It feels safe to say that if most of us got one “home-related” wish, we’d wish for more space, right? But also for most of us, that’s not a realistic option. It tends to be pretty pricey to add more onto a home, if that’s even possible. However, there are some tricks of the trade that can at least make your room feel bigger if that’s what you are looking for. More of an optical illusion, if you will:) I actually can’t believe we haven’t written this post yet! So here are all of our tips and tricks to help your space feel both bigger and well-balanced.

The Right Wall Color Tone (Based on Your Room’s Natural Light)

The amount of natural light in a room is extremely important to the tone of paint you use for your wall paint color. The common thought is to paint a smaller, dimly lit a light color to make it feel bigger and brighter. Let me show you why that isn’t always the best choice.

Take the family room in Emily’s farmhouse. It’s one of her favorite room’s but it didn’t really start off that way. She initially chose that taupey color, and while pretty, it wasn’t right. This room doesn’t get very much natural light, which was on purpose since it’s the TV room. Because of that, the taupe just felt a bit dead. As you can see, Emily knew it had to change and went with that rich, beautiful blue/teal. When you’re in the room, it feels both cozy and large at the same time.

This is Emily’s old family/playroom in Los Angeles for those who are newer here. Em really wanted to make the room feel cozy, and as most of you know, she’s the #1 fan of the color blue…so she chose that really pretty blue for the room initially. But there was too much light coming through those front windows and from the other parts of the house. So while she wanted cozy, it really cut off the space from the rest of the house, made it feel small in a not-so-great way, and didn’t read how she wanted with all that light coming in. She regrouped, went with a happy white (and a cool mural), and viola! A bright, happy room that feels SO much bigger and blends better with the other rooms it’s attached to:)

RULE OF THUMB:
– Less Natural Light = Darker Paint Color
– More Natural Light = Lighter Paint Color

Don’t Crowd The Walls

Especially if you live in a small home, the idea of giving up even an inch of floor space seems WILD. But trust me, if you give your walls some breathing room, the whole space will feel A LOT bigger.

This was my last studio apartment, and boy, did I love it. However, space was an issue as it was under 400 sq/ft. It was tempting to want to cram a bunch of furniture in there (maybe a desk too?), but instead I let the pieces I chose breathe a little. Notice how the sofa isn’t completely pushed to the wall, and how the side tables aren’t right up against the sofa and/or walls. Everything feels placed instead of crammed. Doing that will inherently make your room feel bigger.

Since not everyone lives in a little studio, here’s Kaitlin’s INCREDIBLE living room we revealed last year. Her living room can clearly handle/needed more furniture than my old one, but still the principles are the same. None of the furniture is pushed against the wall, and there are generous pathways between all of the furniture pieces. It’s cozy, collected, intentional, but not crowded.

I wanted to zoom in on her bar cabinet to show that even this piece has a little room from the wall:) Every piece breathes, which creates the illusion of more space.

RULE OF THUMB:
– Don’t push your furniture against your walls.
– Give yourself pathways between your furniture.

Choose The Right Furniture Scale

Sorry, we’re not done with my rooms:) But the reason why is that your girl (me) has lived exclusively in small spaces and feels very passionate about this piece of advice!

Don’t automatically get the smallest-sized furniture for a small space. It may seem counterintuitive, but typically, choosing “normal-sized” furniture pieces will make your space feel intentional and not truncated. Of course, there’s a balance, right? For my current living room sofa, I chose the 84″ size. There was a 72″, but I felt it would have looked too small. Would I have more “space” with those 12″? Yes. But not in a good way. And had I chosen a big sectional, that clearly would have been too much. This piece of advice was also something that Nate Berkus said in the video I saw a couple of years ago, so if you don’t trust me, trust Nate.

My desk area is another example. I could have chosen an average-sized, rectangular desk, but instead, I wanted to fill out the space better and chose an extra-long desk. Imagine a smaller desk in the nook. It would have looked tiny, which would have made the space look less intentional and smaller.

My last example is Kaitlin’s basement/office. First off, do we see how much better this low-light room looks painted dark?? Exactly. But I’m here to talk about furniture scale. In the “progress” photo, the furniture scales aren’t balanced with each other. But when the sectional and flushmount got bigger in the new version, and the wall cabinet smaller, it all feels so much more open and larger.

RULE OF THUMB:
– Buy normal-sized furniture for even a small space.
– Don’t be afraid to go a little larger in general!

Hang Your Curtains Higher

This may be well known, but it’s TOO IMPORTANT not to include.

Since we don’t have any examples of us doing this wrong, ha. Here are some graphics I made for my own bedroom. It’s pretty clear which makes the room feel bigger, right??

Here’s the before of how the rod in my bedroom was installed. I understand wanting to show off the moulding, but ultimately, making the room feel taller and bigger was more of a priority to me.

If you’re looking for a really solid guide of what to do (and not to do), this very helpful graphic is from our famous “Hanging Curtains All Wrong” post.

And then here! The reveal! The curtains would have looked fine on the window moulding, but they are simply better above, making the room feel so much bigger…which is exactly what I wanted:)

RULE OF THUMB:
– Hang your curtain rod 2/3 the distance from the top of your window.

A Bigger Rug

Let’s continue with the scale talk because rug scale is so important!

Is there a time and a place for a small rug? Sure, but only if it’s sooooo intentional. Otherwise, go bigger! Here’s a post about the right rug size for every room, but the overarching piece of advice is to not skimp on size. Take the river house family room. Almost all of the sectional is on the rug, which we love. Imagine the rug smaller, it wouldn’t look right. Honestly, they could have even gone a size up if they had wanted to. Choosing your main decor pieces in substantial sizes will, again, make the room feel bigger. But for rugs, you still want space away from your walls. Otherwise, it will look like strange wall-to-wall carpet.

See here, Brady chose a rug that was tailored to the room as opposed to the sofa. I think was was mostly to clear the entrance to the dining nook/kitchen. Every room will have its own needs, so always make sure you measure so you know where it will hit in the space.

And my last rug example is Mallory’s living room. She, too, is in a not huge apartment, but still made sure that her rug was a substantial size, without making it look almost wall-to-wall. The space feels bigger because of it!

RULE OF THUMB:
– Go for the bigger size (even if you need to wait a little to save up).
– Always measure before you buy.

Larger Scale Art

This is the last scale lecture, I promise:)

Large-scale art doesn’t just mean one HUGE piece of art on a wall, like these two very awesome pieces you see above in Em’s best friend’s living room. But since I’m starting with this room, let’s talk about them. A large piece of art, depending on the design, lets your eye relax and focus. It creates a sense of grandness, which in turn will make the room feel large and grand. I know that extra-large pieces like these are usually pretty expensive, but if you find one within your budget, go for it!

But it’s not just about one large piece; you can also have a gallery of pieces, like I did in my last apartment. The trick with creating a gallery wall that’s going to make a room feel bigger is to simply… go big. I went floor to ceiling, making sure I had my large “anchor piece” and then building around that. Here’s a whole post on our no-fail guide to creating your own gallery wall. Overall, make it have a visual impact and don’t go too small with every piece.

And here’s a less intense version of a single piece of art that is perfectly sized for the wall it’s on. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would’ve put up a smaller-sized piece, but it would go against the balance/scale of the room (which is what makes a room look and feel bigger:)).

RULE OF THUMB:
– Go big or go home:)
– Avoid too much “bitsy” art that will ultimately make your room feel smaller and cluttered.

Mirrors

This one may be pretty self-explanatory, but a mirror not only visually creates an optical illusion that there’s more “room” in the room it’s in, but it also bounces light around to make a space feel brighter, which also tends to make a room feel bigger.

It’s a very easy hack and can act as a large-scale piece of art! It’s a win-win-win.

DECLUTTER

I don’t have any photos for this one because all of our professionally shot rooms are intentionally uncluttered:) This is not about becoming a minimalist, but more about everything you have out, should have a place. The furniture and decor can all visually breathe. You should be able to walk into your room and feel calm when you walk into your home, right? Caitlin wrote a really great post about how she declutters, in case you need any tips. I mean, who doesn’t?

This is where I leave you, with the hope you feel inspired to make a couple of changes if that’s what you’ve been looking for:) Of course, not everyone wants their home to feel big, but if you do, these tips are going to help at least a little.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Mallory Wackerman | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: MOTO REVEAL: How Mallory Made Her Boring Living Room Feel Homey In Just One Month

Usually, when a bed is placed in front of a window, it’s because that was well, the only logical option. And while it’s usually not the most ideal placement because it can cause some headboard limitations, window treatment trickiness, etc., it doesn’t mean it can’t look awesome. Actually, I am currently helping two dear friends put together their new room, and placing the bed in front of the window was our only choice. This means I have been thinking about this whole “bed in front of a window” topic A TON, and figured I might as well put it to use and write a whole post about the things to think about and some general rules of thumb.

I broke it down into different types of window situations – a standard window, a floor-to-ceiling window, an off-centered window, flanking windows that are too close together, and finally, an elevated height window. Let’s get into it…

The “Standard” Height Window

“Standard” is likely is subjective term with new build codes vs older homes that are all different, but it’s a window that has a decent amount of wall above and below it (but is too low for a headboard to sit under it), sits in the center of the wall, and requires you to really think about the height of your headboard to make sure you don’t block all of your precious light.

What Emily did in her old LA primary bedroom was pretty perfect. She chose a low spindle bed, which lets all the pretty light through (and as you know, she wants ALL the pretty light, all the time). But if you want an upholstered bedframe, that’s ok too! But here’s our rules of thumb for this situation:

• Don’t cover more than the bottom third of the window, even better if it only blocks the bottom quarter.
• The standard height for the low headboard is 14 to 24 inches, measuring from the top of the mattress.

Of course, every window is different, so the ideal measurements will likely vary for each of you. Another thing to consider is if your window doesn’t actually bring in a ton of light, like in my friend’s place. We went a little higher (covering about a third of the window) since there’s not a ton of light that comes in, and they want it to feel really cozy and almost cave-like. It’s your home, so design it to work for how you want to really live!

