January 9, 2025, 4:06 am | Read time: 6 minutes
Even a single aspect of furnishing can have a significant impact on the overall effect of a room. An inappropriate wall color alone, for example, can make the living room appear less elegant. myHOMEBOOK author and interior designer Odett Schumann gives helpful tips on how to design a stylish and high-quality living room and avoid a cheap impression.
No matter what the budget is – everyone wants a home that looks appealing and of high quality. Ideally, if the furnishings have to be inexpensive, this should not be immediately apparent to guests. However, sometimes, design ideas unintentionally come across as a little plain. The following six tips will help you get the best out of your living room.
Wrong Choice of Color
The right choice of color makes a big difference when decorating. To prevent the living room from looking cheap, some colors and color combinations should be avoided. For example, bright colors such as pink or cyan blue, a mixture of blue and green, quickly take on an inferior character when combined with plastic objects. The duo of red and yellow – in line with the price tags in discount stores – can also quickly appear cheap when used excessively in the living room.
Tip 1: If unsure, it’s better to go for natural tones
Natural tones such as anthracite, olive, or sand colors are particularly advisable. Their warm tones and slightly natural touch make the interior look much more sophisticated and cozy.
Abundance and Clutter
Whether in the supermarket or at home, an overabundance of items often implies a lack of quality. Therefore, when furnishing, class instead of mass is needed. Don’t hoard too many items, which will then inevitably be crammed into all the sideboards, shelves, and cupboards and spill out unsightly over time. This not only creates a lot of clutter but also primarily results in a living room that looks cheap.
Tip 2: Favorite pieces can shine more in a living room
Rather than letting individual pieces of furniture become overwhelmed by clutter, it’s wiser to declutter and choose selectively. A minimalist home looks much cozier in comparison. Favorite items also have the chance to be highlighted and noticed.
Avoid Furniture Series
In the 1990s, in particular, it was considered chic to furnish every room with a single furniture range. In the living room, this was the overpowering wall unit, which, in addition to lots of drawers, doors, and open compartments, usually also had an integrated mini-bar and a large cut-out for the TV. Added to this was the matching chest of drawers and coffee table – and the look was complete! Even today, there are still such series consisting of a sideboard, lowboard, and shelving unit. Although this approach is still unappealing, such a matching set can appear unimaginative and cookie-cutter, as if lifted straight from a catalog. The lack of individuality quickly makes such furnishings in the living room look cheap.
Tip 3: Individuality before standard items
It’s more appealing to mix and match individual favorite pieces with different styles that harmonize visually with each other despite their differences. An inexpensive sofa from a classifieds portal, an old display cabinet from a flea market, and a kidney-shaped table from grandma’s attic – and you’ve created a look with character!
Unruly Wall Art
Art that is hung improperly can make the living room appear not only chaotic but also cheap. St. Petersburg hanging is often used as a model when decorating, but this should be implemented correctly. Although it may look as if all the pictures are hanging randomly on the wall, the Petersburg hanging system is actually based on a number of guidelines. However, if you disregard these, the room will quickly feel chaotic and uncomfortable.
Tip 4: Hang pictures on the wall according to specifications
Clearly, even the Petersburg hanging follows specific rules. When hanging pictures, it is important to keep picking up on different lines in order to bring calm to the apparent chaos. Whether there are few or many pictures on the wall, it is always advisable to pay attention to the different axes created by the vertical and horizontal lines of the individual frames when hanging. Parallel alignment is still the easiest.
Uncomfortable Light
The right light contributes a lot to a cozy ambiance. However, if you choose the wrong lighting, it won’t flatter any room. Light that is far too bright and cold, in particular, can quickly make a living room look sterile and, above all, cheap. When the lighting is far too dark, it looks unflattering and does not necessarily make the room feel more comfortable.
Tip 5: It’s not the value but the arrangement of different luminaires that counts
You don’t just need high-quality lighting to ensure that the living room doesn’t look cheap. The decisive factor is not the value of all the luminaires but their arrangement in the room. They should, therefore, be located on several levels in the living room: ceiling light, wall or floor lamp, table lamp, or even floor lamp. This creates a pleasant wave of light. Conversely, relying on lighting at just one level is not advisable as it creates a monotonous effect. Warm white light of around 3000 Kelvin is mainly comfortable. If a model can also be dimmed – perfect!
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Poorly Placed Rug
A rug on the floor is seen as a connecting element in the room; after all, it can visually hold all the furniture on it together. The sofa, armchair, and coffee table do not necessarily have to stand completely on the textile. Having just two out of four legs on the rug is sufficient, provided that the rug is flat-woven to prevent the furniture from tipping. If most of the furniture is not placed on the rug or is at a great distance from it, the entire ensemble in the room will appear “floating” and restless, which ultimately makes the living room look cheap.
Tip 6: Combine carpet and furniture
It is better to buy a large rug on which all the furniture can be placed. Ultimately, this also makes the room appear larger. Overall, the whole arrangement looks much more harmonious because the elements are connected to each other. The rug in the living room should, therefore, be at least wider than the longest side of the couch.