TL;DR
Get decor and gifts delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Apartment Therapy reported that four interior designers challenged common living-room decorating advice, including making every room light and airy, pushing sofas against walls, mounting TVs over fireplaces and keeping rooms picture-perfect. Their suggestions are opinions about design, not universal rules; layout, comfort and household needs still matter.
Apartment Therapy reported that four interior designers are pushing back on familiar living-room rules, arguing that pale palettes, wall-hugging sofas, TVs above fireplaces and immaculate styling are not right for every home. Their advice matters to readers making practical decorating choices, but the recommendations are designers’ perspectives, not evidence that one approach works for every room.
Designer Athiana Makar of Studio Clae in Canada said the expectation that a living room should always feel “light and airy” can overlook warmth and character. She and Claire Sá, co-founder of De Rosee Sa, said a darker palette, rich woods, natural materials and layered lighting can make a room feel inviting. Their point is not that bright rooms are wrong, but that brightness and a sense of space do not have to be the only measures of a successful design.
Jacqueline Gonçalves, who runs MOKSA Studio in Los Angeles, questioned the convention of placing every piece of furniture against the walls. She said that arrangement can leave awkward gaps and make seating feel disconnected. Moving a sofa away from the wall and grouping chairs and tables closer together may encourage conversation, although the best layout depends on the room’s size, circulation and how people use it.
Gonçalves also cautioned against automatically placing a television above a fireplace, saying the screen can end up too high and dominate the room when switched off. She suggested considering another location, a cabinet that conceals the screen or an art-style television. Separately, New Jersey-based designer Meghan Meehan of Hudson East Design argued against treating a living room as a showroom: a space should be comfortable to use, even if that means pillows move or reading material remains on a table.
Design Rules Meet Daily Use
The report speaks to a practical tension in home decorating: living rooms are often expected to look polished in photographs while also supporting conversation, television viewing, family routines and guests. The designers’ comments encourage readers to judge choices by comfort and function, rather than assuming a popular visual formula is mandatory.
That does not make any one alternative a universal fix. A sofa floating in the middle of a narrow room could obstruct a walkway; a dark palette may not suit someone who prefers daylight; and a television’s placement can depend on the room’s architecture and viewing habits. The useful takeaway is to treat the four conventions as options to evaluate, not rules to reverse automatically.
Products Worth Considering
Dyson W1 PencilWash Cordless Wet and Dry Floor Cleaner with Dock
Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler for Straight and Wavy Hair
LG 85-Inch QNED84B Mini LED 4K Smart TV (2026)
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Four Conventions Under Review
Apartment Therapy’s report, written by Kelsey Mulvey, says she asked four designer friends to identify the worst living-room decorating advice they had heard. The article frames their responses as challenges to conventional wisdom, rather than as a survey or formal design study. It discusses four ideas: that every room should be light and airy, that sofas belong against walls, that televisions should sit above fireplaces, and that living spaces should remain picture-perfect.
The source focuses on designers’ explanations and proposed alternatives. It does not provide measurements, controlled comparisons or evidence that one arrangement consistently improves a room. Readers can use the suggestions as prompts to reassess a space while accounting for its dimensions, features and everyday needs.
““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, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
No One Layout Fits Every Room
The source does not establish that these four decorating conventions are harmful, or that the suggested alternatives will work in every home. The designers offer professional opinions based on their experience; the report does not compare outcomes across rooms or provide a single recommended layout.
It also does not address every constraint that can shape a living room, such as rental restrictions, accessibility needs, children or pets, heating and ventilation, or the locations of electrical outlets. A fireplace wall may be the only practical place for a screen in some homes, while pushing furniture inward may not leave enough space for safe, comfortable movement. Those trade-offs remain for each household to assess.
Apply the Advice to Your Room
Apartment Therapy’s report does not announce a product, policy or scheduled follow-up. For readers, the next step is to test the ideas against how a room is actually used: check whether the seating supports conversation, whether the television is comfortable to watch, and whether the room feels welcoming to the people who live there.
Any rearrangement can begin with a simple trial before buying furniture or making permanent changes. Keep clear routes through the room, account for doors and windows, and compare how different lighting and seating arrangements feel at different times of day. The designers’ central suggestion is to make choices around the home’s character and daily use, not an assumed requirement to copy a single look.
Key Questions
What four living-room decorating conventions did the designers question?
They questioned the idea that every living room should be light and airy, that sofas should always sit against walls, that TVs belong above fireplaces, and that rooms should remain picture-perfect.
Should I move my sofa away from the wall?
It may be worth testing if the room has enough space. Jacqueline Gonçalves said grouping seating and tables closer together can support conversation, but the right arrangement depends on room dimensions and clear walkways.
Is mounting a TV above a fireplace always a mistake?
No. Gonçalves advised against making it the automatic choice because the screen may sit too high and stand out when off. The report does not say it is wrong in every home; consider viewing comfort and available locations.
Do designers recommend dark living-room colors instead of light ones?
The report does not prescribe dark colors for everyone. Makar’s point was that darker colors and warm materials can create an inviting room, while bright, airy rooms remain a valid preference.
Does a living room need to look tidy all the time?
Meehan argued that a living room should be comfortable to use, not maintained like a showroom. The designers’ comments support a lived-in space, but they do not set a specific standard for tidiness or styling.
Source: apartmenttherapy.com