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I wanted to add this example because it was a really fun and creative way to frame the window without blocking it…all you need is a custom bed. Easy breezy:)

The Floor-to-Ceiling Window

Tall ceilings with tall windows obviously give you some more headboard height flexibility. However, with big windows like that, they are naturally the center of attention! So you also probably don’t want to block a ton of it with a really tall headboard. I would still consider keeping the headboard height to the bottom third. It will make your room feel taller, too!

HOT TIP: If you love the look of drapes behind your bed, make sure you have enough to pull your bed out from the wall to give those curtains some room to open and close easily. You’ll both be happier.

The Off-Center Window

Ah, yes. The dreaded off-center window. Why not make designing a little more challenging, right? I actually had the pleasure of designing the bedroom above for my other friends/neighbors, and the off-center window was tricky to deal with. If you look, the windows are fairly low to the ground, so covering at least part of the window was unavoidable. But what worked about this setup was that the headboard only blocked the bottom third, and since we had a double window situation, the second window let in a lot more light. Had it just been that single window behind the bed, I would have chosen a lower headboard since they loved all the natural light.

If you want more ideas to deal with off-center windows, Arlyn wrote this great post!

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But then here is another off-center, but smaller window, with a tall headboard. But here, the shape of the headboard is what really makes it work. The side that’s over the window is slanted, so it blocks less of the window. It looks so intentional and whimsical, but then again, this is a Pierce & Ward design, so of course it’s incredibly special:) But luckily, more and more unique headboards like this are coming onto the market. Have you seen this one by Jeremiah Brent yet??

The Overlapping “Framing” Windows

The more windows, the better, right? Well, if your bedroom requires you to place your bed between two slightly oversized ones, there’s just more to consider in the headboard department. First off, it depends on how much a headboard would overlap them. Maybe it’s no big deal, and drapes would cover just as much as a headboard would, width-wise. If that’s the case, the height doesn’t matter! However, if you’re headboard is wider, you have a couple of options:

• Choose a low-height headboard…easy.
• Choose a headboard with a shape that comes in on the side (ie, arches, pyramids, etc.)

This is a slight example of choosing a non-rectangular shape. Even that little curve cutout gives the illusion of a less bulky headboard and lets in a teeny bit more light. Hey, every little bit counts. It’s all in the details.

Or remember Em’s custom bed she designed for the farmhouse guest room? She purposely chose an arch to get the height she wanted, but without blocking the windows on either side too much.

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But maybe you just want to go for a spindle. The way Reath Design played with the bedframe scale is really fun, and the headboard could be as tall as they wanted because so much light comes through those metal poles.

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Another option, if you have enough space, is to more or less ignore the space in between the windows entirely and go more “dramatic” with a long, low headboard that spans both windows. Always make sure you’re not blocking the majority of the window, and you’ll have a stunning statement bed. But again, pull that bed far enough away from the window wall to give room for any window treatments.

The Slightly Elevated Window

Lastly, we have the “high off the ground” window. This can be the best of all the situations because you might not need to block your window at all. Above, Brady DIY an incredible headboard so that it could perfectly sit under his window while also spanning the width of the wall. It’s so good.

Something to consider, though, are your window treatments with this kind of look. A Roman shade is likely the move. Given where his bathroom door is, he couldn’t have brought his bed forward enough for drapes. It’s perfect as is, but it’s also a reminder that a pretty roman shade is a great option when beds are in front of windows. I think that’s what my friends are going to do…because I said so:)

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My last example is a really awesome one that was recently published in Domino. I love this bedroom and love how they made a wall of drapes to make it feel more custom (this home is a rental). I also love the super low headboard that hardly comes above the room’s window sills. It gives the maximum amount of light and undoubtedly makes the room feel even taller. Plus, let’s be honest, I’m sure once the summer hits, there’s an AC unit in one of those windows, so this lower headboard is ideal for having the space for that. Nothing like that sweet NYC no-central air living:)

This is where I leave you. Hope this was helpful. Hope this makes you even excited to have to put your bed in front of a window. And if you have any questions, just comment below.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Veronica Crawford | From: Our Bedroom Update (Also How I Feel About Having A TV In The Bedroom)

When you’re designing a house or heck, even a room, there are so many little decisions that need to be made all at once. And just when you think you might be close to being done a question like “What sheen do you want for your cabinets?” comes up. Or wait, does the trim need to be a different sheen than the walls? It’s a seemingly small thing that can cause A LOT of stress…until now. With this post we are giving you our preferred paint sheen recs for every space in your home (with a fun graphic too:)). Emily tends to go for a lower sheen option as it’s usually her personal preference. There are always exceptions and we absolutely recommend testing your options out BEFORE you make any large paint orders. We know it can be an annoying step, especially when you are mentally done making decisions, but better that than hating the sheen of our walls!

I figured if you wanted to just get the guide graphic quickly here you go:

We wanted to focus on the sheen you’d use per room (or accent). You can easily save this, take quick glance, and see where you should start in your sheen journey. The simplest takeaway is that the higher the sheen (the shinier it is) the more durable it is…and the more imperfections can stand out.

But now let’s go room by room and get into the nitty-gritty of the wild world of paint sheens:)

Living Room – Flat, Matte, or Eggshell

I have an embarrassing confession to make. Until talking with Em and doing some extra research, I thought flat and matte were the same thing. Turns out…they are not. Flat actually has zero sheen, while matte tends to be richer in color with the slightest sheen possible. I am a no-sheen gal whenever possible when it comes to my living room, bedroom, and hallway walls. But if you are someone who likes a light sheen then eggshell could be your perfect fit. Again, the more sheen the more durable so I understand that if you have kids or pets, this might be a smart option. I do want to point out that in my research, many people said that the higher the sheen the more imperfections can show since they bounce light around. So for textured walls (and if you want them to look less textured) go for less sheen!

Fireplace & Moldings – Satin or Semi-Gloss

Now, fireplaces and moldings are different. I am all for some sheen there(and so are all the experts). You want those areas/details to be easily wipable. Dust and smudge collectors, amirite? Plus, it can be nice to have a little light bouncing around.

If needing a sheen bums you out then go for a satin. But if you can handle a little more, semi-gloss will simply be more durable. You also want to consider the style of your home. Traditional homes look natural with a little more sheen, while a modern organic style home would potentially feel better with less shine.

Doors, Trim & Paneling – Satin or Semi-Gloss

Really the section above and this one are nearly one and the same. Traditionally, these accents call for a bit more sheen/durability. In the farmhouse, all of the wall paneling was painted in a semi-gloss. Stylistically, it was the right call and functionally, given they are a family of four with two dogs and host people nonstop, it was necessary for easier upkeep.

Ceiling – Flat (Bedroom & Living Room) + Eggshell or Satin (Kitchens & Bathrooms)

But now let’s talk ceilings. When we’re talking bedrooms, living rooms, and hallways, go for a matte or flat. Especially, since most ceilings have light fixtures or canned lighting, and any amount of sheen is going to be accentuated by those lights when they are on. Any imperfections in your ceiling are also going to be highlighted. So since those are areas where you don’t have to worry about wetness or cooking fumes, keep the sheen to a minimum. But in a kitchen or bathroom, you want a little sheen for durability.

Kitchen & Bathroom (Walls) – Eggshell or Satin

The same goes for the walls. You want a bit of sheen to be able to clean them easier. Think of tiles behind stoves, those are basically high gloss (depending, of course) because they are easy to wipe down. It’s the same idea with paint (except only use high gloss if you really love that look. It’s a real design statement and not for everyone).

Bathrooms are in the same camp. And this goes for any room, but usually, your cabinetry has a higher sheen than your walls. You can of course paint everything the same sheen (I’m pretty sure that’s how my bathroom was painted). But if you want a more varied look, go a sheen or two higher on your cabinets/trim from your walls.

Cabinets – Satin or Semi-Gloss

You don’t want to risk the durability of cabinetry because they are either very expensive to repaint or a very involved DIY (go to Rashida’s post here if you are curious about how to do that). This means go for a satin or semi-gloss! I’m sorry I can’t say with absolute certainty, but I feel 99% positive that these cabinets in Emily’s pantry are satin. Satin gives off that pretty pearl-like finish but isn’t too shiny. Rashida used the same sheen in her kitchen too!

Bedroom – Flat, Matte, or Eggshell

Of all the rooms I think bedrooms are the ideal place for a flat or matte sheen. For me, I’m in my bedroom the least (if you don’t count sleeping hours) and it’s a very low-traffic room (as compared to a kitchen, bathroom, or living room). I also want to note that it’s a good idea to check what sheens the paint brand you’re using has and check what they consider flat vs matte vs eggshell for instance. Usually, they have brand guides/recommendations that could be helpful and might be slightly different from other brands. Now back to our recs, it’s understandable that you might want a slight shine or have kids’ rooms to paint that could use a little more durability…that’s when you should use eggshell.

Exterior – Eggshell or Satin

Painting the exterior of a house can be the most daunting because it is NOT cheap! We recommend an eggshell or a satin sheen and make sure you are using the proper type of exterior paint. These are great options because they are durable but won’t make your house look too shiny and show all of the potential imperfections when the light hits it! Emily used eggshell for the farmhouse if that’s helpful. However, the door looks like it’s a semi-gloss:)

When To Use High Gloss

I wanted to include high gloss because it’s a great option for a highly stylized look. It can look so cool like in Chris Loves Julia’s study. But it’s a choice that’s going to show all the fingerprints, smudges, etc, so it may be a bit more high maintenance depending on where you use it.

That’s the guide! Hope this takes away any sheen stress so that you can confidently paint your beautiful walls and have them look exactly the way you want them.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kaitlin Green | From: Farmhouse Living Room Reveal

How to choose the right rug size for your space can be difficult, especially when rugs are notoriously kinda expensive and therefore intimidating. In general, people buy rugs that are too small because 5×7 and 6x9s are so much cheaper than 8x10s or 9x12s, but it’s often going to make the whole space look chopped up and accidental so in a way you’ve just wasted that money. Tough love, folks.

