7 Common Mistakes People Make When Laying Out Living Room Furniture (Are You ‘Rug Smothering’?) By Realtor.com

The living room is one of the home's high-traffic areas, but this workaday space often gets short shrift when it comes to decor and layout.

The reason? Often, folks place their couch on a rug, add a chair, and plop a coffee table in the middle—and then consider the job finished.

But the truth is, how you arrange your living room pieces matters in terms of flow through the space and ease of use.

Stagers, decor pros, and real estate agents agree that well-laid-out furniture can transform your living room, making it attractive to the eye and sensible for your everyday needs—oh, and add some serious overall style.

To smooth the path to living room success, we've identified the seven most common mistakes. Take a look, and fix yours accordingly (you can do it!).

1. TV worship

 Photo by Houzz

We love sports in high-def as much as the next person, but this doesn't mean that every piece of furniture must face the boob tube.

Orlando-based real estate agent Alejandro Quiel, with Premier Sotheby's International Realty, urges homeowners to avoid TV worship.

"You can have one sofa facing the TV, but then place another one to the side; and this way, if you have people over, you’re not centralizing the interaction with TV time," he explains. "Instead, you’re opening up the space for conversation and enjoying the time with friends."

2. Chunky furniture

 Photo by Blue Copper Design 

Large pieces are fun to sink into with a good book and a blanket, but you're asking for trouble when a couch is too oversized for the room (we see you 18-piece sectional!).

Quiel says one of the top mistakes he encounters when showing homes are sofas in the living room that are "too big and chunky for the space, which causes it to look smaller." Scale down, and the room will improve.

3. Rug smothering

 Photo by Domiteaux Garza Architecture 

Amanda Wiss, founder of NYC-based home staging company Urban Staging and home organizing company Urban Clarity, has strong opinions about the carpet you use in your living room layout. In short, it's likely way too small.

"It's one of those counterintuitive tricks—a larger rug can give the illusion of more space," she points out. "Not to mention, it’s cozier on the feet."

The massive couch in the room shown above swallows up the poor Oriental-style rug underneath it. Quiel agrees with this point and recommends homeowners only put their coffee table fully onto the rug.

"Remember, rugs are a decor piece, which means they’re to be admired and bring the space together, not hidden under furniture," he says.

4. Matchy-matchy sets

 Photo by Creative West Architects 

Ah, the ol' furniture-set blunder! Just a quick gander at the layout here tells you all you need to know about this staid clay-colored collection. It's dull as dishwater, both in hue and design.

Wiss understands the safe feeling homeowners seek when they buy matching living room furniture or pieces covered in the same fabric. But in doing so, the room "runs the risk of lacking any personality."

If you must have a set of furniture, at least jazz it up with some colorful accessories, like pillows or a throw blanket. Or, says Quiel, get matching sofas and add a bold accent chair.

5. Blocked pathways

 Photo by - Houzz 

You would think layouts that prevent family and guests from navigating the room would be an obvious #fail, but it still happens all too frequently, says Wiss.

"I’ve seen massive couches blocking doorways or inhibiting traffic through the room, which means you can't walk from one end to the other," she says. A good rule of thumb: "Leave a couple of feet around every doorway and walkway," she counsels.

An equally offensive faux pas is blocking a gorgeous view with a messy or crowded layout.

Quiel says if you face water or pretty trees, "make sure that the view stays unobstructed as much as possible with your living room layout—and every single time you come home, you'll be reminded of why you bought the house."

6. Bad colors

 Photo by - Houzz

You love neon yellow, but does it go with the rest of the room or the home's palette? Think carefully before you answer.

"If you choose a color that doesn’t mesh universally when you decide to revamp your living room space, you may be forced to go out and buy new pieces to match the atmosphere," says Quiel.

7. Too many tables

 Photo by Elms Interior Design 

Quiel says having a table at every seat is overkill.

"You should only have two tables in your living room: your coffee table and one by an accent chair," he explains.

Need more space for food and drinks? Set up a folding table for those occasions.

"You can have dinner and a movie and then put it away when you don't need it," he adds.

"Call Eli Torres at (832) 430-2107, for your home buying and selling needs."

Source: www.realtor.com