Have you ever walked into a room and felt like something was missing, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it? The answer often lies in layered decorating—the art of adding elements that create texture, interest, and depth. These layers include mirrors, cushions, lamps, artwork, and throws.
“Layering isn’t just about filling space; it’s about creating an atmosphere that reflects your personal style,” says Michelle MacLellan, the interior designer at La-Z-Boy Hunt Club. In fact, layered decorating can mean the difference between a two-dimensional living area versus a more dynamic space that catches your eye.
This article will cover everything you need to know about decorating your living room with the right layering, using simple design tips like the rule of thirds, mixing and matching materials and using the right colours and lighting.
Key Takeaways:
- Layered decorating adds depth, texture, and personality to a room.
- Common layers include furniture, textiles, accessories, and lighting.
- Start by understanding your room’s architecture and style.
- Use anchor furniture pieces to establish balance.
- Add accessories strategically to enhance depth and create a story.
- Ottawa homes can benefit from local decor trends for a modern touch.
In This Article...
- What Does it Mean to Decorate in Layers?
- Respect the Foundation of Your Home
- Pick Your Anchor Pieces
- Get Inspired with a Colour Palette
- Thinking About Materials
- Layering Your Lighting
- Arranging Your Decor
What Does it Mean to Decorate Your Room in Layers?
The art of layering combines different design styles to craft an aesthetically pleasing environment that feels inviting and intentional. It creates depth and visual appeal by blending elements like decor, lighting, and furniture.
In any space of your home, whether it be a living room, dining room or other, every piece serves a purpose, which contributes to a balanced atmosphere without adding too much clutter. This not only helps to create a more unique space, but an interesting one for your guests.
“It is important to layer a space because it gives personality to a room, instead of it suffering from being flat and lifeless,” Michelle says.
1. Respect the Foundation of Your Home
Every room begins as a blank canvas. To craft a cohesive layered design, start by taking note of the architectural elements of your home. This could include crown mouldings, ceiling beams, or natural lighting features.
Some readers may not have much of anything on their walls or ceilings. But, this does not mean you can’t create interesting looks within your rooms.
Different architectural features like crown moulding and coffered ceilings can help create a dynamic space, but plain walls, ceilings and flooring are also great for creating the style you want to see in a room.
So, taking note of your surroundings first is a great idea for getting to know what you can do and how you want to incorporate other aspects like colours, furniture, decor and lighting.
2. Pick Your Anchor Pieces
Once you have an idea of your space, it’s time to figure out the main cast of characters that your room will include. This means choosing what anchor pieces you want to add to the space.
Anchor pieces often include large items like sofas, recliners, accent chairs and occasional tables. These anchor pieces help cement the space and keep everything in check for laying the groundwork for the layering process.
Michelle also says that people should include area rugs in this step as well. While area rugs are mostly a decor piece–which we will talk about in a second–these large items help create separation in an open-concept area.
Area rugs are also great in keeping certain colours in your room all season, which is something else Michelle loves to incorporate into her living rooms “Area rugs are definitely a good starting point for me and they help with many other things like figuring out the style of the room and cementing the colour palette too,” she says.
When it comes to living rooms, figuring out how to arrange your furniture is important. To learn more about Arranging Your Furniture, take a look at this article.
3. Get Inspired with a Colour Palette
When looking at the foundation of your home, it’s hard not to notice the colours in your room. Maybe you have neutral colours like beige or light grey. Or, maybe you have something else like a woodland green or chartreuse.
Whatever the case may be, you might feel inclined to use this in your layering, or you can completely change it with a different coat of paint altogether.
Michelle and other interior designers use a simple design rule called the 60-30-20 rule. This rule means that you should use 60% of your palette for a dominant colour, 30% for a secondary colour, and 20% for an accent shade.
These colours, while important to cover your room, should not be overused when decorating your space. When selecting decor pieces, they should follow your colour scheme accordingly, but it is also important to keep neutral colours so that your eyes can find places to visually rest.
Michelle also says that neutral colours can also be great if you’re looking to change your colour palette as the seasons change. “Some people like to do that to keep things new and fresh which I encourage in my decor,” she says.
To get the latest Colour Trends for 2025, take a look at this article to help you get inspired.
When figuring out which furniture to choose, it is important to take into consideration what materials will be showcased within the space.
Material selection is a key element when layering a room. Mixing textures—like pairing soft fabrics with hard surfaces—adds depth and visual interest. Think about how wood, metal, stone, glass, and textiles can work together.
Materials also play into the style of a room. For example, you wouldn’t add too much metal into a room that is mainly traditional. Metal normally favours industrial themes.
Michelle adds that mixing and matching similar materials may not be the best practice. This means if you’re trying to find another different coloured wood end table when you already have a wooden coffee table, chances are it might not go well together.
To learn more about Mixing and Matching Wood Furniture, take a look at this article.
5. Layering Your Lighting
The way you decide to light your room is another essential part to play when layering your room.
Layered lighting brings warmth and dimension to any room. Instead of relying on a single overhead light, think about how multiple light sources can work together to create ambiance.
“A room needs layers of light to feel welcoming,” shares Michelle. “Mixing different types of lighting—like overhead, task, and accent—can help you highlight key features and create a cozy atmosphere.”
If you have only one of these three aforementioned types of lighting, there might not be as much visual appeal as you think there is in your room. Think about the corners of your room that may not have any lighting and play into that.
What’s more, if you want more natural light in your space, mirrors can help with reflecting light in many ways. Adding a mirror on the opposite wall of your room where there is a large window can help bounce the light around and make the space feel more open and inviting.
To learn more about Adding Light to Your Living Room, take a look at this article.
6. Arranging Your Decor
Arranging decor like blankets, pillows and wall art can be a great way to add more colour and personality to your space. It also helps with balancing form and function.
Accessories like vases, trays, and sculptures should complement the space without overcrowding it. However, you can always create spaces with maximalist decor, which can create an organized mess of sorts.
Michelle recommends using things like gallery walls to help fill up your living room with interesting pieces. She also says if you have a fire mantle, lean your frames off the wall instead of hanging them to create more depth.
There are many ways to decorate your home. To learn more about some Popular Ideas for Decorating Your Living Room, take a look at this article.
What's Next?
Now that you know how to decorate your room in layers, it is up to you to decide how you will decorate your space.
As Michelle mentions in this article, seasonal decor is a great way to freshen up your living room. To learn more about how to Decorate Your Living Room For Each Season, take a look at this article.
While learning about our home decor selections, you can visit one of our La-Z Boy Ottawa, Gatineau & Kingston stores to see our home decor items in person. You can also schedule a visit online before coming in.
Our design consultants are always eager to lend a helping hand. Take advantage of our complimentary interior design services to see how our furniture and decor could fit in your home.
To learn more about our La-Z-Boy decor selection, take a look at this comprehensive Decor Buyer’s Guide.
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Ideas for Decorating Your Living Room
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