But I wanted to pull together a post that gives you ALL of my tips, tricks, warnings, and learnings for rug buying. I’ll be covering all the major rug spaces – living room, bedroom, dining room (controversial, I know), and hallways. I LOVE what a rug does to a room. Instant cozy, instant texture, and instant color…or pattern…or both:) Let’s start with the living room…

The Living Room Rug Rules

GENERAL RULES: 

1. Typical living room rug sizes are 8’x10′ and 9’x12′.
2. Make sure your rug is at least 6″ wider (8″ is ideal) than your sofa on both sides.
3. Typically run the rug the length of the sofa.
4. Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″. That will help to inform your rug size.

Waverly Broken Stripe Rug

TIP: Measure the size of your SEATING AREA before shopping and get the closest size up from that. If your budget is tight and your room is small you can have a smaller rug that floats in front of all the furniture – this is especially ok if your sofa is backed up against the wall – you don’t need to waste the rug real estate under the sofa if you can’t even see that it’s there. But if your furniture is floating or if your room is big, get a larger rug or else it will make the room look smaller, chopped up, and totally out of proportion. One of the main functions of a rug is to pull the room together, not chop it up.

Rowena Checked Wool Area Rug

TIP: Legs on or off? This is a question I get ALL the time and my best tip is BE CONSISTENT. If you don’t have a massive rug that fits all your furniture (because yes, that is ideal) then make sure that you are at least consistent with how you handle the legs; if your sofa legs are off, have the chair legs off the rug as well. If your sofa is all on, then you can’t have the chairs all off or it will really chop up the conversation area. So I say, ALL ON, or ALL OFF. Just be consistent so it looks as intentional as possible. I have seen it where the sofa is all on and the rugs are 1/2 and vice versa and it can look fine, but ideally, all the legs would be on the rug. If you have to choose which legs should be on, then choose the ones that are the least obvious. AKA, if your sofa is low and closer to the wall then you are less likely to see under it and reveal the fact that it’s not fully on the rug. See, I told you… nuanced.

Oregon Plaid Wool Rug

TIP: Orient the rug to the room – If you have a long rug, orient it length-wise. If you have more of a compact room, orient it horizontally. This is not always the case so it’s a very nuanced situation. Often if you have a really long and skinny room then you might have two different seating areas and two rugs that are oriented with those seating areas, but the rugs need to cover up a certain amount of real estate on the floor in proportion to the room, so if you are orienting the rug to your sofa, not your room then often you are cutting off huge portions of the room and again, making it look smaller. So when in doubt, go with the orientation of the room.

Myrtlewood Jute Area Rug | Blue Jay Wool Area Rug

TIP: If you have a rug that is too small but you love it, then buy a large sisal that fits the whole seating area and layer your favorite rug on top – I used to do this ALL THE TIME. Sisal, jutes, seagrass rugs are typically more affordable so buying a 9×12 is more doable than a 9×12 antique kilim.

The Dining Room Rug Rules

GENERAL RULES: 

1. Typical dining room rug sizes are 8’x10′ and 9’x12′.
2. Give at least 12″ between the rug and wall if you have the space.
3. Allow at least 36″ from the edge of your table to the edge of the rug. This let’s gives you room to pull out your chairs without falling off the rug.

Blue Lake Striped Jute Area Rug

TIP: Rugs are rugs, not wall-to-wall carpet, so make sure that there is some breathing room between the rug and the walls so that it doesn’t feel too tight in there.

TIP: Not every dining room needs a rug, but if you do have one make sure there is plenty of room to pull the chairs in and out without having the chair half on and half off the rug.

TIP: Flatweave rugs are, in my opinion, the best choice for dining rooms. They are the easiest to move chairs around on as well as clean. If you don’t want a flatweave then tufted or low-pile rugs can also work. I just suggest avoiding shags and thick piles. They will catch everything that falls off the table and are much harder to clean.

The Bedroom Rug Rules

GENERAL RULES:

1. Ideally, your rug should have at least 24″ on all three sides of your bed.
2. Our typical sizing rules are: for a Twin go for a 5’x8′, a Full 6’x9′, a Queen 8’x10′, and a King 9’x12′.
3. The legs of your footboard should be on top of your rug.

Blue Pacific Striped Wool Area Rug

TIP: Make sure that you have some space on either side of the rug once it is tucked under your bed. If it is similar in width to your bed then it may look too squished and small for the size of your bedroom.

The Runner Rug Rules

GENERAL RULES:

1. Have at least 3″ between wall and rug on each side
2. Your runner shouldn’t be the exact length of your hallway.

Oregon Plaid Wool Runner

TIP: Front legs of hallway furniture (cabinets, benches, etc) should sit on or off the runner.

TIP: If you have a door that opens up to your runner…consider the pile height. Most bedroom and bathroom doors open in towards their rooms so this likely isn’t an issue for runners going into hallways. BUT, for doors that open into a runner, rug thickness is something you want to consider. Nothing is more annoying than a door catching on a rug every time you open it.

TIP: Have a really long hallway? You have the option of getting one long runner or two shorter ones. A long one is always great but can be pricey. Using two (or even three) runners is a great alternative. Just be mindful of where the split happens. You don’t want to have it in the middle of a doorway where the potential to trip is much higher…

Hope this was helpful and that you are bursting with rug-buying confidence!! And not to plug our own rug line but we do have some pretty great and affordable rugs riiiiight here in case this post inspired you to finally make that rug purchase:) Have any other questions? Let me know. xx

Opening Image Credits: Styled by Getteline Rene | Photo by Mark Weinberg | From: It’s Here! Our First EHD Collection With Rugs USA (+ Why Now? And Why This?)

It wasn’t until I was deep in the design world that I ever really considered any other window covering besides a curtain panel. It was the only kind my parents used in my childhood home (besides mini blinds and the dreaded vertical blinds). And it’s safe to say the majority of the non-design people in my life who are decorating their own homes also use panels as a default. As elegant as they can be, they are not always the best selection for the window you’re trying to cover.

Say you have a small little window above eye height that panels would look silly on. A roller or Roman shade is going to be your best bet. Or maybe you have a beautiful picture window that faces the street where you don’t want to block the view but you also would rather people walking by not see you hours-deep into a Golden Girls marathon. Light-filtering cafe curtains will do the trick.

If you’ve ever struggled with what direction to go with covering your windows, this post is for you. Oh, and you’re going to want to Pin this info to save for later, too, because it’s advice that will never not be useful.

First, here’s an *actual* cheat sheet for you on when and where to use the four most common types of window coverings: Roman shades, pull-down shades (like rollers and honeycomb), panels, and cafe curtains:

Of course, there is an exception for everything, and these are not die-on-the-hill rules, but I’d guesstimate that they would apply about 90% of the time. And yes, there will be windows where any of the above options would work, and in that case, it’s really just a visual, budget, or maintenance preference. Let’s take a look at all of these more closely to show you examples of why they work where they are pictured (and some other thoughts).

Roman Shades

First up: Roman shades. Super versatile, clean and tailored and a great option for a lot of tricky spaces.

That’s my kitchen up there (and that cute baby is also mine). I have a giant window in my breakfast nook that frankly was very hard to figure out. I could have done panels, but there isn’t much clearance above the window to hang draperies, plus I didn’t want to deal with panels kissing the floor of a VERY active kitchen (anyone who has ever fed a toddler knows what I mean). In her eyes, they’d be two giant napkins and…a hard no for me. So the next option was a shade of some sort. Frankly, a light-filtering roller shade might have been the most practical solution since I don’t want to block daylight, but I knew I wanted a more decorative look to really spruce this side of the space up, so Romans it was. I went with an outside mount as my sill is super shallow and the shade stack would have protruded awkwardly with an inside mount.

How cute is this bedroom? EHD contributor Ajai Guyot had a tiny little window (above a decorative ledge, no less) that didn’t have many options. A Roman is perfect for a window like this since panels would only draw attention to how small it is.

Another spot where a Roman is clutch is above furniture. This is Emily Bowser’s bedroom, and because of the square footage of the room and her home, she really needs to maximize her space. Pulling her dresser out six or so inches to leave room for panels to drape behind was just not a good solution. The drapey Roman she chose is both practical in this application as well as visually soft, not stealing too much attention from anything else in the room.

Another Bowser space where a shade (or cafe curtain) was the best move. As I mentioned, there are going to be plenty of times when you have your pick of what to use, and there isn’t a wrong answer. A cafe curtain would feel charming and Old World, while a Roman is polished and fully covers the window when it’s down at night, etc.

Roman Shade Recap

When to use:

• On a small window where panels would not work aesthetically or functionally
• If you want a clean, tailored look
• In a casual space like a kitchen or breakfast nook
• On a window above a piece of furniture, radiator, or baseboard heating
• As a complement to draperies in a room with a lot of windows
• If you don’t have enough wall space to support drapery rods/panels

Drapery Panels

On to panels. Okay, so this was my old dining room (I MISS YOU!!!) and looking back, I 100% should have opted for Roman shades here. It was one of my first projects, so, as mentioned, panels were my go-to. And look, I love the drama of the deep green velvet panels flanking both casement windows, but could never actually open those windows both because I had stuff on the credenza in front but also because the panels didn’t nest fully to the side of the window so they got in the way. Plus, they collected SO.MUCH.DUST underneath. Pretty, yes, but not practical.

(Hot Tip: If you’re using a Roman shade on a casement window, make sure it’s installed high enough that when the shade is fully up, it doesn’t block the window from opening. It’s not something you need to worry about with a standard single-hung window, but it is for this type.)

