The Top 9 Things That Make a Living Room Look Cluttered

Inside: These are the top things that make a living room look cluttered. If you haven’t been feeling relaxed in your space, this could be why.

Most of us spend quite a bit of time in our living rooms. It’s typically the largest space in our home, which makes it an ideal location to gather with family, entertain our friends, or simply relax on our couch after a long and busy day. 

It can also be a hotspot for clutter.

Maybe you’re guilty of bringing things into the living room – a coffee mug, a book from upstairs, the coat we just took off when we walked into the house – and forget about them.

Or maybe you’ve gone a little overboard with the decor. Perhaps it’s something else. There are a lot of reasons why living rooms are clutter magnets. 

Fortunately, this is a fixable problem. By evaluating your space and decluttering, or relocating, the things that make your living room look cluttered, you can create the organized, streamlined living room you’ve dreamed of.

Not sure what’s causing your living room to feel so overwhelming? 

Keep reading to learn about some of the most common things that can make a living room look and feel cluttered.

9 Things That Make a Living Room Look Cluttered

There are a variety of things that can make your home look and feel cluttered.

If your living room is feeling chaotic, see if you have any of these nine culprits contributing to clutter in your home.

Clutter Culprit #1: Too much furniture.

Furniture is often one of the biggest contributors to a cluttered living room. Couches, loveseats, armchairs, coffee tables, end tables, lamps, ottomans… the list goes on. 

When you furnish your space with intention, it’s easy to strike a balance between form and function without overwhelming the room. But most of us don’t have that luxury.

Instead, we’re working with furniture that was originally intended for other spaces – old living rooms that we’ve moved on from. 

If your living room looks cluttered, see if the furniture is to blame. And if it is, consider what you can get rid of without losing too much functionality.

Compare what you actually need against what you have. If you’ve got a small family and rarely host, do you need such a large couch – or could you downsize and get something more appropriate for your space? 

Clutter Culprit #2: Too many plants.

If you love incorporating greenery throughout your space, you aren’t alone. And there are lots of benefits to sharing a space with plants.

They can help purify your air and literally breathe life into a room – not to mention, they look good, too!

But you can reach a tipping point and have too many plants. If every shelf and surface of your room is covered with ferns, you’ve probably got too many plants.

If your plants are obstructing the pathways people need to use to walk around comfortably, you have too many plants.

And if you have so many plants that you can’t properly tend to them all and they’re outgrowing their containers? That would also indicate too many plants. 

Clutter Culprit #3: Overly crowded walls.

Regardless of whether or not you think gallery walls are out of style, hanging artwork or photographs on walls is an easy way to make a space feel like it’s yours – especially in rental situations where you can’t paint.

Wall art can be a powerful tool to evoke emotion, set a mood, or bring back memories. 

But, as with anything, it’s all about balance. And if you have too much stuff hanging on your walls, that balance can be easily tipped into overwhelming territory.

Stick to a few meaningful, intentional pieces instead of covering the majority of your walls with stuff. This will make the things you love stand out rather than being drowned out by excess.

Clutter Culprit #4: Colors that clash.

If you’re trying to create a cohesive, balanced space, color can play a critical role. Colors have a huge influence on our impression of a space and help to set the tone of the room.

If you want your living room to feel vibrant, relaxing, inspiring, soothing – there’s a color palette out there that can help you do it.

If you don’t choose colors with intention and end up with a hodge-podge of clashing hues, your living room is going to feel chaotic. 

Mismatched patterns can also be overstimulating and make the space feel cluttered. Being thoughtful with your colors and fabric choices will help the room to feel more cohesive and put together.

Clutter Culprit #5: Stuff on surfaces.

While living room surfaces aren’t quite the clutter magnets that kitchen countertops and dining tables can be, they can still be problematic.

Coffee tables become dumping grounds for half-read mail, old magazines, mugs and glasses, and all sorts of other things. And since they often take up such a central spot in the room, it stands out – a beacon of clutter. 

Similarly, open shelves with excessive decor pieces can look cluttered instead of appearing stylish.

Be selective with the items that sit on the flat surfaces in the room. And keep in mind that each thing that sits out will collect dust. If that isn’t a motivator for simplicity, I don’t know what is.

Clutter Culprit #6: Too many throw pillows and blankets.

A couple of thoughtfully chosen throw pillows and a well-matched blanket can make your living room feel cozy and comfortable.

However, too many can make the room look disheveled. It’s best to keep those throw pillows and blankets at a minimum. 

If people are finding it challenging to actually sit on the couch due to the number of blankets and pillows on it, then you have too many.

Your couch should look welcoming and not require moving multiple items just to sit down.

Clutter Culprit #7: Toys on the floor.

Parents know just how hard it can be to keep their kid’s toys under control… but if you’re looking to keep a clutter-free living room, you’ll want to keep those LEGO bricks and Barbie dolls in your kid’s bedroom or playroom.

And if you can’t keep them out, use dedicated storage that will allow you to easily hide them away. It’s ideal if your system makes it simple for your kids to put away the toys themselves.

The same applies to pet toys. Your dog’s chew toys aren’t adding anything to the aesthetic of your room. Teach them how to put them away on command – or get into the habit of picking them up yourself. 

If you are finding toys in every room of your home, consider if you have too many toys, in which case you can work with your kids to declutter them.

Clutter Culprit #8: Visible cords and cables.

There’s nothing calming or relaxing about a cluster of cables and cords snaking their way from your television to the plug into the nearest outlet creating visual clutter in the space.

If this is your reality, there are a few options to consider. One is closed storage which allows you to keep the cords hidden behind it. Another option is rearranging your space to minimize the distance between electronics and power outlets.

Not only are cords unsightly but they can also be a tripping hazard if they’re stretching across an area where people walk. In that case, consider hiring an electrician to add a couple of select additional outlets to the room.

Clutter Culprit #9: Shoes and bags.

Shoes, purses, and backpacks should have a dedicated storage spot in your home – ideally, a closet near the front door to keep things tucked away.

And if you don’t? There are all kinds of storage solutions you can explore to stow them away and keep them organized. 

They definitely don’t belong in the living room, scattered across the floor, or thrown onto sofas. 

Neatly store them in a closet so that they don’t contribute to making your closet look cluttered either.

Ultimately the goal is to keep the clutter out of your living room so that you can relax and enjoy the space.

Do you think these things make a living room look cluttered? What would you add to the list? Leave a comment and let me know!

Sign up on the form below to get weekly decluttering tips sent straight to your inbox. You’ll also get the free Your Home Decluttered Jumpstart which includes 100 easy items to declutter and 12 high-impact areas to declutter in 10 minutes.