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Apartment Therapy asked four interior designers to identify living-room decorating advice they think homeowners should question. Their recommendations challenge the assumptions that rooms must be light and airy, sofas belong against walls, TVs should sit above fireplaces and living spaces should look pristine.
Apartment Therapy has published a report featuring four interior designers’ critiques of common living-room decorating advice, including rules about pale color schemes, sofa placement, televisions above fireplaces and furniture choices. The designers argue that layouts and finishes should suit a room and the people using it, rather than follow a single social-media-ready formula.
Designer Athiana Makar of Studio Clae challenges the assumption that a living room must be “light and airy” to feel attractive or spacious, an idea also explored in this cozy decor trend. She says darker colors, rich woods, natural materials and layered lighting can create warmth and intimacy. Claire Sá, co-founder of De Rosee Sa, also questions the idea that a room needs to seem to “disappear” to be desirable. Their advice is to work with a room’s character rather than automatically choosing white paint or sheer window coverings.
Jacqueline Gonçalves of MOKSA Studio disputes the habit of placing every piece of furniture against the walls. She says that arrangement can leave awkward gaps and make seating feel disconnected. Moving a sofa away from the perimeter and grouping it with chairs or tables can bring people closer together for conversation, depending on the room’s dimensions and circulation needs.
Gonçalves also cautions against treating the fireplace as the default location for a television. A screen mounted high above it may be uncomfortable to view and can dominate the room when switched off, she says. Alternatives include placing the television elsewhere, using furniture to conceal it or choosing a model designed to resemble art. New Jersey designer Meghan Meehan of Hudson East Design makes a related point about styling: a living room should be usable, not just camera-ready.
Designing for Daily Use
The report matters to readers because each recommendation challenges a familiar decorating shortcut that can shape decisions about paint, furniture layouts and television placement. The designers’ comments offer alternatives, but not universal rules: a darker palette, floating sofa or concealed screen will not suit every home or household.
The broader takeaway is that a living room’s appearance and function need not be in conflict. A room can show personal taste while still supporting conversation, movement and rest. Meehan’s emphasis on comfort also pushes back against the pressure to keep shared spaces perpetually tidy for photographs. For households planning changes, the report suggests starting with how the room is used and what its dimensions allow, rather than copying a look without considering practical needs.
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Four Rules Under Review
The source report, written by Kelsey Mulvey for Apartment Therapy, frames the advice as responses from four designers to a question about the worst living-room decorating guidance they had encountered. It focuses on common assumptions rather than reporting a formal survey or a new design standard.
The examples span visual style and practical arrangement: whether a room should be bright, whether seating belongs along the perimeter, where a television should go and whether the space should always look polished. The designers’ alternatives are presented as professional opinions and suggestions. The report does not provide measured results comparing different layouts or establish that one approach works for all living rooms.
“Thoughtfully grouping seating and tables closer together encourages conversation and can make a room feel both more intimate and spacious.”
— Jacqueline Gonçalves, who runs MOKSA Studio
Advice, Not Universal Rules
The report offers designers’ opinions, not a tested ranking of decorating mistakes. It does not specify which choices are most common, quantify how many homeowners follow them or compare outcomes across different room sizes and household needs.
Whether a sofa can float, a television can move or darker colors will suit a living room depends on factors the article does not detail for individual homes, including layout, windows, wiring, fireplace use and accessibility. The designers’ comments do not establish that one alternative is right for every space, and the report does not include responses from homeowners or other design professionals.
Apply the Advice to Your Room
The source material does not announce a follow-up report, product launch or scheduled next development. For readers, the next step is practical: assess the room’s dimensions, light, circulation and daily use before changing its layout or finishes. Test furniture positions where possible and consider whether a proposed arrangement leaves enough space to move comfortably.
For television placement, viewers may want to check sightlines and the room’s existing features before committing to a mount or built-in. The designers’ comments provide starting points for reconsidering common habits, not instructions to replace one rigid rule with another.
Key Questions
What four living-room decorating rules does the report challenge?
It challenges the ideas that every living room must be light and airy, that a sofa belongs against a wall, that a television should always sit above a fireplace and that a room should look picture-perfect.
Should I move my sofa away from the wall?
Not necessarily. Jacqueline Gonçalves says moving a sofa inward can help group seating and encourage conversation, but the best placement depends on room size, circulation and how the space is used.
Is it a mistake to mount a TV above a fireplace?
The report’s designer advises against treating that spot as the automatic choice, citing viewing height and the screen’s visual presence. It does not say the placement is wrong in every home; consider sightlines and other available locations.
Do designers recommend darker living-room colors?
Athiana Makar says darker colors can create warmth and intimacy. Her point is that bright colors are not a requirement, rather than that every living room should be dark.
Does the article say a living room should look messy?
No. Meghan Meehan argues against treating a pristine, showroom-style room as the standard. The report’s emphasis is on making a living room comfortable and usable, not on keeping it deliberately untidy.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