I wanted to show you my old living room to talk through two different things: #1 – panels are great for covering a very large window or set of windows you want to make feel like a single window. Honestly, I’m not sure a Roman shade of this width is even a thing (maybe but it would likely have been three instead of one and would have felt choppy). Plus, I wanted to accentuate the ceiling height, which is always a job best done by curtain panels. #2: You see how the panels to the right where the ceiling slopes down don’t line up with the hardware on the large front window? It really wasn’t the end of the world and didn’t bother me that much in person, but panels on the picture window and Roman shades on the two lower, smaller windows would have been a nicer mix, for sure. You live, you learn, (you laugh/love).

I guess I can’t stop showing my old apartment. But for real, it’s just easier for me to talk through the “whys” since I know them. In my old bedroom, I picked curtain panels because I wanted a soft, romantic look, which is exactly what drapes deliver. Cafe curtains would have felt too dinky with the large scale of my furniture (plus it wouldn’t have given me enough privacy), and Romans would have been too stiff for my styling.

Here’s Caitlin’s beautiful, eclectic living room. She opted for a combo of woven Roman shades and panels both for texture, privacy, and drama. I love this combination in a space that’s layered and rich. Any material of shade would work if you want the two window covering types, though typically you’ll want to choose something light-filtering and not too heavy.

We’ve yet to see curtain panels on any doors in this post, but if you’re trying to cover something sliding or even French, panels are a great choice. This dining space by EHD alum Julie makes great use of the lengthening power of panels by hanging the curtain hardware all the way up to the ceiling line to match the cabinetry on the wall and give clean, continual lines to the area.

This sweet little breakfast nook had just about any option available to it for covering that window, but the panels hung high make it feel much grander and more dreamy than it would have with any type of shade or even a short cafe curtain.

This whole room is literally jaw-dropping, but it’s also an ideal example of how dramatic (yet tailored) panels can be. These are inset into the ceiling so there is no visible hardware. It’s a detail that needs to be worked out in the design and renovation process of a room, but man is it worth it. ::chef’s kiss::

Drapery Panel Recap

When to use:

• In any room you want to accentuate ceiling height
• In any room you want a grand, elegant feeling to
• On a window you want to make feel larger (by hanging a drapery rod high and wide)
• When you want to make multiple windows next to each other feel like a single “unit”
• If you have a large window or sliding/French door to cover

Cafe Curtains

Surprise! It’s me showing my home again. A lot of you followed my rental kitchen refresh, and those that did will know I swapped out the wood blinds that were in the window above my sink for a cafe curtain (also called tier curtains). I did this both for charm but also for maximum light.

Another rental space, this time by Julie in a previous apartment of hers. As renters, your options are limited, and cafe curtains hung on a tension rod are so great in a small window that needs privacy but can also be reverted back to move-in condition.

Of course, we all remember Emily’s farmhouse dining nook where she added in a DIY boro fabric cafe curtain. As she doesn’t have a privacy issue necessarily, she opted for the cafe curtain specifically to add print and impact to the space. Cafe curtains are a great way to use up a small piece of fabric you absolutely love but either don’t have the budget to buy tons of yardage or can’t get more because it’s vintage.

Cafe curtains aren’t just for small windows, either. The gorgeous, tall windows in Emily’s farmhouse primary bath let both light and tree views in without letting any ::cough cough:: unwanted views out.

Cafe Curtain Recap

When to use:

• In a room you want both privacy and light/views
• If you want to add some dreamy charm to a space

Pull-Down Shade

I left the most modern and practical window covering type for last but that doesn’t mean you should. Non-Roman shades are typically roller or honeycomb, though you’ll find a few other types. These are usually interior mounted (so you need at least 2-3 inches of window sill), and come in both light-filtering and blackout. Because they sit tight to the window, they also provide great insulation for both sound and temperature. I opted for a honeycomb black-out shade in my daughter’s room behind pretty panels, and while the shade itself isn’t the most aesthetic thing, it kind of disappears and is immensely functional.

In the Portland project from a few years back (above), many of the windows went the way of the shade since the architecture of the home was pretty modern and clean-cut. Could you add panels around the window with this type of shade, too? Yup, absolutely, but if you want something simple and unfussy, this is the window covering for you.

The same applies to the mountain house, which was Emily’s take on modern Scandi lodge. The ceilings, windows and views in this house did the heavy lifting, and covering those up with anything that made too much of a statement would frankly steal from that. You can see how minimal they are when fully open above in the spa bathroom and in one of the guest rooms below.

Pull-Down Shade Recap

When to use:

• When you want a simple, modern look
• If you need privacy with either light-filtering or black-out qualities
• If you need better insulation of sound and energy for your window
• In a space that needs a low-maintenance and low-profile option

And there you have it! I hope that was helpful and useful for you if you’re trying to figure out window coverings in your home. Again, a lot of it is personal preference, but like I walked you through, there *are* right and wrong answers depending on the situation. While drapery panels are the most versatile (read: you don’t usually need to go the custom route like you would for a Roman or pull-down shade), I hope this post opened the window to the world of coverings (pun very much intended here).

See you next time, friends!

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Portland Project: The Living Room Reveal

I’m working on so many projects right now and they all have ONE need in common – a wide, multi-bulb, semi-flush mount light fixture. And I’m happy to say that there isn’t a hole in the market and for once there are SO MANY to choose from. But since literally all of my projects need this I figured some of you might also (or might not even realize you needed this).

Here’s why:

1. Function: most older homes either don’t have or don’t want recessed lighting, but one bulb isn’t enough lighting (especially in the darker months up north).
2. Scale: Having just one fixture in the middle of a big ceiling is just not that interesting and the scale of it can feel off if the room is on the bigger side.
3. Interest and Impact: You don’t want to neglect the ceiling and lighting is such a good way to make a statement, but most older homes only have one junction box in the middle (so the option of multiple flush mounts, which is also a thing is not possible without a lot of work/cost).
4. YET low ceilings…unless you have vaulted ceilings, you can’t fit a standard chandelier, thus the “low but wide” need, clocking most of these under 16″. Most of these below would work for an 8’ ceiling, and if it’s over a bed or coffee table you can drop it even more (probably no more than 18-24”).

Hey everyone! It’s Jess and I’m now taking over this post. Emily did a lot of light fixture pinning but asked me to add in some more options as she had a lot on her plate this week. So if you have a low ceiling we are both here to help. Below are 33 vetted options that we think you’ll love! There’s something for everyone:) Let’s begin.

1. Huxley Large | 2. Modern Flush Mount | 3. Alameda

Now, this first bunch is admittedly modern BUT also chic and versatile…if I do say so myself. The first one (aka #1) could not be simpler and yet more beautiful. With frosted blubs this would give off the prettiest light. Well, actually that goes for any frosted exposed bulb:) But this fixture also comes in black and starts at an 8″ drop with lots of height options. The middle light option I can personally vouch for because I owned it! It’s only 10″ tall but with a 32″ width. You can see it in action in the photos above. So while I didn’t have a low ceiling it was such a pretty fixture and now lives in my best friend’s house in New York who needed a short and wide light. It’s also not a bad price. Lastly, is another Park Studio gem and is pretty freaking cool. Definitely modern and has a starting height of 9″ and a width of 60″. WHAT?! If you have the budget, this is a very chic option that would give off great light.

1. Altona Barebulb Semi-Flush Mount | 2. Trio Chandelier | 3. Modern Flush Mount

Keeping on that simple, linear train (but with a twist), I love these three. The first option, from our beloved Rejuvenation, is beautiful, obviously, but with the wood accents feels a little warmer which is a nice option. However, it comes in three other colorways! It’s also only 15″ tall and has a 29″ width (I believe that’s minus the bulbs so you can add a couple more inches!). The second option is a real looker and BIG KID. It does have a minimum height of 18.5″ but a width of almost 52″. I also just love that brass tone. Lastly, we have a great slightly smaller option that only drops from the ceiling 8″ but is 24″ wide. It’s fun, clean, and also pretty affordable.

1. Renee Semi Flush | 2. Boccia Curved Shade Flush Mount Light | 3. Ashleigh Semi Flush

Want more bulbs? I’ve got you. All three of these have a much more vintage modern feel (and primarily MCM). Take our first light. It’s got those gorgeous large frosted blubs mixed with black and chrome for a very on-trend yet classic look. It’s only 15″ tall and has a width of 28″. It also has a lot of visual impact! It comes in black and brass if that’s more your style. Now I am pretty obsessed with #2 and it’s one that Em pinned first. It’s vintage-inspired, makes such a visual statement, and is honestly a great price! Also, it’s only 7.5″ tall but has a 34.5″ width! The last one on the right is the smallest of the group but is so classic (sorry, I know this section says it’s only large lights). This one comes in at 18″ tall and 20″ wide, so it’s great for a small to medium-sized room! Oh, and it also comes in chrome:)

1. Jensen Black Metal Semi-Flushmount Light | 2. Stella TRIENNALE | 3. Brendle 3-Arm Semi-Flush Chandelier

But for those with large rooms, these three are awesome. I adore the perforated detail on the metal shades in the first one. I think this could work with SO different styles and the price is great. It’s also a wonderful height at 15.75″ and a 55″ width! Our middle child is pricey but man is it so beautiful. It’s a prime candidate for a low ceiling since it’s 9″ tall and 34 wide. It would give off A LOT of light when needed. Then lastly, we have an EHD favorite that is currently in TWO rooms at the farmhouse (living room, as shown above, and family room). Vintage-inspired, a quality we absolutely stand behind, and so pretty! It’s juuuust over 15″ tall and 40″ wide. And as you can see, Emily’s living room is not small and it works perfectly size-wise. This comes in brass and black:)

1. Nouveau Aged Gold Three-Light Semi-Flush Mount with Opal Glass | 2. Jane 3 Light Semi-Flush Ceiling Light | 3. Tinsley Semi-Flushmount

So I know that width is a big part of Emily’s current lighting needs but I want to give a few more (literally three) slightly smaller options in case you need one for a smaller room. The first one is similar to one of the options above but it’s even shorter! This Parisian-inspired beaut comes in at 11″ tall and just over 25″ wide, which is a pretty good width if you ask me, especially for the price. The second is an even better price, is also wildly versatile stylistically, and is even SHORTER at 6″ tall and 24″ wide! It also comes in white. But if you want something that feels a bit more decorative I love #3. And get this…it’s only 4″ tall but is 33″ in diameter. So actually not that small after all:)

1. Decatur Chandelier | 2. Wilson Mid-Century White Metal Chandelier Light | 3. Raw Brass Semi Flush Ceiling Light

While typically we go for more ambient lighting for an overhead fixture, when you have a lot of bulbs in a single fixture you don’t have to worry about it not lighting the room properly. So let’s talk about the first one. I LOVE the patina and shape. Yes, it’s also vintage-inspired, as most of these are, but come on it’s good. The price is hefty but for that kind of patina, I’m not shocked. In terms of size, the minimum height is 16.5″ and the width is 42″! So if you love the general shape of #1 but want something more modern MCM (and a lower price tag), the second one is awesome. I love the materials and it still has that great shape. This one has a minimum height of 10.6″ and a width of 45.5″. Wow wow! Our last one doesn’t totally fit into this category but just ignore that. It’s so cute, small, and is a great price. At just over 6″ tall and 18.25″ wide, it’s a great option for the right size room.

