Felicia Feaster is a contributing writer at HGTV.com with a deep passion for travel, design and gardening. She is a longtime lifestyle journalist with a specialty in film, art, design and garden writing. She is the author of The Goth Garden: The Mystery, Beauty, and Lore of Dark Gardening (Simon & Schuster, Nov. 2025).
You don't have to break the bank to achieve a luxurious, inviting living room. These simple tips will help make your space look like a million bucks.
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The handmade wall hanging, above this sitting area’s handsome tiled fireplace, adds idiosyncratic texture and visual interest that two-dimensional art would be hard-pressed to duplicate. Reach for a single macramé piece like this one, or a grouping of smaller, complementary hangings, to create a casually striking focal point.
Sure, a single surface is useful if you’re committed to jigsaw puzzles, but a grouping of matched yet varied pieces create sophisticated visual texture. Multiple coffee tables work well with a large sectional, since you can pull them apart to serve different sections of the sofa.
This living room has plenty of practical perches, thanks to its ample sectional and hanging pod chair. The addition of this playful conversation piece adds a wow factor at a reasonable price. Not only is it a fun addition, it also puts a one-of-a-kind emphasis on the space’s contemporary vibe.
Bring on the pillows! Adding or swapping out pillows from season to season can really bring in texture and warmth to your living space. Pile them on sofas and chairs for a quick way to create a sense of richness.
The coffee table is at the heart of your living room and proper styling can yield a big design impact. Try adding sculptural pieces or books that are important to you and show off your personality. Personal touches can be great conversation starters and speak to your distinct interests.
Matting and framing artwork gets expensive quickly. Spotlighting the pieces you’re already displaying with pro-level, individual light sources, on the other hand, is a truly cheap thrill: picture lights start at less than $40 at hardware stores.
To create an elegant arrangement with clippings from the garden (or a small purchase from a local florist or greenmarket), think about architecture rather than abundance. These three stalks, in an understated glass vase, do the decorative work of a few dozen less dramatic blooms.
Divide a long living room into distinct sitting areas by arranging sofas back to back (with a narrow console table between them, as in this cleverly optimized space). A plan like this one has a leg up on double sided sofas: if you’re itching to rearrange your room, you can simply separate the pair and start fresh.
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Photo: Red Arrow Industries
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Choose a Conversation Starter
This gorgeous geode table is the perfect place to perch a drink, in addition to being a stunning conversation piece. Organic materials including stones, crystals and corals add unique style to your living room.
Want a very inexpensive way to add luxury to your home? Try adding small metallic vignettes. Seen here in details like the wall sconces, vase and coffee table decor, these additions bring an instant dose of elegance into the space.
If you’re already eyeing an arrangement that can be purchased piece by piece and your budget and square footage can accommodate one more item, it’s worth your while to commit to more seating than you might imagine you’ll need. Will someone sit on each and every cushion every night? Probably not. Is having the ability to truly stretch out when the situation calls for it an undeniable luxury? Absolutely.
A blanket is a welcoming and warm addition to any living space. Nothing says come and curl up quite like a fluffy throw draped over your sofa or armchair.
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Photo: Photography: Durston Saylor; Design: John Beckmann, Hannah LaSota
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From:
Axis Mundi
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Reflect a Showstopping View
This Manhattan apartment boasts a view so nice they framed it twice. The Empire State Building is visible both beyond a cozy window seat and reflected in a mirror on the opposite wall. Mirrors are a fine idea in any living room; they’re essential for doubling (and flaunting) scenery.
In a space full of clever choices (the modern art set against the traditional area rug, the Eames lounger and the lucite coffee table, for starters), a simple tweak still manages to stand out. The leggy pair of adjustable lamps, mounted on either side of the sofa, bring a sculptural quality to the room. Mounted on the wall, the light fixtures are adjustable and cater to your needs, whether it be a reading light or warm ambience for gatherings.
A sunny spray of yellow ranunculus adds a dash of color to this monochromatic space and turns this occasional table into a special occasion table. Floral arrangements on kitchen and dining tables are lovely, of course; floral arrangements in spaces that would otherwise go bare bring an unexpected treat to a room.
The items at this station have been carefully curated: liqueurs, limes, a crystal decanter and glasses. This bar cart is ready for cocktails, but a handful of intriguing, artistic objects make the cart feel genteel rather than purely functional.
Take your living room's trim to the next level by highlighting it in a contrasting color and adding a swath of intricately patterned wallpaper. A floral wallpaper print, like this one, could be overwhelming from floor to ceiling on four walls, but in this context, it functions as oversized art.
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Photo: Red Arrow Industries
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Set the Mood With Candles
Nothing adds mood and warmth as easily and inexpensively as flameless candles. Displayed on a stylish gold and glass tray to enhance the candlelit aura, this small touch can transform the ambience of a room.
Celebrate the diversity of your favorite artwork by forgoing matching frames and embracing variety. This collection feels sophisticated rather than fussy, thanks to its generous assortment of styles, sizes and materials. Personal touches, like these, bring a warm and inviting look into your space.
Nothing says luxury like an opulent overhead light fixture. This living room's leaf trimmed-fixture has a sculptural quality that makes for a great first impression against the blue lacquered walls.
At the far end of the spectrum, deep black paint can add an intense dimension to your living room. If you’re not quite ready for a power move like the one in this West Hollywood home, consider choosing a tone that’s a few shades lighter or darker than the color of your walls. Another option is choosing a high-gloss paint that will reflect light from windows and lamps.
A durable, versatile ottoman is a living room essential. Tucked into a corner with a complement of pillows, this coffee table becomes a cozy conversation spot. The leather ottoman adds warmth to the space and provides a durable spot to rest your feet.
Dramatic mealtime lighting is well and good, but this handsome mismatched pair deserves more time to shine. When dinner winds down, pluck the tapers from your table and relocate them to the living room.
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Photo: Chinasa Cooper
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Pair Chairs
Two identical seats add symmetry to a room and are a host’s best friend. When you find yourself entertaining a crowd, pushing side chairs together invites conversation and opens up your living room space to accommodate even more people.
Don't just refresh your pillows as winter gives way to spring, spring becomes summer, and so on. Try adding warmth and texture for the holidays with heavier curtains, and step back to welcome warmer seasons with gauzy, translucent options.
You are not required to stage your finer dishes in a cabinet. Instead, look for other places to make a pretty presentation of your delicate dishware. This console table displays everything from artwork and greenery to glassware, mixology supplies and several bottles of wine.
Schumacher’s “Chiang Mai Dragon” print on the curtains draws the eye to this intense floral fabric that boasts teals, red, plum and chartreuse. The shades’ and curtains’ effect is so pronounced that it serves as this living room’s wall art.
Velvet brings a sense of warmth and opulence to any piece of furniture it covers. In this living room, a blue velvet sofa is the focal point with its inviting touch.
Draw inspiration from old school Art Deco interiors (which happen be coming back into vogue) and set coffee tables with strong shapes against an area rug with equally emphatic lines. As designers discovered in the Roaring Twenties, bold lines are a subtle way to add interest in a space with neutral tones.
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Photo: Red Arrow Industries
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Give Keepsakes New Company
Candles, plants and groupings of favorite personal objects add character and style to a mantel. Mix in new store-bought elements with existing objects to create a brand-new tableau without breaking the bank.