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Apartment Therapy asked four interior designers about living-room decorating advice they would ignore. Their answers challenge pressure to make rooms bright, arrange sofas against walls, mount TVs over fireplaces and keep spaces looking pristine.
Apartment Therapy has published four interior designers’ critiques of common living-room decorating advice, including rules to keep rooms light and airy, push sofas against walls, mount televisions above fireplaces and maintain a picture-perfect appearance. The report offers alternatives centered on comfort, conversation and the way people actually use their homes, themes explored in designers’ critiques of common living-room mistakes.
The report, written by Kelsey Mulvey, says its advice comes from conversations with four designers. Athiana Makar of Canada’s Studio Clae and Claire Sá, co-founder of De Rosee Sa, challenged the idea that every living room should be bright and visually expansive. Makar said darker colors, rich woods, natural materials and layered lighting can create warmth and intimacy instead, a cozy approach that echoes the Cushcore decor trend.
Los Angeles designer Jacqueline Gonçalves of MOKSA Studio questioned two familiar furniture and television arrangements. A sofa pressed against the wall can leave awkward gaps and disconnect the seating, she said; moving it inward and grouping it with tables may make the room more conducive to conversation, rather than repeating common furniture mistakes. She also cautioned against putting a TV above a fireplace, where it may sit too high and dominate the room when switched off. Alternatives include placing it off-center, concealing it in furniture or choosing an art-style television.
The fourth point concerns the expectation that a living room should always look ready for a photograph. New Jersey designer Meghan Meehan of Hudson East Design argued that a lived-in room should allow people to relax and use it without worrying about moving a cushion or leaving a magazine out. The article does not prescribe a single layout or palette; it presents designers’ views on choosing arrangements and finishes that suit a household.
Designing for Comfort, Not Rules
The advice matters because living rooms are often used for several purposes, from relaxing to hosting guests, while social-media images can make polished, uniform rooms seem like the standard. The designers’ comments offer readers permission to judge a room by how it works and feels, not just by whether it looks bright, spacious or camera-ready.
The suggestions are not universal instructions. A sofa may need to stay near a wall in a small or unusually shaped room, and a fireplace may be the only practical location for a television. The report’s broader point is to treat decorating conventions as options rather than requirements, and to weigh each choice against the room’s dimensions, household needs and personal taste.
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Four Rules Under Review
The Apartment Therapy report frames the four points as advice its interviewees consider unhelpful, rather than as a formal set of design standards. It focuses on living rooms, which the article describes as frequently used spaces where choices about layout, color and furniture affect both appearance and daily function.
Each designer offers an alternative to a familiar expectation: embrace richer tones instead of insisting on an airy look; consider floating the sofa instead of automatically pushing it to a wall; explore television placement beyond the fireplace; and allow a room to show signs of use. These are professional opinions attributed to the designers, not findings from a survey or evidence that one approach works in every home.
““Thoughtfully grouping seating and tables closer together encourages conversation and can make a room feel both more intimate and spacious.””
— Jacqueline Gonçalves, founder of MOKSA Studio
Advice Depends on Each Room
The report does not provide measurements, comparative studies or a tested method for deciding when a sofa should float, where a television should go or which colors suit a room. It also does not claim that the four conventions are always wrong. Room size, architecture, furniture and household preferences can limit which alternatives are practical.
The article is a collection of designer opinions, and it does not establish how widely homeowners follow the advice or whether changing a layout improves comfort for everyone. Readers should treat the suggestions as ideas to evaluate against their own space, rather than fixed rules.
Try Changes That Fit Your Home
The report describes possible adjustments but does not announce a follow-up study or a scheduled next development. For readers considering a change, a practical next step is to test furniture positions before committing: sketch the room or temporarily move seating to see whether circulation and conversation improve. A different paint color or TV location can likewise be weighed against lighting, sightlines and daily use.
No single result is promised. The designers’ recommendations point toward making choices deliberately and keeping the room usable, rather than adopting a rule simply because it appears often in decorating advice or photographs.
Key Questions
What four living-room decorating rules do the designers challenge?
They challenge the ideas that every room must be light and airy, sofas must sit against walls, televisions belong above fireplaces and living rooms should always look picture-perfect.
Does the report say sofas should never go against a wall?
No. Jacqueline Gonçalves says a sofa pressed to the wall can create disconnected seating and awkward gaps, and suggests trying a floating arrangement where the room allows it. The report does not say that approach suits every space.
Where does the report suggest putting a television?
Gonçalves suggests considering an off-center position, concealing the television in furniture or using an art-style model. She cautions that a screen above a fireplace may sit too high and stand out when it is off.
Are these recommendations universal design rules?
No. They are opinions from four designers interviewed by Apartment Therapy. The article says readers can consider alternatives, but room dimensions, household needs and personal taste affect what is workable.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