1. Mid Century Linear Double Shade Chandelier | 2. Madera Linear Pendant | 3. Griffith Linear Suspension | 4. Andre White and Brass 2-Light Pendant | 5. Bicentric Sconce | 6. Ondu Dual Flush Mount

Ok, so now that the roundup has gotten larger I won’t write you a whole dissertation on these STUNNERS. However, I can’t get enough of these. Since these have shades you want to consider the light distribution. This means #2, #3, and #4 (which you can see in the photo above) are going to have much more directional/task lighting than the others where the bulbs are more exposed. But if your space doesn’t need to be completely illuminated in a big way, like in a dining room or kitchen, then any of these would work perfectly. But for real for real how CUTE is the little curve in #1??

1. DANNA Chandelier | 2. Hargrove 10 Chandelier | 3. Aston Chandelier | 4. HAVANA Chandelier | 5. Camryn XL Glass Globe Flush Mount | 6. FLUGBO | 7. COBE | 8. Kira Chandelier | 9. Glass Orb Ceiling Chandelier

I save the biggest and brightest (literally) for last. If you want more of a chandelier look despite those short ceilings look no further. None of these are taller than 18.25″ (and most at least a few inches under that). All of these are really special in their own ways and are going to give off awesome light! And while there’s no need to pick favorites #7 is undeniably incredible (and was another top Em pick) and honestly, I am quite taken with #9. Look at Target getting very chic! I’m a high/low girl what can I say:)

We truly hope this was helpful and that we saved you hours of searching the internet. That’s our job so you can sit back and relax. Happy light shopping.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Annie Segal and Marieke Ochtman of ASOM HOME | Styled by Velinda Hellen, Emily Bowser, and Julie Rose | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp for The New Design Rules | From: Tour This Eclectic Midcentury Modern House Designed by ASOM Home + 10 Approachable Design Tricks Anyone Can Do

In what is now my second time fully designing a living room, I have fallen madly in love with a coffee table that is yet again “too small”. Jess, “What makes a coffee table too small?” Well, a coffee table should be at least half the length of your sofa. So naturally, this measurement is completely dependent upon the sofa you have. In my first apartment, I was dealing with two other issues – 1. My living room was small and narrow, not leaving me with a lot of coffee table size options in general and 2. I had fallen madly in love with and secured the navy pouf you see in the photos above and below. Whoops! I clearly didn’t consider that the height of my pouf was equal to or taller than most coffee tables…coooooool. But after hours and hours of searching, that sweet little black metal oval table came to my rescue and was the perfect height, shape, and material I wanted to beautifully contrast the pouf. So yes, today I’m going to talk about the wonders of nesting coffee tables and your many options in this category! I’m also going to walk you through my current coffee table situation because, “oops I did it again” 🙂

But before we get much further let’s go over the three basic “rules” (or our recommended guidelines since rules can always be broken).

RULE #1: I know I just said this but your coffee table should be at least half the length of your sofa. The right scale is going to look and feel so good. The last thing you want is for a coffee table to make your living room look smaller than it is. Scale is crucial to a well-designed room.

RULE #2: Your coffee table should be no more than 4″ higher or shorter than the top of your sofa seat cushions. This gives you A LOT of room to play so I wouldn’t stress about it. Just make sure you’re going to be happy with the height you’re setting your coffee cup down:)

RULE #3: 16″ to 18” is the ideal distance between the sofa and coffee table. Don’t cramp the space! This also means you want to watch out for the width of your coffee table so you don’t end up with something too big that takes up the area. This has been (and currently is) a pain point for me and has limited my coffee table options.

What I’m Working With

Did I know the coffee table was too small when I bought it? Yes. But I knew I wanted to do nesting coffee tables again because I wanted a round shape and my living layout couldn’t handle a large round coffee table. I also honestly love the nesting table look as it’s an opportunity to bring in another material, texture, and potentially a pattern. This particular vintage coffee table was also just too unique to pass up. I must have seen it on Craigslist for at least a month, never being able to get it out of my head. Now, while I LOVE it, coming up with its ideal “nesting buddy” hasn’t been as easy as I’d hoped (it’s my overthinking that’s been the problem to no one’s surprise).

Naturally, I tried it with the metal table first. It’s not terrible but it also isn’t right. I want the wooden table to be the star and having the metal table tower over it, it’s taking a back seat. Oh, and it you’re wondering where my beloved navy pouf is, don’t worry, it’s currently acting as my office chair footrest. It’s too tall to nest with my new table which I sadly also knew when I bought it. But speaking of poufs let’s start playing with my first option…

Option #1: Upholstered Pouf/Ottoman

This idea is seeming like the frontrunner at the moment but that’s currently all it is, an idea. It’s easy to come up with cool ideas in your head but finding “the right” piece that is the perfect size, color, and price is easier said than done (like with my first living room coffee table height issue). And because I’m me, I might see if I can get one made but that adds another challenge (the money challenge). I’ve been dreaming of a custom-made pouf because I’d love to use a patterned fabric. All of the patterned poufs that I could potentially buy or get gifted are simply not my style or aren’t the right size or not the right color. Is there another pouf option? Of course!

I am open to a more pillow-like soft pouf which might be a nice look in a room with A LOT of structured lines. With this style, I could potentially have an extremely talented, beautiful, smart, cool friend that knows how to sew *cough* Arlyn *cough* help me. Do you think public flattery will work on her? Working moms typically have lots of free time to help their friends make pieces of decor, right?? It also might not be as expensive as I’m thinking to get made since it’s basically a pillow and not a more solid piece of furniture that requires a wooden frame. This one is also a little easier to find if I’m ok with a solid color.

Option #2: Stacked Pillows

In my last(?) blog post about this room, I talked about all of the coffee table and rug options I had considered as well as my floor pillow idea with fabric samples. This option is that idea but I’ve realized that I need to be extremely careful with the pattern choice. I have some decor pieces you can’t see in this photo (I’m saving them for the reveal) that make me very nervous about adding more than one pattern. The impulse to overdecorate, given the hundreds of ideas in my head, is STRONG. I keep reminding myself that I need to cool it. With all that said, I think I can find a pattern that works and brings in color (likely a dark blue). When I originally had this patterned pillow idea, I was planning to mix two or three patterns, now I think only one pattern for both pillows or one patterned and one solid. Arlyn did technically offer to help make these after I gently asked if she’d be willing…but I asked her after I hung her dining room pendant a couple of weeks ago. That wasn’t my plan I promise! I had zero ulterior motives! I still might find some I like but so far no dice.

Option #3: Another Coffee Table

Another super legitimate option is simply another round (ish) or oval coffee table that’s shorter than the one I have. Ideally, this would also be vintage to add additional soul and depth to the room. My graphic is comically bad but as you can see I’m looking for something visually lighter, maybe with legs. The size is just my biggest challenge. Finding a coffee table I like that is under 15″ tall, under 24″ in diameter (at most), and not very expensive is a tall order. But who knows! Maybe one day soon the perfect option will pop up on a late-night Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace search. Anything is possible!

But enough about me and let’s talk about YOU. First, let me make sure you know that no matter the size of your living room, you can always have nesting coffee tables. This isn’t just for small space dwellers. Actually, if you have a really large living room, it’s a perk to be able to separate your coffee tables to accommodate guests sitting in various areas. Now that we can all have them, there are two types – matching and non matching. One is not better than the other. It’s simply preference. So naturally, I rounded up some options in both categories so if you need a coffee table setup and don’t want to have to search, hopefully this with help.

Matching Sets

Matching sets are great for a couple of reasons – it creates less decision-making to create your “nest” and they are visually calmer since they aren’t contrasting each other (like a mixed set would). Here are my current favorites:

1. The Morro Tables: Simple, organic yet modern, and would look good with so many styles.
2. Nesting Coffee Table: Perfect if you want a little drama that isn’t too visually heavy.
3. Pompeo Round Ivory Cast Resin Nesting Coffee Table Set: Trendy but in the best way and can be used outdoors!
4. Wade Nesting Coffee Tables: Emily has used these before and they are SO pretty in person. Modern traditional at its finest. They come in all three of those wood tones so you can mix and match or go with one tone.
5. Cannellini Nesting Coffee Table Set: Another trend-forward set that I adore. If I didn’t think the small one was too chunky I’d grab it for my living room. Also, I’m pretty sure they are only sold as a set…
6. Jewel Round Coffee and Side Table Set: Affordable, cute, and lots of texture, what’s not to love?!

