Dear Lisa: My Living Room Feels Flat

Your Design Dilemmas Answered

DEAR LISA

Lisa Kanova

8/1/20261 min read

My Living Room Looks Fine But It Never Feels Like Home

Dear Lisa,

I have done everything right. Neutral walls, matching furniture, a nice rug. But every time I walk in I feel nothing. It looks like a hotel lobby. What am I missing?

Signed,

Fine But Flat in Phoenix

________________________________________________________________

Dear Fine But Flat,

You are not missing taste. You are missing tension.

A room that matches perfectly has nowhere for the eye to land and nothing for the soul to hold onto. Hotel lobbies look exactly like yours because they are designed to offend no one. Your home should offend someone. It should have a point of view.

Here is what I want you to do. Find one thing that makes you a little nervous. A pillow in a color you love but have never used. A piece of art that is bigger than feels safe. A lamp that is a little unexpected. One thing that is unmistakably you.

Put it in the room. Live with it for a week.

That nervousness you feel is the spark trying to get in. Let it. It doesn't have to be scary or permanent. Play with it until it feels right. You will know!

Lisa Kanova: Designed for Impact