According to a HomeGoods survey, only one out of five Americans (20%) feel happy with their home decor. For many people, the living room is one of the most challenging areas not only to find the right furniture for. And arranging that decor can be another challenge for homeowners. As a result, it’s easy to end up making mistakes that can prevent a living room from reaching its full potential regarding comfort and entertainment. While your living room decor and layout is up to you in the end, taking the time to inform yourself of these common mistakes can help you figure out your living room’s picture perfect layout. Here are just a few mistakes it’s best to avoid when determining your living room design.

Too Widespread

Homeowners want to make the most of all the space their living room has to offer, which is understandable. But this doesn’t mean you should place chairs and couches against the outer walls and leave a huge gap in the middle. This just makes the room feel too spaced out and awkward. Not to mention, it makes it hard to converse and actually reduces the amount of usable space. Instead, choose a focal point, like a coffee table, television, or fireplace, and build your furniture arrangement around it. While many living rooms have only one focal point, there’s no harm in creating a second one if the space allows for it.

“If you have enough space to create an area that has a secondary function — like a reading nook or work desk — arrange those items in a grouping of their own. The important thing is that every piece of furniture feels as though it was purposefully placed to work with the rest of the items in the room,” writes Tara Mastroeni on Freshome.

Only Upper-Level Lighting

Another common mistake homeowners make when designing their living room is neglecting the usage of anything other than upper-level lights, i.e., chandeliers and tall lamps. It’s important to create a layering system with your lights to maximize utility and stay versatile with the mood of the room. This can create both a pleasing ambiance and increased safety and function in a given space.

Coordinating your living room’s layout isn’t always easy, but avoiding these mistakes is a great place to start. For more information about living room and dining room decor, contact Dennis Lee Furniture.