Non Matching Sets

I was reminded of a few things when I was putting these together. Not all coffee tables are meant to be nestable. Unless it’s a set made for each other, you need to make sure the main coffee table has an overhang. That’s what makes most nesting possible. As you’ll see below, you can have your small table be taller than the main but then that table needs an overhang. Just some thoughts before we get into these combos (measurements have all been checked:))

1. Augie Oak Wood Coffee Table + Willy Charcoal Brown Round Pedestal Side Table: I love the modern chunky look and it’s making me think maybe I just need a smaller pedestal table instead of my “larger” oval one. The coffee table does actually have a matching nesting buddy in case you prefer that look.
2. Zeke Oval Brushed Oatmeal Coffee Table + Boucle Black Pouf: Simple, chic, AND affordable!
3. Ellington Round Coffee Table + Olivia Round Pouf: Playful with that pretty fluting and pretty rust ottoman (that actually comes apart into two floor cushions!)
4. Volume Round Pedestal Coffee Table + Hopedale Modern Jute Pouf: This feels like a refined organic vibe, right? Also, those prices aren’t bad either.
5. Miri Coffee Table + Square Ivory And Rust Checkered Pouf: For a more contemporary look, this is perfect. While the pouf is a little more on trend, that coffee table will last a long time stylistically.
6. Homage Round White Oak Wood and Marble Coffee Table + Cassius Side Table: Oh I really love this one. Lots of different materials. Chunky yet delicate. Just perfect:)

I hope this was a fun read that got you thinking about the wild world of nesting coffee tables and if you needed one, maybe you found it! Wish me luck on my continued journey:)

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Design by Jess Bunge | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Makeover Takeover: Jess’ Long Awaited (Small Space) Living Room Reveal

I was laying in bed on a recent rainy night, watching Love is Blind (so good), the fireplace on low as I clicked in to enjoy Orlando’s new highly personal and enjoyable sub-stack, The Lost Arrow (have you subscribed to it yet?). It was a rather hilarious rant about his #1 design pet peeve. I laughed a lot (because he is a funny and relatable writer) even while he was pointedly talking shit about my very own family room and bedroom. No, he wasn’t saying “Emily Henderson’s fireplace is the worst,” of course not, but he HATES TVs over fireplaces and makes a damning case against them. And you know what I hate? When I’m told I should NEVER do something when it comes to design. OOH that gets me riled up because how we use our home is 100% up to us, for our own pleasure and enjoyment (and usually comes with certain limitations). That’s why I am here to make a case against his extreme rule against a very thing that I enjoy. I thought it would be fun to cross-examine and make a case, not necessarily for TVs over fireplaces, but just in defense of them and talk about when/why and how to do it right (he’ll disagree with the notion that it’s ever right, but I have some pretty solid ideas). Let’s dance:)

Listen, I agree with him that in a perfect world, you don’t have a TV over a fireplace because you have a separate TV room, but even in that TV room you might also want or already have a fireplace. The court should note that both scenarios are obviously privileged. We decided to forego a TV in our current living room because I preferred art over TV, but mostly because we didn’t need it in here because we have a separate room right next to it, dedicated to TV. But what if we didn’t? Would putting a TV over the fireplace be so bad? NO! Would putting the TV on the wall next to the fireplace be better? In my opinion, no, it would look like a rectangle next to a chunky rectangle and maybe look even dumber.

My analysis of his hatred for TVs over fireplaces is that A. He isn’t a huge TV person (maybe?), B. He doesn’t have a fireplace in his living room or he has always had an easy layout for this situation, C. He doesn’t currently have kids, therefore has specific views about the design of a home that might not be as livable to many of us who have foregone some design pleasantries in the name of practicality and livability, and D. He lives (mostly) in Southern California where fireplaces aren’t as much of a mood and heat necessity as they are in areas where its cold and dark in the winter. What I found fascinating about his piece (again, you have to read it here) was that he likened a TV over the fireplace to stainless steel appliances and granite countertops – a sort of wealth signifier selling point that was built into many new builds or McManions during a certain period. These things are essentially examples that these houses are high-end enough to have a flat-screen TV (which for a while were so expensive, but now not at all). I think he’s right about that, which made me like my TV over my fireplace less, but I’m not here to agree with my friend/opposing counsel, I’m here to defend the TV over the fireplace.

So when and why is a TV over a fireplace ok? Can you do it where it doesn’t look dumb?

Reason #1: When You Don’t Have Any Other Choice And You Really Want To Watch TV In This Room

I’m a big proponent of enjoying how you live in your home first, and the design of the home should support that enjoyment. Do I want you to buy huge reclining sofas? Hmm, honestly, I don’t really care because that’s your choice. I’m not going to make that choice because there are great options that are almost as comfortable that might not look so overwhelming, but I also admit that sitting on a La-Z-Boy sofa can be wonderful so you do you! I lean so far into comfort and practicality that a lot of my former design pet peeves have been thrown out years ago (Covid also confirmed my need for comfort and practicality). I think design directives like this are good to have, but USING your home for your own enjoyment should be your #1 priority. I say this while knowing that I have some furniture that is better to look at than to sit on, so I’m not a shining example of this either (although in defense of myself, I wouldn’t buy those pieces now, they are a hold over from years ago when I didn’t prioritize comfort/practicality over style). Does every piece of furniture need to be the most comfortable? Nope. In some rooms, you don’t need that level of comfort and some beautiful pieces are worth having because they shift the whole context of the room in a good way. So I’m not saying that we should all live in La-Z-Boys in every room, but if the room doesn’t meet the purpose of you being in it because you’ve opted against something practical, then that’s a problem to me. In fact, I’ve been known to actually say to friends who don’t use their living room EVER, “are you sure you don’t want a TV in here?” because not using a room for fear of it not looking good with a TV in it is the bigger crime (again, especially because of nice looking art TVs like The Frame). Do I think that Orlando is being a little snobby? Of course, and so am I about a lot of things. Maybe calling us “picky” is what we’d prefer:) It’s the job of design influencers to help guide us to great choices so that we love our home more, and his vehemence against the TV over the fireplace is a noble one. I just fear that it’s not always an option unless you sacrifice your comfort, practicality, and livability. It’s YOUR HOME, you do whatever you want in it in order to love it and have it serve YOUR purposes.

The prosecutor/plaintiff, Orlando admits that it can be challenging to find a non-TV over fireplace layout that makes sense and he offers for readers to send him photos of their room and he’ll re-lay it out for them, ensuring that he can find a way to not have the TV above the fireplace. I’d personally love to see how he does that because in my experience, splitting the focal points can make a room feel chaotic and inevitably someone, multiple people actually, end up having a bad viewing seat. Obviously, some rooms are totally set up to do this naturally, but many are just not. I think that having it above the TV (listen, if I’m being honest I’m talking about Frame TVs) looks totally fine if you can put on a nice piece of art when not in use. Would I rather have actual art? Of course, but again, it’s about enjoying your own home and having it meet your needs.

Reason #2: When It Can Be Low Enough Not To Hurt Your Neck

Admittedly they can be too high in some houses, we all know this. At the mountain house, in our family room, ours was higher than I wanted. This is usually due to firebox sizes and clearances. I wish there were more that were low and wide that weren’t so contemporary looking (I don’t mind some linear ones, but I don’t love that they are usually just rocks instead of faux logs). So in order for the fireplace box to be scaled right for the room they are usually kinda big, and then when you had the usual 12″ clearance above it and add a mantel, your TV can be pretty darn high. But I have found that if your sofa is deep enough to lounge in, it’s totally fine. A shallow sofa can be a problem if you are forced to sit upright, but if you can lean back then your neck can be salvaged.

Reason #3: A High TV Over A Fireplace In A Bedroom Is Actually A Good Thing

We knew that we would want two TV options in our home – one for kids and one for us, especially when having people over. During lockdown at the mountain house, we only had one TV and often had to set the kids up in their room with the laptop if we wanted to watch something less appropriate – which was fine because they were 4 and 6, but we wanted to make sure that for this house we had two options for those Saturday nights when Brian and I actually want to watch an R rated movie (we generally are so tired and go to bed right after them so unless we carve out adult TV time, we watch ZERO grown up shows/movies). So we put a TV over the fireplace in our bedroom and they can watch their garbage in the family room while we watch Severance. It should be noted that we’ve watched TV maybe 10 times in our bedroom since we moved in 6 months ago – so not a lot, but I’m still glad we have the option. We are both big readers (not being pretentious, I literally read romance novels) and rarely watch TV anyway post-lockdown so maybe we didn’t need it in here after all.

TVs in bedrooms are a whole other controversial debate which I’m not usually a huge fan of, but again because it’s a Frame, I don’t mind it. We thought long and hard about putting one in here and again only did it because we wanted to have two TV viewing options (we have since put one in our guest room because we accidentally bought one too big for our bedroom wall while we lived in the rental house – before the fireplace wall was even designed). So if we have a lot of kids over and want to shove them away they all climb on the guest bed.

Now, back to my case when you are lying down on a bed you need to make sure that you can see over your feet. So in a bedroom, you actually want your TV higher so you can watch while lying down. And, FURTHERMORE ORLANDO, there is nice simplicity of having both focal points on the same wall, allowing for symmetry next to it (something I LOVE in a bedroom).

Reason #4: I Don’t Like Split Focal Points, I Prefer Symmetry

If your room has the perfect layout then you can relax, and have your TV on a different wall than your fireplace, but most rooms do not. I personally don’t love when you have two competing focal points – and both square boxes. So in my mind, it actually looks better to have a Frame TV over your fireplace than to have it awkwardly floating on a different wall. Orlando uses the above example of how he’s done it, and this room is lucky because there is a blank wall right next to the fireplace so honestly it’s an easy choice, but what if there was a window there instead? Would a Frame TV above the fireplace look that different than the rectangular painting? No! It would look fine!

