When it comes to interior design, decorating a living room usually presents the most significant challenge. After all, not only is it the largest area in your apartment but probably the most visited one as well. It’ll serve you as the main hangout spot, regardless of whether you prefer lonely gaming nights or huge parties with your family or friends.

As such, it is essential that you furnish this area to your liking. The problem is, such long-lasting choices don’t always stand the test of time. Mistakes like buying a low-quality wall unit, placing a rug too small for the room, mixing incompatible periods and styles, or lining walls with furniture happen all the time. Luckily with a little bit of ingenuity, you can easily avoid them.

One solution at your disposal is using digital renderings. Nowadays, many companies offer residential and Commercial 3D Renderings to anyone interested in them. This way, you can see the results of your decorating project before it even begins.

Still, if you are not fond of that option, you can explore the most common mistakes below and sleep safe, knowing what to do if one of them happens to you.

Buying Low-Quality Furniture

Buying low-quality furniture is one of the easiest mistakes to make when you are an inexperienced homeowner. It usually happens when you search for cheap and renovated furniture.

Sadly, this practice is not only high-risk but also low-reward. There is an old saying: if you buy cheap, you buy twice. While this may not be true for the majority of goods, like food and clothing, it is so for furniture. Buying cheap furniture might quickly backfire, as finding a high-quality renovated sofa or chair is a challenging task. And yet, we all do it. It is, after all, pretty widespread.

You can easily spend $2000 on entertainment wall units and feel like they’re worth every penny. Compare that to the $400 low-quality ones you purchased with good intentions, and the difference can be seen in an instant. The cheaper ones will not only look bland but, most likely, will be much less resistant to the wear and tear of daily use.

Cheap furniture should be your primary choice only if your home budget doesn’t permit anything better. Otherwise, even a slightly more expensive piece will last far longer and look much better in the long run.

Your Rug Is Way Too Small for the Room

Sometimes it may seem that the only thing that separates a beautiful room from an awkward one is a rug. The biggest mistake you can make with rugs is getting one too small for your living room. It may seem like a clever trick at first glance — a smaller carpet will make the room seem bigger. But in reality, it only makes the entire space feel awkward.

The best way to deal with this issue is to get a rug that has similar proportions to your room. You can measure the length and width of your room and purchase a rug that fits your measurements.

If you have no idea what kind of rug would work well in your living room, consider opting for an area rug that fits under all critical pieces of furniture you have. This way, you will avoid making the space look uncomfortable.

The Styles You Used Don’t Work Together

When it comes to interior design, there are some universal rules you can follow. For example, if you’re going for a modern look, make your entire interior completely devoid of antiques. On the other hand, if you’re going for a retro-modern look, ensure your decor doesn’t include sleek digital elements. And, perhaps most importantly, if you’re going for an eclectic look, make sure that each room component matches the others.

There are many ways to mix styles in your living room. For example, you can use furniture from various periods and styles. Alternatively, you can opt for different materials or colours. However, if neither of these options seems to fit you, you should probably stick to the same style.

If you mix styles, they sometimes can clash and fight with each other for attention. An excellent example of this is using traditional furniture with modern furniture. The clash is most often seen in the form of light fixtures. While modern ones are sleek and futuristic, traditional ones are usually more intricate and ornate. Our advice is to choose the style you like the most and stick to it.

The Walls Are Cluttered by Furniture

This is one of those mistakes that tend to repeat itself, mainly because it’s so hard to recognize it as one. In fact, many people would even argue that it’s not a mistake at all because it’s done on purpose. Some people really like having their living room walls cluttered with various objects, ranging from small art pieces to bookcases and shelves filled with books and knick-knacks.

As long as it’s done tastefully, it’s anything but a mistake. Still, we’ll list it as one because not everyone has an eye for design to make it work. If you don’t feel comfortable having your walls lined with furniture, simply remove everything from the walls and start over again until you end up with the arrangement you like.

Conclusion

Everyone makes mistakes. It’s just a part of being human. Luckily, there are ways to fix them. This article covers the most common mistakes people make when decorating their living room with furniture. Whether it’s using incompatible styles or buying furniture made with low-quality materials — you can quickly resolve all of these issues once you notice them.

You can’t go wrong with better knowledge, especially when it comes to interior design, so remember what you’ve learned and try to apply it in practice if your living room needs some redecorating. With a bit of commitment and creative vision, you can make every space feel much more welcoming. Good luck!