An interior decorator known for affordable luxury critiqued my NYC living room. She said a few small tweaks could upgrade it from bland to ‘cozy’

My living room is around 165 square feet with laminate wood floors and two large glass sliding doors that double as windows. It also has a black sectional, a table, artwork, a TV with a stand, and a mirror.

One corner of the living room has been delegated to a workspace with a standing desk.

Brent’s rendering showed how I could maximize the space in my living room without spending much money.

“I wanted to look at what you already had and figure out how I could rearrange it,” Brent told me. “It felt like everything was really on the periphery, so I wanted to make it feel a little bit more cozy.”

She said places like Facebook Marketplace, thrift shops, and utilizing small businesses with unique collections are great ways to find new decor. Online sites like Amazon also offer decor with luxury aesthetics for affordable prices.

“It’s a great way to get funky pieces of furniture or pieces of art and small decorative accents,” Brent added.

In the rendering, Brent moved the black sectional across the room and added two chairs to the kitchen island. According to her, the added island chairs are as much about community as they are aesthetics.

“I think island chairs are great because two people can sit down and have dinner together,” she said. “I want you to be able to do that.”

She also eliminated the wooden dining room table in the corner, which she said was “taking up a lot of space” and would be redundant with the island chairs. Brent added that she moved the couch across the room, creating a “cozy” vibe.

Brent said she chose the white and green rug by referring to the paintings on my walls. She also used the painting’s purple accents to influence the couch cushions.

“I feel like art tends to be one of the most expensive things if you want to get something original, so I wanted to use the art you already had as inspiration,” she said.

Brent added that rugs help make a room feel grounded.

“The rug is the anchor because you put it down and all of your living room furniture at least touches it,” she said. “It draws your eyes.”

She noted that my living room, in its current state, feels like a place of furniture rather than a cohesive space with designated spots.

During her conversation with BI, Brent said that using a coffee table — specifically glass — can upgrade the living room. Choosing a round table instead of a square or rectangle option also adds a new shape, she said.

“One, glass coffee tables tend to be one of the more affordable ones. You can get them from Amazon or Target,” Brent said. “Two, glass creates the illusion that a piece of furniture isn’t there. You can put your feet up, play games, whatever, but it won’t look big.”

She added the glass table she selected is tiered to allow extra storage space, which will surely come in handy with a one-bedroom apartment.

While Brent said she liked the standing desk, she suggested I look for an option with more storage options. She said Ikea’s ALEX drawer could also help maximize the living room’s space.

“A desk with built-in shelving is always going to be useful,” she said. “Unless you have a bad back, get a desk chair that looks like an accent chair. If someone comes over and you need additional seating, someone can sit on that chair, which feels natural.”

She added that including acrylic floating shelves can provide more space in addition to hanging the guitar on the wall.