Reason #5: If You’ve Opted For Windows Instead Of Wall Space

This is the challenge we have faced every single time – where we have designed the house with the window and door plan, opting for more windows and negating the perfect wall place to have a TV and fireplace be separate. We have done this in our family room at the mountain house, our bedroom at the farm, and also in Ken/Katie’s future living room. We consciously made this choice of prioritizing windows and natural light OVER the ability to separate the TV and fireplace. Now, I will say that if you are building new or doing a complete remodel my favorite combination (should it be appropriate) is what we did in our current family/tv room – to put a stove-style fireplace NEXT to the TV, thus sharing the same focal wall, not being two big boxes next to each other and yet you can enjoy looking at both the same time. The reason we didn’t do this in Ken/Katie’s future living room is because the height/scale of the room is far too high/big for a small stove fireplace. We also wanted to be able to see the TV from the kitchen while cooking/hanging so it needs to be big and higher than Orlando would likely want it to be. When your sofa is back far enough, a higher TV is FINE.

So If We Want Both A TV And A Fireplace In The Same Room (And View Them At The Same Time) What Should We Do??

I’ve thought about this A LOT and I have some solid solutions. By the way, I know that many of you will make the case AGAINST having a fireplace at all, and it’s one that I want to agree with in theory, but long dark, wet, winters are hard enough to get through. A fireplace that creates ambiance, and heat, and helps your mood which is a wonderful thing. If you don’t want a fireplace, don’t have one. I literally don’t have a car because I don’t like driving (but unfortunately it is becoming extremely apparent that I do in fact need one which I’m bummed about) – we all have our things that we enjoy and enhance our lives while here on earth. There are many of us who appreciate fireplaces immensely for ambiance, heat, and a necessary winter mood boost. Do I think you need one in LA? Nope. But up here, it gets used a ton and enjoyed when it’s cold, wet, and dark. And of course, you are not allowed to put in wood ones in many states, so we opted for a direct-vent gas stove in our family room. I’m also very very excited to see how the electric fireplace technology advances (it’s getting better every year). But today we are not talking about the pros and cons of fireplaces. Instead, we are addressing IF you opt for a fireplace and TV how do you design it to look the best?

1. Put your TV over the fireplace, make it as low as possible, and go dark with the whole fireplace (should that make sense). The reason we did a brick fireplace in our bedroom was to paint it all one dark color and have the firebox and TV disappear more. It’s my personal preference that new gas fireplaces (which for the most part is your only option if you’re building new) look better on dark fireplaces because they are black metal and glass.
2. Design your TV/fireplace wall to have a shared focal point, but do a stove-style fireplace instead. Again, this is what we did here in our current TV room and it’s a GREAT combination IMHO. It is a shared focal wall but they are different shapes. The TV can be lower, making Orlando’s neck more comfortable should he come over to watch Love is Blind with you.
3. Put your TV over your fireplace, but design the fireplace to be less formal, i.e more appropriate for a TV. Even though we could have designed the mountain house family room to have fewer windows (we probably didn’t need any or both) and we could have done the stove-style fireplace + TV combination I spoke of above, I think that the plaster treatment lent itself easily to a casual family room. I think what bugs Orlando (and myself) is a super formal-looking fireplace surround and mantel with a big bulky TV on top. But again, if it’s a Frame TV I don’t think it’s a huge deal.

Ultimately I think my friend Orlando and I agree that there are certainly some less good ways to combine a TV and a fireplace, but just to say unequivocably that TVs over fireplaces are always terrible is what I found hilariously incorrect and deserving of this rebuttal.

I think what we’d both agree on is that in a perfect world, you’d have a separate TV room, where the TV is at eye level, sharing the focal wall with a fireplace that you use – like my friend’s basement that we designed last year. But if that is not your life/house, I’m here to tell you that it’s OK and there are ways to do it where you can continue to enjoy your own home, without feeling like you’ve committed a design crime. 🙂

**We’ll be trying out a new comment policy today, due to the fact that posts like this can be really controversial, with statements that someone might feel offended by, or one might want to attack those of us for even having a fireplace – something that we know to inherently not be great for the environment. So we’ll monitor comments and publish anything contributing to this conversation, and not publish anything that creates negativity, environmental evangelism, or frankly saying anything negative about my friend, Orlando. 🙂 If you don’t like him or me, simply don’t read 🙂

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: Mountain House Reveal: How We Designed Our Super Kid-Friendly Family Room

As I’m wrapping up my living room design (it’s happening people!), my sights are heavily set on my bedroom. And as someone who has only designed one bedroom fully in her adult life, I am pretty pumped but also really want to get it right. Can you see me shrinking by the pressure I’m adding onto my shoulders?? Just kidding…sort of. So to kick things off, I need to solidify my layout. Doing that will help me come up with my desired furniture list and general size needs making everything easy to source..right? Now first I’m going to walk you through my bedroom and my personal layout options (or at least the one’s I like the most). Then after that, we are going to dive into our five “no-fail” layouts to help you figure out a bedroom layout if you are currently struggling. This way we can all help each other:) Sound fun? Cool.

So here is my bedroom before I moved in…

Above to the left is my “headboard wall” and just one of two walls my bed could be on. Then to our right is the other love of my life (my turret being #1) – my French window wall. These French doors lead out to my skinny balcony and bring in the prettiest, softest light.

When my cousin was staying with me she called it a princess room and to be honest I kinda feel like a princess when I’m in there (and that’s without it being designed!). Oh and don’t worry those blinds are long gone. I have temporary white curtains that are perfectly light filtering. I also have my little vintage chair from my last living room reveal in the corner. Remember that chair when I talk about the layout options:)

Now, this is the wall opposite my “headboard wall”. Since it has those two doors (one to my bathroom and the other to my closet) there’s not much you can do furniture-wise but a tall slim dresser in between the doors which I am highly considering.

I figured I’d give you a little furniture context and yes, I have been sleeping like this for 2.5 years. This is also a full-sized bed so I CAN’T wait to upgrade to a queen. Many have tried to tell me I’ll regret not getting a king but first I think it would take up too much space and not leave enough room for my nightstands (especially since on the window side I need to take the door’s ability to open into the room into account). Then on a sentimental note, my parents never had more than a queen because they never wanted to be that far from each other. I know that doesn’t work for every couple for a ton of different reasons but since it’s still just me and I like that idea, I’m sticking with a queen.

Here is the room without any furniture so you can see what the scope is. It’s almost a square with lots of doors and window doors.

To be honest, this is what I’m leaning towards. I haven’t had a dresser in years (at least seven) so I’m not desperate for one but having a slim tall one in between the closet and bathroom doors does sound handy (and could be very pretty:)). So aside from my little chair on the right, it’s simple, not crowded, and in my mind, peaceful. However…

…I do like the idea of a bench or two little ottomans at the end of my bed. The little chair is really just for decor at this point and isn’t something you want to sit on for any length of time. So having something at the end of the bed not only gives me a place to sit on that’s not my bed but also is another opportunity to have a pretty design moment. Beauty is “function” to me for my overall peace of mind. As silly as that sounds I’m not kidding.

The only other option I’d really consider is to get a low and long dresser for the wall opposite the window wall. While I’m sure it wouldn’t look bad, the small tall dresser looks like it’s more visually balanced with the other pieces that I also want. I originally made an option with both dressers but I really don’t need two dressers and it would simply be too much furniture for just me. Maybe if someday I’m sharing this apartment that may need to change but until then it’s one.

So what do y’all think? Do you agree with what I’m feeling? Bench or no bench? Let me know!

Now that we’ve talked about me, let’s talk about you, shall we? Do you have a bedroom layout you are possibly overthinking?? Look, some rooms are HARD, with wild layout quirks so I don’t want to discount that. However, other times all it takes is someone showing you five great options with examples (of course) to help you make a decision so you can actually enjoy your room. The key to all of these is the “sq ft: furniture ratio”. You don’t want your room to feel empty but you also don’t want so much furniture that your mind can’t relax. If you are nervous about this, just start small and slowly add if need be. With that said here’s the first and grandest option (aka for a big bedroom):

This one was modeled after the Griffith Park bedroom. A layout like this one definitely requires more space but can easily be modified if you like the idea but can’t fit all nine pieces. For instance, you could take away one chair or the bench or both. You still get the vibe, the room is still balanced, and you keep all that great dresser storage. We really love the idea of mixing up dresser heights (one tall with one short and long), especially if they live on different walls. It will give your room more visual interest!

See the resemblance and how pretty it is all together??

Now onto the next and on the opposite end – one of the simplest (but equally as pretty):

As you will soon see, this is the layout Emily went for in their small primary bedroom in LA. It’s elegant, symmetrical (which we love when it comes to bedrooms), and perfect for a small space. Five pieces for a beautiful bedroom you can happily enjoy. Let’s see it in action below…

Since there aren’t many pieces of furniture, you can play more with pattern and texture! Just remember to vary the pattern scales.

Emily also added a little accent chair next to their dresser for an added special moment. So if you have a small chair you love see if it works next to your dresser.

Option Two (Without The Bench)

But what if your room doesn’t have room for an end-of-the-bed bench? No worries! Either get it out of there or if you’re like Bowser, you can stick it along a wall!

Next up is great for anyone but extra great for couples. Two dressers so no one is touching the other person’s stuff and it’s symmetrical?? What a dream! The size of the dressers can even vary from each other if that’s something you’d like. Check out how Em did it in their Glendale primary bedroom:

Ok, we’ll start with this shot because it’s perfect. I’ve always loved this room. Oh, and can you tell we reallllly love end-of-bed benches?? Use whenever possible:)

Now we’re talking. Em used two different dressers in size and style but since the materials were similar (white and brass) they totally worked together! Technically she didn’t have a choice but to get two different sizes because of windows and wall space but that just goes to show how you can modify for your unique space:)

Maybe you have a dresser and a bench but something’s still missing! You might just need a reading chair (space permitted). While there are a couple of options when it comes to accent chair placement, don’t be afraid to put it next to your nightstand (especially if you have a long, narrow room).

See how cute it is in this bedroom we designed a while back? Bonus points if it’s next to a window.

