If your living room is cramped and does not feel inviting, you can assume that it is caused by excess furniture. But the real reason for this interior design -dilemma could surprise you. We have asked an interior designer to explain a frequent mistake that feels closely – with experts advice on how the situation can be remedied.
Meet the expert
Marie Flanigan Is interior designer, classically trained architect and founder of Marie Flanigan Interiors in Houston.
The scale is switched off
If you go into a living room and just feel everything right, Skala is often the unsung hero behind this feeling of harmony, says interior designer Marie Flanigan.
“The scale determines how furniture, carpets, lighting and decor are related to the room and each other,” she explains. “If it is right, the room breathes – it feels open and yet grounded, functional and inviting. If it is wrong, a room with minimal furniture can feel tight.”
If you go into a living room and just feel everything right, Skala is often the unsung hero behind this feeling of harmony.
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Common mistakes in the living room scale
Flanigan outlines routine errors with scale that can destroy the decor of your living room.
- Oversized sofa: An oversized sofa or a section dominates the room and leave little space for everything else.
- Lower -sized coffee table: A coffee table that is too small for the seat arrangement can feel uncomfortable and separate – you shouldn't have to stretch to take a cup of coffee.
- Too little carpet: A carpet that is not large enough does not anchor the room and can leave a seat area that looks like it is hovering in the middle of the room.
- Insufficient lighting bodies: Pendant, chandelier and even too small table lamps can disappear in the background instead of helping to compensate for the scale of the room.
- Lack of scale fluctuations: Decor, all of this in one size – whether small or large – contains a room and makes it feel visually overcrowded.
How to select the right scale
Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors / Julie Soefer Photography
Focus on making the main components correctly if you design your living room suggests Flanigan.
- sofa: “In an average living room, a sofa of 84 to 90 inches is usually a safe choice, while the sections often work best between 110 and 120 inches,” she says. “Leave a little space on both sides so that the piece does not feel trapped in the room.”
- Coffee table: Flanigan suggests to aim at about two thirds of the length of their sofa. Position it about 16 to 18 inches from the seat so that it can be reached comfortably.
- Carpet: Land carpet should be large enough to extend under the front legs of each piece in their seating arrangement. Flanigan proposes a minimum size of 8×10, with a 9×12 creating an even more grounded look.
- lighting: “Don't be afraid of a statement that fills about a third of the space width,” advises Flanigan. “The right presence can even compensate for the largest pieces of furniture.”
Budget-conscious makeover tips
Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors / Julie Soefer Photography
If you work with a smaller budget, the designer suggests starting with the carpet. “It is the individual piece that your living room immediately feels bigger, anchored and more intended.”
Prioritize the investment in a sofa that is conveniently, correctly scaled and neutral enough to work with accent pieces in which you are transmitted over time. Coffee tables and side tables can be temporarily temporarily or budget -friendly, according to Flanigan, since they are easy to update later without disturbing the flow of space.
“If a large chandelier is not possible immediately, add floor lamps or table lamps that have the right height and proportion for your seating,” she says. “Lighting is an easy way to lay the balance and warmth without much investment.”
Living room -layout tricks
Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors / Julie Soefer Photography
The selection of the right scale is only part of the equation – as you place furniture and decor is just as important.
“If possible, pull furniture away from the walls, even by a few centimeters,” says Flanigan. “This subtle shift creates the illusion of more space.”
Also think of the balance in height and shape. “If your sofa is low and streamlined, combine it with larger bookshelves or a vaulted floor lamp to create a visual variety,” says the designer. “Mix flooded and open arranged padded pieces like a steeped sofa with foot chairs to create visual diversity and at the same time flow light through the room.”
Finally, do not forget the negative space – the empty areas around and over furniture.
“The breathing space between parts is not wasted,” says Flanigan. “It is what enables your living room to feel inviting and not be overcrowded.”