As my fingers move across the keyboard and I send this post out into the wide, wide world, I have only one thought and one hope.
That you understand my heart behind such a post.
It’s not to make anyone feel less.
That’s not to belittle anyone.
That’s not to dismiss anyone’s decorum
I just want to be most helpful.
So I would like to start the journey of this post by saying:
Are you all about your home and how you decorate it? Just know that I am your biggest cheerleader. And know that this may not be the post for you (Don’t worry, we’ve got a fun summer DIY coming up this week).
If you love your home, but you’re worried that it’s a little old and you want to freshen it up a bit, and you don’t know where to start?
This. is This. Post. for. you.
Today I’m sharing 7 things that can make a living room look a little older.
And I have before and after examples with pictures so you can see the difference (And I have solutions too).
I would love it too if we could start a conversation. Maybe there are a few things I missed. Or maybe you think I’m wrong (Which happens occasionally – just ask my mother).
If so, let’s discuss in the comments.
I love a good conversation (Especially with friends).
7 things that make a living room look dated
1. Matching furniture sets
When did we buy our first house? Matching sets were everywhere.
They were inside.
They were popular.
And they were easy.
But now? The look is more of a collected look. You want to create an entire living room that looks like you’ve been collecting pieces for years.
Nothing matches (Which really makes decorating a lot easier).
You can see the difference in my living room. Check out the first picture I shared and then check out this picture with the matching set. See how it loses some energy when everything matches.
This is the perfect way to decorate for someone (like me) who loves yard sales.
Solution: If you have a set? Break it down. Pull chairs from another room. Place the sets across the room from each other to give them a “collected” look.
2. Push the furniture against the wall
I’ve shared this tip before, and my very favorite decorating tip.
Everyone can do this.
It’s hard to tell from this picture, but pushing the furniture up against the wall (as you can see how I’ve mocked it up here) makes the room look a little dated.
When have I shared this tip before? I got a lot of comments that they couldn’t pull the furniture away from the wall because their room was too small.
I understood.
i understand
Here’s a tip I always give my clients. What if you could move your bed forward just a little bit? You can put a small shelf (about 4″) behind the bed on the wall. It will instantly make the room feel much bigger.
Solution: Evaluate the space. Can you angle your chairs? Can you move the bed slightly further into the room? Can you add some height to the walls and pull a chair or end table away from the wall? Try it out. You’d be surprised at the difference it makes.
3. Beige on a beige room without any color
I think the picture kind of says it all.
Beige has been trending.
But all-over beige is on its way out the door.
Just between us? I really like neutrals. I think the challenge of decorating with neutrals is that it can become just one layer of beige on top of another layer of beige.
It’s easy to forget color.
And I think every room needs a little pop of color (and greenery).
Solution: Decide on an accent color that you want to pair with all the neutrals (bonus points if you pick two) and then layer it.
Add a pillow or floral arrangement or vase in your accent color.
You can add as much or as little as you want.
4. Heavy draperies with tassels and fringe
In surprising news?
When I lived in the house when I was young, this room had draperies like this.
My mother had curtains in forest green and maroon in taffeta and satin. She was fancy.
now?
The look of the room is light, bright and airy.
Letting in light is key and heavy draperies with tassels and fringes can overpower a room and block sunlight from entering.
Solution: Draperies like these can be repurposed into simple curtains. Sometimes, just removing the valence can make all the difference.
5. Track lighting
Track lighting was really popular at the end of the last century.
And you can see why. It looks modern, and it’s easy to highlight different parts of the room by twisting and turning in different directions.
But now?
Overhead lighting isn’t really that much of a thing right now.
2026 is about lamps and three points of light in every room.
Solution: Talk to an electrician and see if you can replace the track lighting with an overhead chandelier on a dimmer.
Or you can leave it and add more lamps to your space.
6. Harsh lighting
This is kind of what I’m talking about.
You want a soft glow, not harsh lighting. See how the lighting makes the space look dull and the colors stand out?
I already wrote a post about this that goes into great detail about 9 cozy lighting tips that instantly update a space.
(Gross aside: lighting like this isn’t good for the skin either. Everyone looks beautiful with warm lighting.)
you You can see the post here.
Solution: Update your lightbulbs to warm up the space. Add lamps and dimmers on overhead lights to make the space feel cozy.
7. Mattresses that are too small
Here is the most important rule for mattresses.
Go bigger than you think.
You want most of your furniture to be on the rug. You also want to have enough pillows in the room so that there is only 18″ to 24″ of floor space.
You can see the difference between this picture of the room when the rug is too small and when the rug fits in the previous pictures.
Solution: Measure to see if your rug fits your space. What if a large rug is too expensive? Consider layering smaller rugs with more patterns on top of larger, cheaper neutral rugs.
A quick note: It’s important to remember that what’s old almost always becomes new again.
(I’m looking at you stirup pants and bell bottoms).
So if you like the look and it goes out of style? Just hang on.
He will be back soon. 🙂
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Click here to get my five best secrets.
