Design 101: How To Decorate A Living Room

The living room forms a core part of our daily routines as a central space we can come home to relax, unwind or even entertain guests. But how do you decorate a living room? Where do you even start?

Whether you’re moving into a new space or wanting to refresh your home, this step-by-step guide will provide you with everything you need to know about how to decorate a living room from scratch.

Step One: Measure The Space

The first step to creating a cohesive living room is measuring the space. These measurements will form the basis of the living room design and inform important decisions such as layout, furniture choices, decor, lighting and more.

Begin by using a tape measure to note down the proportions of your living space from the length to the width. If you are working with an open-plan living room, measure only the area you want to dedicate to your living room space.

Step Two: Decide On A Layout

While it might seem overwhelming with so many options to choose from, deciding on a layout will form the building blocks of the living room design and can always be changed later down the line if the arrangement doesn’t work with your lifestyle.
To start with the living room layout, identify the focal point of your living room such as a fireplace, TV or window. Arrange your furniture to highlight this unique feature and centre this with seating and decor. If there is no clear focal point, you can easily create one by using wall art, furniture or home decor as the visual statement in your space.

To assist with layout, try creating a to scale drawing of your living room and cut out proposed furniture pieces in a range of sizes. Cut out the scaled furniture pieces and use these in your sketched living room to find a layout combination that works best for you and your household.

Consider how you will use your living room as well as high-traffic areas and walkways that need to keep clear. It is recommended to avoid placing furniture in direct walkways and leave just under 1m of space around furniture for clear thoroughfares.

Still stuck? The most common type of living room layout uses a large rug as a base piece and arranges couches and chairs around a central coffee table to encourage conversation and relaxation. This can be a great place to begin the base of your living room layout.

Step Three: Pick Out Large Furniture Pieces

Once the living room layout has been decided, it’s time to pick out the core furniture pieces that will form the foundation of the room layout.

How to choose a couch for your living room

To find the right sized couch for your living room, we recommend selecting a sofa that does not take up a whole size of the wall and allows for 45cm either side and 8cm-13cm away from the wall. If you are looking at a chaise couch, ensure the chaise does not extend further than halfway across your living room.

Outside of measurements, ensure your couch suits your living space and can seat the number of people comfortably in the household. Whether you have room for an L-shaped couch or if a sectional couch is better suited for your smaller living room, it is important your couch is as functional as it is stylish. After all, they’re an investment!

How to choose a coffee table for your living room

To choose a coffee table for your living room, make sure there is at least 50cm of space from the front of couch to the edge of the coffee table. If the room is short width wise, also ensure there is 50cm of space on the other side between the coffee table and the adjacent TV or armchair. This should allow for enough space to comfortably move around the room.

In relation to your couch, a coffee table should aim to match the height of your couch cushions or a couple of centimetres lower. This aims to create a seamless and cohesive design where each furniture piece blends together and complements one another.

At Pillow Talk, our curated collection of coffee tables has range of styles to complement your living room design and layout. Find common coffee table layouts for living rooms below and start by shopping the Pillow Talk range to help narrow down your search.

If you have spare space to work with in your living room, add some occasional chairs for additional seating. For an empty corner, try adding a cosy armchair to complete the living room. Or, if you have lots of spare space add two occasional chairs opposite the couch or to one side of the couch to create a conversation area.

How to choose side tables for your living room

If you’re looking for a side table to complement your couch or accompany an armchair, it is recommended to select a side table that is lower than the chair arm and higher than the chair seat and can be placed 5cm from the chair arm.

For smaller spaces, opt for a round side table to take up less space or for larger living rooms, a rectangular side table provides more surface area for lamps and other decor pieces

Pillow Talk has a variety of side tables and consoles to complete your living room furniture look. From sleek rectangular side tables to soft circular side tables, find the perfect pick to tie your space together!

Step Four: Create Zones With A Rug

Ever wondered why all living rooms often have a large rug in the centre taking up most of the space? Outside of softening the space, rugs provide a functional purpose of zoning a room. The term ‘zoning’ refers to dividing and assigning a space within a home for a dedicated purpose. A large rug in a living room can form the basis of your furniture arrangement – but how do you choose a rug?

How to choose a rug for your living room

There’s a few different ways you can choose a rug for your living room. Whether you decide you want to use a large rug, medium sized rug or small rug it’s good to make sure that the rug can accommodate the furniture you’re looking to style.

At Pillow Talk, our curated collection of rugs has the perfect piece to suit your living room. From minimalist styles to on-trend patterns and prints, find a timeless rug for your living room you’ll treasure for seasons to come.

Step Five: Add Ambience With Lighting

After deciding on the layout, furniture and rugs, it’s time to set the mood with lighting. A living room represents a space within the home to unwind and relax whether you’re snuggling up for a movie or getting cosy to read a book/

Because of this, ambient lighting and task lighting is key to creating a soft, warm and inviting space that you want to spend time in. Forget the harsh or blinding overhead lighting and invest in soft lamps to create a tranquil and beautifully styled space!

How to choose lighting for your living room

Based on the principles of task lighting, we recommend using table lamps and floor lamps to illuminate your living room. Place lamps on the side of seating arrangements or consoles and in the corners of your living room to create a cosy atmosphere. This makes it easy to read a book in a couch corner with a dedicated lamp whilst also creating gentle mood lighting for the entire living room.

Step Six: Layer Textures & Materials

Now the foundation of your living room is in place, it’s time to add the finishing touches:

How to style your living room couch

Cushions are a great styling piece used to soften a space, whether they’re placed on couches or occasional chairs. Choose contrasting textures, colours and materials to your couch and rugs to create dimension to your living room design. Stuck on how to style cushions on your couch? Check out our blog article getting all the top tips for cushion styling from our stylist.

Next, select a throw blanket to artfully style on your couch for a luxe lived-in look. Select a throw blanket that complements or contrasts the couch colour and statement cushions to create depth and another point of visual interest.

Pillow Talk has a premium selection of cushions, cushion covers and throw blankets to create a cohesive and cosy living room look! If you’re struggling on styling, be sure to explore our collections online or in-store.

How to style your coffee table

There are a few ways you can style your coffee table to make it look good AND keep it clutter free.

Incorporating serving trays can help keep your coffee table tidy, while also giving you a place to store any remotes in an easy to grab location. Keep coasters to hand in the tray, prioritising keeping your coffee table looking good for longer in style.

Looking for a more decorative approach? Pick out your favourite coffee table books and add a vase full of flowers and a candle for a relaxed yet refined style. Using artificial flowers, you can style a bouquet to match your living room style with ease.

With a variety of home decor to match every home, make sure to check out Pillow Talk’s range of candles, trays, artificial flowers, vases and more.

How to decorate your living room

Outside of styling your couch, there are other decorative elements you can use to make your living room come to life! Choose wall art to add a pop of colour to your living room space and try to echo the common colour themes and design motifs used throughout the home to create a cohesive look. For example, choose an artwork with similar colours to the rugs, cushions and couch to create consistency. For smaller living rooms, instead of investing in artwork opt for an aesthetic mirror to reflect light and create the feeling of a larger space!

Pillow Talk’s extensive wall art collection is full of pre-framed artwork, wall prints and wall decor that are ready-to-hang in your living room! Shop the range online or in-store today to find the perfect piece for your home.

Bring your dream living room design to life with Pillow Talk

By following these simple steps, you’re sure to have a living room ready to relax in and entertain! To find stylish pieces for your space, explore our collections online or in-store to find premium pieces you’ll love for years to come.

If you try styling your living room with our stylist tips and tricks, make sure to tag us @pillowtalkaustralia so we can see your stunning design!