Decor Ideas — Simply Home

Create a Clear Living-Room Focal Point

Layout Free Living Room

A living room without a clear focal point can feel directionless — furniture ends up placed without reference to anything, and the space feels unsettled.

Why this may help

A focal point gives the eye somewhere to land and gives the furniture arrangement a logical anchor. In most living rooms this is a fireplace, a large window, or a television wall. Knowing what it is helps everything else arrange itself around it.

How to try it

Identify the strongest existing feature in the room. Arrange the main seating so that the primary seat faces or relates to it. Keep the space around the focal point reasonably clear so it can actually be seen.

What to consider

If the room has no strong feature, a large mirror, a gallery wall, or a bold piece of furniture can serve as a created focal point. Avoid competing focal points — two equally strong features pull the room in different directions.

Try this first

Identify the strongest existing feature in the room. Arrange the main seating so that the primary seat faces or relates to it. Keep the space around the focal point reasonably clear so it can actually be seen.

Common mistake

Treating the television as the focal point and then also treating the window as one. Choose one.

Easier alternative

Simply rearrange the main sofa or chairs to face the strongest wall or feature. No purchases needed.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly — arrangement changes require no wall work.

Pull Furniture Slightly Away from Walls

Layout Free Living Room

Pushing all furniture hard against the walls is one of the most common instincts in a new room — and one of the most common reasons a room feels uncomfortable.

Why this may help

Furniture pulled 20–40 cm from the walls creates a more defined seating area, makes conversation more natural, and gives the room a sense of deliberate arrangement rather than furniture simply pushed to the edges.

How to try it

Move the main sofa 20–40 cm from the wall behind it. Move any chairs to face or angle toward the seating group. Check that walking paths remain clear.

What to consider

This works in rooms with enough floor area. In very small rooms, furniture may need to remain against walls — but the arrangement of pieces relative to each other still matters.

Try this first

Move the main sofa 20–40 cm from the wall behind it. Move any chairs to face or angle toward the seating group. Check that walking paths remain clear.

Common mistake

Pulling furniture forward but not adjusting the accompanying pieces — a sofa floating in the centre with chairs still against the walls creates more imbalance, not less.

Easier alternative

Even pulling the main sofa 15 cm forward makes a noticeable difference. Small adjustments count.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly.

Use a Rug to Define a Seating Area

Textiles Medium Living Room

A rug placed under or in front of a seating group does more than add warmth — it creates a boundary that tells the room where the seating area is.

Why this may help

Without a rug or other visual boundary, a seating area can feel like furniture that happens to share a room. A rug connects the pieces into a group and defines the space they occupy.

How to try it

Choose a rug large enough that at least the front legs of all major seating pieces rest on it. In larger rooms, all four legs on the rug creates a stronger grouping.

What to consider

Measure carefully before purchasing. A rug that is too small — with furniture floating entirely off it — can make the space feel more fragmented, not less.

Try this first

Choose a rug large enough that at least the front legs of all major seating pieces rest on it. In larger rooms, all four legs on the rug creates a stronger grouping.

Common mistake

Buying a rug that only fits under the coffee table, with all seating off it. The rug should anchor the seating, not just the table.

Easier alternative

A flat-weave rug is easier to move and adjust, and typically less expensive than a thick pile version.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly — rugs require no installation.

Mix Practical and Decorative Cushions

Textiles Low Living Room

A sofa with only matching cushions from one set can look uniform but flat. Mixing sizes, textures, and tones creates more visual interest without requiring many pieces.

Why this may help

Cushions of different sizes, materials, and related colours add depth to seating without adding furniture. They are one of the easiest ways to change a room's feel without significant cost.

How to try it

Choose two to three cushion sizes. Use the room's main accent colour in at least one. Vary textures — a plain linen alongside a simple textured weave reads more richly than identical covers on every cushion.

What to consider

Keep the number manageable. A large sofa can absorb three to five cushions. More than that tends to look cluttered and leaves little space to sit.

Try this first

Choose two to three cushion sizes. Use the room's main accent colour in at least one. Vary textures — a plain linen alongside a simple textured weave reads more richly than identical covers on every cushion.

Common mistake

Buying an entire matching cushion set without mixing in any variation. The matching set becomes the problem rather than the solution.

Easier alternative

Add one or two cushions in a different texture from the existing set rather than replacing everything.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly.

Use Curtains to Add Softness

Textiles Medium Living Room

A room with bare windows often reads as unfinished — the large rectangular opening draws the eye without being framed or softened.

Why this may help

Curtains frame a window and soften the edge between wall and glass. Hung higher and wider than the window frame — above the frame and extending beyond its edges — makes the window appear larger and the ceiling feel higher.

How to try it

Hang the curtain rod 10–15 cm above the window frame, and 10–15 cm wider on each side. Use curtains long enough to reach or graze the floor. For a simple look, a plain fabric in a light or neutral tone works in most rooms.

What to consider

Sheer panels behind heavier curtains allow light when the curtains are open and privacy when closed. Measure carefully before purchasing — curtain length is easy to get wrong.

Try this first

Hang the curtain rod 10–15 cm above the window frame, and 10–15 cm wider on each side. Use curtains long enough to reach or graze the floor. For a simple look, a plain fabric in a light or neutral tone works in most rooms.

Common mistake

Hanging the rod directly above the window frame and using short curtains. This makes windows appear smaller and reduces any visual height benefit.

Easier alternative

A simple curtain rod with plain panel curtains in a neutral colour is the most versatile starting point.

