What Makes Your Furniture Look Cheap? 6 Things Designers Urge You to Avoid If You Want Your Room to Look Expensive
Sometimes it's not the furniture itself, but the context. Here's what to avoid if you don't want your furniture to look cheap
While choosing the perfect sofa, table, chair, or piece of storage often involves plenty of thought, it’s just as important to think about how that item fits into the bigger picture. After all, the wrong choice, even if it looks good on its own, can quietly cheapen the overall feel of your home.
It’s an easy mistake to make, especially if you’ve chosen a piece because of its super low price, or because you wanted to introduce that one 'cool' statement object into an otherwise muted space.
So, what are the things making your home look cheap when it comes to furniture? We asked experts to break it down. From common mistakes to smarter alternatives, below, they share practical ways to elevate your space without going to unnecessary extremes.
1. Matching Furniture Sets
Let’s be honest: that matchy-matchy setup might seem like a good idea, but in reality, it often falls flat, leaving the living room sofa or any other furniture feeling bland and uninspired. Worse still, it can give the impression that little thought went into the design, as though everything was picked up in one go from the first showroom you walked into.
Instead, experts say to invest in characterful furniture with its own identity that still works harmoniously within the room as a whole. "The most elevated interiors are layered over time, combining a few hero pieces with quieter, supporting elements so the room feels balanced rather than over-styled," says Katerina Tchevytchalova, director at K'Arte Design.
Introducing one or two distinctive items, perhaps a sculptural coffee table, a vintage armchair upholstered in an unexpected fabric, or a statement light, instantly adds personality and creates a focal point. "From there, it’s about varying scale and proportion," she adds. "Mixing chunkier, more substantial pieces with lighter, more delicate ones helps a room feel collected rather than bought in one go."
Equally important, the designer notes, is knowing when to stop. "Editing ruthlessly and allowing each piece to breathe creates a sense of intention and ease, which is often what makes a living room feel truly curated, rather than cookie-cutter."
Founded by Katerina Tchevytchalova, K’Arte Design is a West London–based luxury interior design studio delivering refined, globally informed projects worldwide.
2. Shiny Synthetic Fabrics
For a truly smart, modern living room, your fabric choice is just as important as the design of the furniture itself. After all, this is where you physically experience the piece — where you lounge, touch, and decide whether your downtime feels pleasant or painful. Overly shiny or slick fabrics can quickly mar that experience, making a space feel less inviting and, ultimately, less refined.
"I love wool; it looks beautiful in so many different forms and performs better than any other natural fabric," says Lucy Harris, founder of Lucy Harris Studio. "I tend to stay away from cotton, which can be difficult to remove stains from, and synthetics, which are essentially petroleum-based and will never degrade in a landfill. I’m also drawn to mohair; it’s gorgeous, soft, and timeless, as well as bouclé, which adds texture. Both resist dirt and are easier to maintain than linen or cotton."
Shaped by a lifelong immersion in art and modernism, Lucy Harris creates eclectic, globally sourced interiors rooted in heritage, craftsmanship, and thoughtful design.
3. Overcrowded Seating
One of the most effective ways to declutter a living room, dining room, or bedroom is to remove unnecessary furniture. Large pieces create the most visual noise, and too many of them can quickly make an interior feel cramped and 'cheap'.
"Make sure each furniture grouping is well balanced and not overcrowded," advises Lucy Harris. "It’s also important to leave ample space between furniture groupings and the walls. That breathing room naturally helps a space feel calmer and more considered. I like to create a few areas of seating or purpose that feel beautiful and grounding, then allow space between those areas and other furniture or walls."
In small living rooms, opting for a single, well-chosen piece, such as a sectional sofa, can provide generous seating without overwhelming the space. "If there’s enough circulation room," she adds, "I’ll introduce poufs or stools on one side of a coffee table for extra seating, rather than filling the room with more permanent furniture."
4. Boxy, Standard Shapes and Designs
When it comes to the best sofa designs that truly elevate a home, the era of rigid, straight-lined silhouettes, sharp angles, and undersized low-back couches is officially behind us. Today’s sofa trends favor softer expressions, like curves, serpentine shapes, modular configurations, and generously deep seating that invite lingering and lounging.
"Furniture is a powerful storyteller, and often the focal point of a room," says Ed Bakos, partner and CEO at Champalimaud Design. "These pieces are where our social and personal lives unfold. We gravitate to the sofa to join a conversation, to the lounge chair to read and relax. Their shape and functionality help set the tone of a room, visually expressing a place, a moment, or an idea."
In the home pictured above, Rawan Muqaddas, co-founder of Muqaddas Akkari Studio (MA Studio), selected softly curved sofas to echo the home’s calm, understated mood. "A warm color palette was used to unify the spaces," she explains, "from gentle oak floors and cream-hued walls that complement the furniture, to moments of contrast created through dark stone and stained-wood inset bookshelves.”
Rawan Muqaddas works internationally, creating minimal, emotionally resonant spaces shaped by cultural narratives, material experimentation, and rigorous attention to detail.
5. Flat or Jarring Color Schemes
Color is one of the most immediately noticeable elements in a home; it can elevate a space or undermine it entirely. Overly jarring hues or poorly coordinated color schemes often result in interiors that feel unconsidered or cheap. Instead, designers say to look to sofa color trends that keep a room looking fresh, cohesive, and expertly styled.
Shades such as blue, coral, and even taupe can bring warmth while building a pleasing, colorful living room, but a statement color isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, restraint is the most sophisticated choice.
"We create many bespoke sofas for our projects, each one designed very specifically for its space," says Ed Bakos. "We often lean toward soft tones of gray, beige, and cream, allowing texture and silhouette to do the talking while still complementing the room’s overall color story."
6. Bad Lighting That Highlights Furniture Flaws
Finally, you might invest in the most beautiful, bespoke sofa, console or chair, but the room can still fall flat without the right lighting. Living room lighting should be soft and warm: think gentle yellow tones rather than harsh, clinical white light. The right illumination adds warmth to the interior while showing your furniture in its best light.
Layered mood lighting also has a practical advantage: it subtly disguises minor imperfections, from small cracks and stains to everyday wear and dents. More importantly, it creates an inviting atmosphere; one that naturally draws you in, encourages you to sit back, and truly relax.
Want to know how to make your existing furniture feel more expensive? Here are ways to update your living room without redecorating.
