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Styling Tips4 min read

How to Style IKEA Furniture So It Looks Collected, Not Flat-Pack

Budget furniture looks like budget furniture when it arrives as a set. Mix it with wood, old things, layered rugs and real textiles, and nobody asks where the sofa came from.

Words by Decorwick

Warm neutral living room with an oatmeal sofa and cream, olive, striped and rust cushions, a round light wood coffee table with books, a speckled vase and a candle, a black leather armchair with a cream knit throw, a walnut bookshelf with plants, framed prints, a woven pouf and a patterned rug layered over jute

Most of the furniture in the room at the top of this post is the kind of thing you can buy at IKEA: a light three-seat sofa, a small round birch coffee table and a wood-framed leather armchair. It doesn't look like a showroom, and that has nothing to do with hacks, paint or new legs.

It's styling. Budget furniture only looks like budget furniture when it arrives as a set and stays that way. Here's how to break that up, without any tools.

A quick note on the pictures: these are styled images to show the look, with pieces similar to IKEA's round BORGEBY coffee table, EKENÄSET armchair and LILLESÄTER sofa, not product photos. Check the real pieces on IKEA's site before you buy.

Rule one: never buy the whole room from one place

The fastest giveaway is a room where everything matches: the same wood, the same finish, the same shop.

  • Mix in one or two older pieces. A second-hand wooden side table, a vintage rug or an old chair makes everything around it look chosen.
  • Use at least two wood tones. The room at the top has light birch on the coffee table, mid-brown walnut on the bookshelf and dark wood on the side table.
  • Add one piece in a different material, like the black leather armchair, so it isn't all fabric and pale wood.

Style the coffee table in threes

Close-up of a round light wood coffee table with a stack of books, a stone bowl, a speckled vase of dried flowers and greenery, a small black dish and a ribbed candle, with a cream sofa and rust and olive cushions behind
Books, a bowl, a vase and a candle.

A bare coffee table looks new. An overcrowded one looks messy. Aim for a small group:

  1. A stack of two or three books to give height and a base.
  2. Something organic, like a vase of dried stems or a bowl of greenery.
  3. Something small and useful, like a candle or a little dish for keys.

On a small round table, keep the group off-center so there's still room for a mug. The same idea works on a tray, see how to style a coffee table tray.

Soften the armchair

Black leather armchair with a wooden frame, a rust linen cushion and a chunky cream knit throw over the arm, beside a dark wood side table with a mug, next to an olive tree and a floor lamp
One cushion and one throw.

A leather armchair on its own can look stiff and new. Two things fix it:

  • One linen cushion in a warm color like rust.
  • A chunky knit throw draped over one arm, not folded neatly.

Put a small side table and a lamp next to it and it becomes a reading chair instead of an extra seat.

Mix the cushions

Matching cushions are the other big giveaway. On the sofa in the room at the top:

  • Five cushions, no two the same.
  • Two solids: olive green and rust.
  • Two textures: a nubby cream boucle and a knit.
  • One pattern: a simple woven stripe.

Stick to three or four colors, and vary the texture instead of adding more colors. A throw over one end finishes it.

Layer the rugs

Low view of a patterned rug in rust, cream and navy layered on top of a large woven jute rug, with the legs of a round wood coffee table and a cream sofa with cushions and a knit throw
A patterned rug on top of a big jute one.

Rugs are where a room starts looking layered rather than bought.

  • Start with a large, plain jute rug. Jute is inexpensive, so you can go big enough for the front legs of the sofa and chair to sit on it.
  • Put a smaller patterned rug on top. A vintage-style design in rust, cream and navy ties in the cushions.
  • Add a woven pouf to one side for extra texture and a spare seat.

Add books, pottery and plants

Walnut open bookshelf styled with books upright and stacked flat, pottery, a small framed print, a brass candlestick, a trailing pothos, a basket on the bottom shelf and an olive tree beside it
Books, old pottery, a trailing plant and empty space.

Nothing makes a room look lived in like books and plants.

  • Books upright and stacked flat, with small objects on top of the stacks.
  • Old or handmade pottery, even one or two pieces.
  • One trailing plant on a high shelf.
  • Empty space on every shelf. For the full method, see book shelf styling.

A big plant in a stone pot, like the olive tree by the window, adds height and softens the corner.

Hang real art

Three framed prints above the sofa, with wide white mats and simple wood frames, do more than any single big canvas. Botanical studies and old landscapes look at home in a warm, neutral room. For layouts and spacing, see photo wall ideas.

Light it in layers

The same living room in the evening with a table lamp, a floor lamp and a candle lit, warm light on the sofa, cushions and rug, and blue dusk through the window
Three soft lights, no ceiling light.

The overhead light flattens everything. In the evening, use:

  • A table lamp with a linen shade.
  • A floor lamp beside the sofa or chair.
  • A candle on the coffee table.

Warm white bulbs, around 2700K, make wood and linen glow.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Buying the matching set. Mix shops and eras.
  • Matching cushions. Mix solids, textures and one pattern.
  • A rug that's too small. Go big with jute and layer on top.
  • Bare surfaces. A few books and a plant make a big difference.
  • Only a ceiling light. Add lamps.

Styling IKEA furniture FAQ

How do you make IKEA furniture look expensive without hacks?

Mix it with older or second-hand pieces, use more than one wood tone, layer cushions and rugs, and add books, art, plants and warm lamps.

What goes with a light birch coffee table?

Darker woods like walnut, cream and oatmeal fabrics, black leather, jute, and warm accent colors like rust and olive.

How many cushions should go on a three-seat sofa?

Four or five, mixing two solids, two textures and one pattern.

Can you layer rugs in a small living room?

Yes. A large jute rug with a smaller patterned rug on top works in most rooms and makes the space feel finished.

Start with the cushions and the rug. Those two alone will make the room look less like it came out of a box.

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