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6 Tips for Decorating a Rectangular Living Room

4 minutes
Decorating a rectangular living room can be a very interesting challenge. Contrary to what many people think, this space lends itself to many different designs. The key is to take advantage of the light and give your room a touch of depth.
6 Tips for Decorating a Rectangular Living Room
Last update: 26 May, 2021

The rectangular living room has its complexities, but also its advantages. By following these simple tips for decorating a rectangular living room, you’ll be able to get a lot out of it. In the end, you’ll have a rectangular room that’ll even outshine a square one.

Among the things that you should consider about this space is that it’s long and thus, it’s necessary to optimize the space so that there are clear passageways and the decoration allows circulation. The first thing you should do is identify the characteristics of your living room: if there are columns that divide the areas or if the space is open and joins the kitchen or study, and if it has a good view. All of this influences the decoration.

Six tips for decorating a rectangular living room

The success when decorating your rectangular living room lies in learning to separate the areas and finding a way to trick the eye. It can appear much larger as well as being harmonious. To achieve this, take note of these six tips.

1. Clear the center of the room

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Taking into account that the living room must allow free movement, it’s a good option to bring the furniture and the sofa towards the walls. In this way, the center will be free of obstacles. This tip is especially useful when decorating a rectangular room that’s also narrow.

In addition, by following the line of the walls with the furniture, a harmony between the furniture and an optical illusion is generated that frees the space.

2. Take advantage of the corners when decorating a rectangular living room

When moving the furniture towards the walls, there are some corners that are usually wasted. To give them the prominence they deserve, try placing corner furniture or side tables in the room. The idea is that, in addition to contributing to the decoration, they’re also functional.

Among the options to take advantage of your corners are also custom furniture such as shelving, which helps to organize other decorative objects very well or can serve as a library.

3. Keep the geometry

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The common thing with a rectangular room is to decorate it with pieces of the same shape. But you can generate different nuances by implementing some square and circular objects too.

An example of this is the pictures that you can place on the wall behind the main sofa. It’d be ideal to place a gallery of pictures of different sizes, varying between square and rectangular frames. Place them high up for a dramatic effect. Of course, keep in mind that in this type of space the best is decoration is minimalist, to give the feeling of spaciousness.

4. Give priority to light when decorating a rectangular living room

If your rectangular living room has windows that let in good, natural light, take advantage of it! If the view is beautiful, even more so, you should make this one more decorative element.

Remember that natural light transforms your spaces, highlights your decorative objects, and makes the room look bigger. Therefore, you shouldn’t block the entry of light. Avoid using heavy curtains, try leaving the windows without curtains and place the main sofa on the wall that has no windows. And move the furniture away from the windows to avoid obscuring the view.

5. Combine the sofa with thin-legged furniture

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As the idea is that the rectangular living room doesn’t feel overloaded, it’s wise to combine the main L-shaped sofa with armchairs that have thinner legs.

The same applies to coffee tables and auxiliary tables. It’ll be ideal that their legs and structures are thin. In this case, you can opt for acrylic or glass tables that also allow light to pass through every corner.

6. Focus attention on the wall behind the sofa

Painting the rectangular living room white helps to give it spaciousness, so dare to give a different touch to the longest wall behind the sofa. In this way, you’ll be able to give the room more depth.

Among the material options to decorate this space is wallpaper, a good collection of photographs, paintings, or the use of a different tonality on one wall.

Take advantage of these tips for decorating a rectangular living room!

A rectangular living room is a pleasant challenge. There are many options, although you might not believe it at first, that allow it to be spacious and take advantage of space. Decorate according to your tastes and in addition to these tips, try virtually dividing your spaces with rugs and furniture. This will also help your living room look bigger.

So, let’s get to work! Start decorating your rectangular living room as you’ve always dreamed of doing.