Rental-friendly

Use tension rods or removable curtain pole brackets designed for renters if drilling is not permitted.

Layer Different Types of Lighting

Lighting Low Living Room

A single overhead light makes a room feel flat and tends to cast harsh shadows. Layering different light sources at different heights changes the atmosphere significantly.

Why this may help

Three types of light do different jobs: general (ceiling or overhead — overall visibility), task (lamps, under-cabinet — specific activities), and accent (creating warmth, highlighting features). A room that has all three feels more varied and comfortable.

How to try it

Keep the overhead light for practicality but add one or two floor or table lamps. Place lamps at different heights from each other. In the evening, use only the lamps rather than the overhead — the room will feel noticeably warmer.

What to consider

Warm-tone bulbs (2700–3000K) are generally more comfortable in living areas than cool daylight bulbs. Dimmer switches on overhead lights allow the overhead to contribute without overwhelming the space.

Try this first

Keep the overhead light for practicality but add one or two floor or table lamps. Place lamps at different heights from each other. In the evening, use only the lamps rather than the overhead — the room will feel noticeably warmer.

Common mistake

Buying three identical lamps and placing them at the same height. Variety in height creates more visual interest than uniformity.

Easier alternative

Adding a single floor lamp beside a reading area or sofa makes a noticeable difference to how the room feels in the evening.

Rental-friendly

Lamps require no installation. Dimmer switches involve electrical work — leave those for owned homes or seek permission.

Create a Reading Corner

Layout Low Living Room

A corner of a room with a chair, a lamp, and a small surface for a book or drink functions completely differently from the same corner with a chair alone.

Why this may help

A corner with a defined purpose feels more inviting than an ambiguous one. A reading corner also gives the main seating group a companion arrangement rather than a single isolated element.

How to try it

Place an armchair at a slight angle in a corner. Add a floor lamp positioned over the shoulder. Include a small side table or a stack of books beside it.

What to consider

The chair does not need to match the main sofa. A contrasting chair in a related colour or texture can add interest.

Try this first

Place an armchair at a slight angle in a corner. Add a floor lamp positioned over the shoulder. Include a small side table or a stack of books beside it.

Common mistake

Adding a lamp that is too far from the chair to actually light reading.

Easier alternative

Position an existing chair and lamp together in a corner before purchasing anything new.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly.

Create a Balanced Gallery Wall

Walls Low Living Room

A gallery wall that grew piece by piece, with frames added whenever something new arrived, often ends up looking scattered rather than intentional.

Why this may help

A planned gallery wall — with pieces arranged in relation to each other, in complementary frames, and with consistent spacing — looks deliberate. The difference between scattered and styled is usually planning.

How to try it

Lay all frames on the floor and arrange them before making any holes. Start from the centre and work outward. Keep spacing consistent — 5–8 cm between frames is a useful guide.

What to consider

Matching or closely related frames (black, natural wood, white) produce a more cohesive result than a complete mixture. Use paper templates before drilling to avoid excessive wall damage.

Try this first

Lay all frames on the floor and arrange them before making any holes. Start from the centre and work outward. Keep spacing consistent — 5–8 cm between frames is a useful guide.

Common mistake

Using frames of very different widths and depths — the resulting three-dimensional variation on the wall reads as untidy.

Easier alternative

Start with three frames in a horizontal row. This is the simplest version and easiest to adjust.

Rental-friendly

Gallery walls involve multiple holes — use adhesive picture-hanging strips rated for the frame weight, and test a single strip before committing to the full arrangement.

Create Visual Balance Around a Television

Layout Low Living Room

A television on a wall or in a unit is a large dark rectangle that dominates any surface around it. Managing what surrounds it affects how the whole wall reads.

Why this may help

Without visual support on either side, a television looks isolated and heavy. With balanced elements around it — at a similar or slightly lower height — it becomes part of a wall arrangement rather than a bare fixture.

How to try it

Add a small plant, a framed print, or a simple object at a related height on each side of the television. Keep these elements modest — the goal is balance, not competition.

What to consider

Avoid placing very reflective objects beside a television — glass or metallic surfaces can create glare or distraction.

Try this first

Add a small plant, a framed print, or a simple object at a related height on each side of the television. Keep these elements modest — the goal is balance, not competition.

Common mistake

Adding too much around the television so that the area becomes cluttered rather than balanced.

Easier alternative

A single framed print hung at the same height as the television on one side creates immediate visual balance.

Rental-friendly

Freestanding elements require no wall work. Hung artwork may require permission.

Refresh Furniture with Removable Textiles

Textiles Low Living Room

A sofa or armchair that has become visually tired does not always need replacing — a throw and a couple of new cushions can change how it reads in the room.

Why this may help

Draping a throw over a worn or dated sofa introduces a new colour or texture that partially replaces the visual impression of the old upholstery. New cushions complete the refresh.

How to try it

Choose a throw in a texture or colour that works with the room and partially cover the sofa arm or back. Add two new cushions in a related tone. The original upholstery recedes.

What to consider

This works better if the original upholstery is a plain or relatively simple colour. Strong patterns on the sofa compete with new textiles rather than being covered by them.

Try this first

Choose a throw in a texture or colour that works with the room and partially cover the sofa arm or back. Add two new cushions in a related tone. The original upholstery recedes.

Common mistake

Using a throw that is too small to read from across the room. A throw needs to be proportional to the piece it is covering.

Easier alternative

A single large throw draped over the back of a sofa is the simplest and most flexible option.

Rental-friendly

Fully rental-friendly — all elements are removeable.