actually an easy way to get the exact furniture layout you desire, without worrying about wall space.

Simply use an area rug to create a zone for your furnishings to live. The four sides of your area rug become your walls and you can easily build around it.

If you have a long and narrow living room, then these 7 living room seating arrangements will be helpful for you to start brainstorming layout options.

Learn How to Decorate a Round Coffee Table

I find that rounded shapes are such a simple way of making a space feel softer and more inviting. One fabulous way of bringing this kind of fluidity to your living room is with a round coffee table.

Rectangular and angular tables are equally as nice, but a round shape softens edges and promotes a sense of flow throughout the space. This is particularly true if you’re like me and love the modern organic look. 

While this surface serves as a lovely focal point on its own, knowing how to decorate a coffee table really levels up the look of your room. 

I have a few pointers for styling a coffee table that can help you turn this blank canvas into a work of art.

Try using the rule of three — meaning choose three decorative elements to style on top.

The combinations are endless. It could be a vase of dried flowers and a decorative sphere sitting on top of a book, or a tray with a candle and a plant — just be sure to choose objects with varying heights and sizes!

You could also opt for a more minimal finish. Keep it simple and style a beautiful statement bowl in the center or a large three-wick candle.

Elevate Your Storage

I truly believe that you can have both beauty and functionality in your living room.

It’s essential for creating a space that you not only enjoy being in but one that serves your lifestyle — whether you use this room to relax, entertain, work, or play. 

The best way to achieve this harmony is through decorative items that serve a purpose and look gorgeous. For example, shelving should match your living room’s aesthetic but it should actually offer plenty of storage opportunities too.

Also, think about the balance of hidden storage and options that are out in the open.

Lift-up coffee tables and sleek cabinets are great for hiding bits that aren’t so pretty to look at (like TV remotes and cables.) Whereas open shelving and glass-paneled cupboards are perfect for decor, books, and candles. 

Baskets, trays, and stackable containers are all other ways of making must-have organizational features nicer to look at on the daily.

Add texture With Cozy Textiles

No living room is complete without comfy and cozy pillows, blankets, and rugs. These pieces are responsible for turning this space into a place you’ll want to curl up and spend hours in.

I encourage you to blend and layer different textures.

Try a chunky knit throw on the back of your favorite chair and add velvety pillows to your couch. Experiment with different upholstery styles or add a pop of fabric through a lampshade.

You can also visually and physically warm up the floors with a rug (or two!) on the ground, pulling it all together. 

Remember your window treatments too. Do you want thick, velvety drapes or lighter sheer curtains? Or something that sits in between? These help frame the room and can add both color and dimension. They’re also vital for controlling the light in your space.

Breathe Life Into Your Living Room With Plants

Plants are such a simple way to add color and vibrancy to a living room. It’s another decorative technique that has a near-infinite number of choices too. Consider wreaths, planters, floral arrangements, and even living walls.

You can quickly refresh empty corners with an indoor tree (think: fiddle leaf figs, or rubber, olive, and citrus trees.)

Another idea is to spruce up your coffee table with succulents, flowers, or small shrubs. Trailing plants and vines would also make a great addition to the tops of bookshelves or shine all on their own from a hanging planter. 

If your living room doesn’t get a lot of natural light, don’t stress. There are plenty of varieties that can handle low-light conditions, or you could opt for faux plants — the options nowadays are impressively realistic. 

As a final point, think about the planters and containers where you plant your leafy additions. These pots, vases, and planters can all serve as decor in their own right and should match your aesthetic.

Think About Your Lighting

Nothing impacts the mood and look of your space in the way that lighting can. The wrong color of bulbs or a lack of light in general can all lead to a dull and not-so-cozy space.

The right lights, however, can create a beautiful atmosphere and serve any purpose you need from low lighting for movies or brighter lighting for reading.

One of my best tips for honing your living room lighting to perfection is layering (just like you would with your soft goods.)

This means having plenty of options to choose from — especially if you’re not a big fan of one big overhead light.

This layout could involve having floor lamps or task lighting near reading chairs, statement lamps on top of tables, and some form of overhead or main lighting. Dimmable switches make this feature even better!

Add Artwork and Personal Touches

It’s easy to get caught up in the bigger elements of a living room, but don’t forget about the small details!

Part of making your living room feel well-designed involves incorporating touches that are uniquely you. Forget cookie-cutter spaces — special mementos, passed-down antiques, unique artwork, and handmade pieces all contribute to a room that’s made for you and your family.

How do you arrange these items? It all depends on the pieces you’d like to work into the scheme.

For artwork, a gallery wall is a great way to display your favorites if you have a big collection of photos or artwork. If you have one special piece, frame it and find a wall where it can serve as a focal point. 

For other special objects, dot them around your living room. Style them into vignettes on coffee tables, bookshelves, sideboards, or wall-mounted shelves.

Create Specific Zones Within Your Living Room

Your living room is one space, but creating mini areas within it is a lovely way to give it purpose while still keeping everything cohesive. 

Designing zones is useful for any kind of living room. These specified areas work for closed floor plans but they’re especially helpful for open-concept living rooms too, which may feel a little too undefined.

First, determine how you want this room to function, and what areas you’d like for certain activities (like watching movies, playing games, or reading.)

Then, it’s all about setting up in a way that doesn’t inhibit the flow of the room. Some of my favorite ways to create zones are through rugs, room dividers, seating, and tables.

Thanks so much for stopping by Grace In My Space today! I hope that this post on how to style a living room inspired you to spruce up your space. Make sure to subscribe to access all my free guides. Plus, you can follow along with me daily on Instagram and weekly on YouTube!

~Sarah