As my fingers hover over the keyboard and I send this post out into the big, wide world, I have just one thought and one hope.

That you understand my heart behind a post like this.

It’s not to make anyone feel less than.

It’s not to make anyone feel small.

It’s not to dismiss anyone’s decorating

I only want to be the most helpful of the most helpful.

So I want to start out this post’s journey by saying this:

If you are all about your home and how you have it decorated? Just know that I am your BIGGEST CHEERLEADER. And know that this might not be the post for you (don’t worry, we have a fun summer DIY coming this week).

If you love your home, but you are worried it’s a little dated and you want to freshen it up just a little bit, and you don’t know where to start?

This. Is. The. Post. For. You.

Today I’m sharing 7 things that might make a living room look a little dated.

And I have before-and-after examples with pictures so you can see the difference (and I have solutions, too).

I would also LOVE it if we started a conversation. Maybe there are a few things I missed. Or maybe you think I am wrong (which does happen occasionally—just ask my mother).

If so, let’s discuss in the comments.

I love a good conversation (especially with friends).

7 Things That Might Make A Living Room Look Dated

1. Matching furniture sets

When we bought our first house? Matching sets were everywhere.

They were in.

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 makes it look like you have been collecting pieces for years.

Nothing has to match (which actually makes decorating so much easier).

You can see the difference in my living room. Look at the first picture I shared and then look at this picture with the matching set. See how it loses a little bit of energy when everything matches.

This is the perfect way of decorating for someone (like me) who loves yard sales.

SOLUTION:  If you have a set? Break it up. Pull in chairs from another room. Put the set across the room from each other to give it more of a “collected” look.

2. Furniture pushed against the wall

I’ve shared this tip before, and my very, very favorite decorating tip.

Everyone can do this.

It’s hard to tell from this picture, but pushing the furntirue against the wall (like you can see how I mocked it up here) makes the room feel a little dated.

When I shared this tip before? I got tons of comments saying that they couldn’t pull the furniture away from the wall because their room was too small.

I get it.

I understand.

Here’s a tip that I give my clients all the time. If you can pull your couch forward even a little bit? You could put a small shelf (about 4″) behind the couch on the wall. It will instantly make the room feel so much bigger.

SOLUTION: Evaluate the space. Can you angle your chairs? Can you pull the couch forward slightly into the room? Can you add some height on the walls and pull the chair or end table away from the wall? Try it. You might be surprised at the difference it makes.

3. Beige on beige on beige rooms 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 actually really like a neutral. I think the challenge of decorating with neutrals is that it can end up being just a layer of beige on top of another layer of beige on top of another layer of beige.

It’s easy to forget the color.

And I think every room needs a little pop of color (and of greenery).

SOLUTION: Decide on one accent color that you want to pair with all the neutrals (bonus points if you pick two) and then layer it in.

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 amazing news?

This room used to have draperies just like this when I lived in the house when I was younger.

My mother had curtains like this in forest green and maroon in taffeta and satin. She was fancy.

Now?

The look in the room is light, bright, and airy.

Letting in light is the key nd heavy draperies with tassels and fringe can overpower a room and prevent the sunlight from getting in.

SOLUTION: Draperies like this can be remade into simpler curtains. Sometimes, even just removing the valences can make such a 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 light up different parts of the room by twisting and turning them in different directions.

But now?

Overhead lighting isn’t really that much of a thing right now.

2026 is all 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 could just leave them off 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 look different?

I already wrote a post about this that goes into great detail about 9 cozy lighting tips that instantly update a space.

(total aside: lighting like this isn’t good for skin, either. Everyone looks cuter with cozy lighting.)

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 cozier.

7. Rugs that are too small

Here’s the most important rule for rugs.

Go bigger than you think.

You want most of your furniture to be on the rug. You also want to have enough rug in a room so that there’s 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. If a larger rug is too expensive? Consider layering a smaller rug with more pattern on top of a large, inexpensive neutral rug.

One quick note: It’s important to remember that what is old almost always becomes new again.

(I’m looking at you stiruup pants and bell bottoms).

So if you love a look and it goes out of style? Just hang on.

It will come a’ knocking again soon.

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