Interior Designers Share Things in Your Living Room to Get Rid of

Clear any clutter from the living room.

If there’s one room in the house that should be clutter-free, it’s the living room, according to Julie Assenberg, designer and owner of Julie Assenberg Interior Design.

That way, you have at least one place where you can escape and entertain unexpected guests, she said.

For example, try to find designated spaces for your shoes, coats, gloves, toys and backpacks rather than placing them in your living space.

Replace oversized furniture with smaller pieces.

Large, clunky furniture is a thing of the past, according to Rachel Street, designer and host of the DIY Network show “Philly Revival.”

In any home, especially smaller ones, heavy, stately furniture can make a space feel outdated and cluttered, she said.

Instead of that oversized plush sofa or heavy cherry table, opt for smaller, more proportional furniture with clean lines, Street said.

Remove fake flowers and plants.

It’s time to get rid of fake flowers and plants, Assenberg said.

“Plastic plants are cheesy, and some might say that rather than bringing the energy of life into your home, they bring an intent to deceive,” she told Business Insider.

If you can’t handle real flowers and plants, either because you don’t have a green thumb or your room doesn’t get enough natural light, then don’t, Assenberg said.

Too many cushions can clutter your living room.

“Decorative pillows can spruce up a space, but if there are too many, it will only detract from the design of the room and make the space feel cluttered,” Street told BI.

She recommended opting for just a few pillows for comfort — try choosing ones with machine-washable covers to keep them looking great.

Consider replacing mass-produced artwork with more original creations.

Assenberg said that when possible, you should replace cheaper, mass-produced artwork with original pieces.

“If you can’t afford original art throughout your home, at least invest in a good piece for your living room,” Assenberg told BI. “Original art has character and soul.”

Mass-produced photos and canvas prints should be moved to the basement, a child’s bedroom or the bathroom, but not the living room, Assenberg said.

Beanbags can take up too much space.

Having an ottoman in your living room isn’t wise, according to Amira Johnson, interior designer at Emerald Doors.

They take up a lot of space, are difficult to fit around other furniture and look tired quickly, Johnson said. Plus, if you’ve ever owned one that leaked, you know how difficult it is to clean up the big stuffing mess, she added.

Stick to structured, square-shaped furniture in living rooms, she told Insider, and leave the ottomans for a child’s bedroom or playroom.

Replace your huge DVD and CD collections with digital versions of your favorite content.

Years ago, having a well-stocked CD tower was a source of pride for families, but today it’s just a rarely used clutter.

Street said now is the perfect time to upgrade your favorite content and go digital, especially since it could mean having less clutter in your home.

Convert CDs to digital versions and donate physical copies, along with any obsolete electronics, like old VHS tapes and DVDs, to reclaim your storage space.

Stacks of magazines and catalogs only create clutter, no matter how stylishly they are stored.

“We’re all guilty of throwing those catalogs and magazines on the coffee table just in case we have time to look through them. But the reality is that the pile builds up and we never really have time to look at them” , Street told BI. .

Throw all those old magazines in the recycling bin and reclaim that space, she said. By removing them, you will instantly lighten your living room.

Frilly draped curtains are relics of the past.

Thick, frilly curtains draped over giant rods are a thing of the past and could make a home look dated, Street said.

There’s also the issue that oversized curtains block light from entering the room, and natural light is a game-changer if you want your space to appear larger and more modern, she added.

“If the rest of the room is kept simple, you can opt for a more dramatic curtain, but stick to neutral colors, patterns, and clean lines,” Street tells BI.

Limit the trinkets to a few of your favorites.

Although keepsakes and keepsakes are special, they can clutter your living room when you have them all on display, Johnson said.

The solution is to pick a few of your favorites and put the rest away, Johnson suggested. Then, every few months, alternate them with some of your other favorites.

By doing so, you can keep your collection fresh and uncluttered.

Not all vintage items are worth keeping, especially if they look worn or you don’t like them very much.

Of course, there are some well-loved hand-me-downs and antiques worth keeping, Assenberg said. But if you don’t like something or it’s just worn out, it’s time to move on.

“Buy new or salvage those worn-out items as budget allows, giving them a whole new life,” she told BI.

This story was originally published on April 21, 2020 and last updated on April 19, 2024.