11 Living Room Decorating Ideas Every Homeowner Should Know

Lost when it comes to creating a visually cohesive, lived-in space? Learn how to decorate like an interior designer.

Decorate for Your Lifestyle

Interior designer Gillian Segal truly believes that "living in an environment you respond positively to will improve your quality of life." For her, that meant creating a space that is calming, comforting, and great for entertaining. When decorating your space, she advises to think about what's important to you and make design choices that enhance your lifestyle. For instance, if watching television is a big part of your life, make the TV the focal point of the room. Is natural light important to you? Opt for sheer window treatments that invite the sunshine in.

Make sure that everything you put in your living room is something you'd want to look at every day.

Kelly Oxford, a New York Times and international best-selling author, recently teamed up with Homepolish to redesign her living room and make it more "her." This meant incorporating bright, quirky pieces of furniture that matched her personality.

Keeping your shelves neat with carefully curated items really ties a room together. Use anything from antique plates to tiny succulent plants; it's up to you. Here, interior stylist Kristen Grove mixed old and new items to style a set of shelves, creating an arrangement that looks collected over time.

If you are lacking in storage space, keep beloved items out in the open and use them as decor. Here, blogger Cristina Soriano broadcasts her love of books by artfully organizing them on her coffee table and shelving, and allowing them take center stage in the living room. 

When choosing furniture, go for something that does double duty. A large dresser can add storage for out-of-season clothes, linens, or anything else that needs a home, and serves as a useful surface for entertaining.

Blogger Gabrielle Savoie uses this large dresser as a buffet/credenza/bar area in her dining room. In a living room, it could also serve as a media console.

Dress up your walls by printing photos onto removable photo wallpaper. You can change it up whenever you like, and installation is a breeze! We've got blogger Riche Holmes Grant to thank for this inspirational idea.

If you don't have room for a giant painting, don't fret! Displaying more compact prints is a great way to bring life to your walls. Giselle Gyalzen, owner of the San Francisco home design shop Rare Device, uses this trick to decorate her walls.

When choosing furniture for your living room, start big and work your way down. Once you have your main pieces in place (sofa, coffee table, accent chairs, side table, and media console), start adding in the decorative elements. This will keep your space looking cohesive, according to interior stylist Kristen Grove.

Want to make a big impact in your space? It's simple: Add bursts of color. You can easily swap out items like pillows and vases if you decide to change your color scheme down the road.