Last but not least we have the dresser/chair on the same wall combo. It’s simple and easy. Again you don’t need a bench if you don’t have the space. However, if you do and you have kids coming in and out of your room, or you and your partner like to talk facing each other, then a chair across from your bed is going to be really nice! Or maybe you have a window on that side and you want your chair next to it like Julie did below.

She skipped the bench since there wasn’t enough space but it all looks great! Also if you can get your hands on a real vintage Siesta Lounge Chair it’s one of the most comfortable chairs I’ve sat in.

So that’s it! Remember that you should always adjust for your space’s needs but these are great starting places. Have fun:) Oh and let me know if you have any thoughts on my layout but be nice, k?

Love you, mean it, and here’s a big graphic with all the options I just talked about:)

Opening Image Credit: Design by Malcolm Simmons | Photo by Keyanna Bowen | From: Malcolm’s Bedroom Reveal Is Here… How He Found Healing Through Design + The Incredible DIYs That Transformed The Space

It’s pop-quiz time, how many of you are currently sitting in your living room, looking around at things and wondering why something feels off but you can’t totally put your finger on it? If you have to take a second to think about it then this post is for you. And if you are confident that you’ve got everything all together in your living room then this is a good quiz for you to take to see how your living room measures up to “EHD’s Living Room Rules”. Think of these as the 10 Commandments of arranging furniture in your living room although technically there are 22 rules. However, unlike said commandments sometimes design rules can be broken and things can still look good. We get it, it’s confusing, but we pulled these together to act more as guidelines to follow more so than rules. All of these “rules” below should help you answer the basic questions that we get asked every day like, “how tall should my coffee table be in comparison to my couch” or “how big should my rug be if my living room is blank big” or maybe “where should I hang my TV”?

In case you need more design rules, check out: Bedroom Design Rules | Dining Room Rules

Today we are talking living room layout, planning rules, and all the basics so that you and your living room feel pulled together.

Furniture Placement

RULE: Give 30″ to 36″ of a walkway between large furniture pieces (if your living room allows for it) if not then at least 18″-24″.

This rule specifically pertains to the large pieces of furniture in your space and is here to help you avoid overcrowding your living room with too many large pieces which will have you and your guests trying to squeeze between pieces. There’s a lot of pretty furniture out there but when designing a room you want to make sure have enough space to walk around it. Bruised shins are a bummer as is having your space feel too crammed with stuff and having to shimmy in between a sofa and another large chair. If your room is on the smaller size then opt for pieces that are more small scale which will give you the negative space you (and your shins) need.

RULE: Make sure there is no less than 3.5′ and no more than 10′ of space between seating.

This rule helps you to space out your seating for maximum enjoyment. We’ve all been on that awkward date where said date leans in WAY too close to ask you questions and talk to you during dinner. It’s an invasion of privacy and just too close for comfort. So it goes with your living room layout. This general rule helps make sure you aren’t too cramped or have so much space that you end up shouting at the person across from you.

Sofa

RULE: If possible sofas should never be flush with a wall. Pull it out 3-5″ and give it some breathing room.

While this rule can be tough when you have a small space since you need to make every inch count and it may sound contrary, it does help the room feel less crammed together if you can spare a few inches to get your sofa off of the wall.

Coffee Table

RULE: Your coffee table should be at least half the length of your sofa.

Scale is key in making any space cohesive. Making sure your coffee table is at least half of the size of your sofa will ensure that the two pieces look great and belong together.

RULE: Your coffee table should be no more than 4″ higher or shorter than the top of your sofa seat cushions.

To avoid the awkward visual of having your coffee table too high or low in relation to your sofa’s seat cushion use the 4-inch rule. There is no reason to have your coffee table feel like a high countertop or have it so short that you hurt your back bending down to grab a drink.

RULE: 16″ to 18” is the ideal distance between the sofa and coffee table.

While every room is sized differently you don’t want to have your coffee table so far from the sofa that you can’t reach your drink or put your feet up after a long day (depending on your house rules, of course). Keep them at least 16″ apart so you can walk around it but not have to get up to walk over to it.

Area Rug

RULE: Your area rug should be large enough for at least the front legs of the sofa and all chairs to rest on top of it.

Rugs that are too small for a room are like trying to fit into your jeans from high school. Sure, you may be able to squeeze into those pants but wouldn’t you look and feel better in a bigger size than one that doesn’t allow you to properly breathe? The short answer is YES to pants and YES to your rug. Most living rooms need at least an 8×10 with most needing larger. Don’t try and “stretch” a small rug into the room and then have all the furniture floating around it.

RULE: Allow about 24″ between the wall and the rug in a large living room, and between 10″ to 18″ in a smaller one.

We are talking about the need for negative space and breathing room. Your rug is not wall-to-wall carpet, so don’t make it look like it. If you follow this rule it will immediately make your living feel airy and light while giving a defined seating area to your space. This will also help any furniture (aka console, upright pianos) that are against the wall from being unsteady in a half on half off thick rug scenario.

Lighting

RULE: Make sure the shade of your floor lamp is covering the bulb when you are sitting down.

Nothing is worse than trying to have a relaxing evening on the sofa and having a harsh light in your eyes every time you look over at your lamp. It is said that the ideal floor lamp height is 68″ but that all depends on the seat height of the sofa or chair. When you pair a lamp with your seating make sure that the lamp isn’t so tall that a bare bulb is glaring down at you or so short that when you go over to turn it on the light blinds you from below. Ideally, the light should be at around eye level when seated, which brings us to our next rule. Also, porcelian bulbs are a great way to avoid harsh light!

RULE: For a lamp sitting on a side table the bottom of lamp shade should always be at about eye level.

It’s the same concept as the floor lamp rule. You want to have the light enhance your living room time not make it uncomfortable with harsh light in your eyes. Take the seat height of your cushion, side table height and lamp height to figure out what is going to be the best option for you and your home.

RULE: Place wall sconces between 5′ to 6′ up from the floor.

A sconce hung too low or high not only looks strange and won’t give you the right kind of ambient light you are looking for. Putting them at least 60″ above the floor is a good rule of thumb so you can easily avoid this potential issue, and cast a nice glow into all corners and areas of the room.

RULE: There should be 3 – 6″ between a wall sconce and the edge of a mirror or piece of art it’s next to.

Much like how your furniture needs space to breath and looks its best, so does your sconce. By keeping your hanging art and wall decor at least  3″ to 6″ away from the sconce it will give both pieces the space they need to shine…pun intended.

RULE: For determining ceiling light width: Multiply your ceiling height by 2.5 – 3 to get the recommended measurement in inches. So if you have a 10 ft ceiling you would multiply it by 2.5 giving you 25″. That should be your approximate hanging ceiling light width.

Another way you can calculate the right size light is by using the room size. Just measure the length and width of the room. Then add those two numbers together and convert the total into inches. For example if your room is 12 feet by 16 feet, your ceiling light should roughly be 28 inches wide.

These handy formulas will give you a starting place for the proper size you will need for your living room ceiling light. Ordering the wrong size is the worst and very annoying so hopefully this will take the guesswork out of light shopping and will help you in the process.

RULE: In an open space where people are walking, 7 feet is the minimum distance the bottom of a hanging light fixture should be from the floor. But for ceilings over 8 feet just add 3 inches of hanging height per foot. So if your ceilings are 10 feet tall, the light fixture should be about 8.5 feet from the floor.

As we stated before, bruised shins are a bummer but so are head injuries. This rule (unless you live with a VERY tall person) will keep you and your loved ones safe from hitting your heads on a ceiling light. It will also make your home look more spaciously aware and feel proportional.

Side Table

RULE: Side table shouldn’t be deeper than the depth of sofa they are next to.

This is kinda a no-brainer but just in case, make sure your side table is no deeper than your sofa. It’s an awkward look have a side table that looks too big for a sofa.

RULE: Keep your side table close enough to set down a drink with ease. Which is typically 2-3″ from the height of the arm.

Another no-brainer. A side table is meant to be used by the seat it’s next to. You want to be able to set that glass, book, or whatever else you are holding down with ease.

Bookcase

RULE: 12” is the ideal minimum depth of a bookshelf (or 15” to fit oversize art books).

To easily avoid a “book overhang” crisis make sure any bookshelves purchased or custom made are at least 12′ deep. Your books and “shelfies” will thank you. And if you don’t have a bookshelf that is that deep than try to steer clear of displaying any books or items that will hang out from the shelves.

Accent Chairs

RULE: You want around 42” (size of your room willing) between a set of living room accent chairs to be able to fit a small table (or vintage trunk in this case) in the middle. For a smaller room just place chairs side by side.

Do you sense this theme of giving enough space in between pieces of furniture? 42″ is a great standard to give you the right amount of space between your side chairs.

RULE: When pairing a sofa and accent chairs choose seat heights that are within 4″ of each other.

It helps to have similar seat heights in a living room so that when your family and friends are all sitting in the same space no one is awkwardly at a very different height. Plus it just visually looks better in the room.

Sofa Console Table

RULE: Make sure your console is the same height or a few inches shorter than the back of your sofa. It should also ideally have about 6″ of space on either end.

It just looks strange to have a sofa console table that’s taller or wider than your sofa. Keep it a few inches shorter and style away with your favorite keepsakes.

Television

RULE: An optimal height for the center of the screen is 30 inches above the lowest seat height in the room.

Give your neck a break and use this rule to avoid hanging your tv being hung too high on the wall.

RULE: The distance between TV and sofa should be about 7′.

We all have different preferences when it comes to how close we like to be to our beloved televisions but a good rule of thumb is 7′. Your eyes will be very happy, and you won’t feel like you are either in the front or back row of the movie theater.

Phew… we made it out alive. As mentioned before these are all guidelines and some of these rules can be broken and the room can still work cohesively together, but hopefully these will give you a good foundation for your living room layout. Let us know if you have any questions below or if there are any rules that we left out that you want answered. Now what room should we tackle next? Let us know your burning questions below.

Check out the rest of our design rules: Bedroom Design Rules | Dining Room Rules

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Tramp | From: My Living Room Update