How to Layer a Room to Make it Feel Complete

When designing a room, it helps to break things down into layers and to think about how each layer visually and physically impacts the other layers around it. If a space feels like it is missing something, understanding your layers is a great way to help you pinpoint what the space needs.

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Some designers like to categorize layers by item type. So furniture would be a layer, followed by textiles like rugs and curtains, followed by smaller objects like accent pillows and decorative objects. These layers all work together to make a room feel livable and complete.

Since it can sometimes be difficult to know which item types belong to the same layer, I like to prioritize my layers up by purpose instead.

Here is my recipe for layering a room to make it feel complete:

Layer 1: Function

Think about the activities that will take place most in your space. If it’s a living room, then I can guess that you’ll mostly use the room for sitting and perhaps watching TV. Thus, you’ll want to think about the items that are most necessary for that activity. In this case, the sofa and chairs become the most important pieces – and your first layers – of the design.

The first piece I chose for our living room was our sofa. (You can read more about it here.)

Layer 2: Comfort

Next, you’ll want to layer in the items that add comfort to a space. In a living room, this would probably be things like a rug, lighting, curtains and a coffee table setting down books or drinks. The room still functions without these things but these items make it much easier and more enjoyable.

From this:

To this:

Crazy, right?

Layer 3: Personality

Adding the final layer is all about making the space your own. These pieces are usually not functional at all except to make a space more aesthetically pleasing. In a living room, this might be art, a vintage tray on the coffee table and vase for fresh flowers.

Work from big to small in each layer

In each of these layers, you’ll want to further prioritize your items. Start with your biggest items first. These are the items that take up the most visual space and/or are more likely to be your investment pieces. In the “function” category, you’ll prioritize the sofa then the chairs. In the “comfort” category, you’d likely prioritize the coffee table then the rug, curtains, lighting and so on. And in the “personality” category, you’ll want to choose the art before adding in the smaller accessories.

Do you have to work in order?

Of course not! The need for additional items in a layer often arises during the design process. For example, I had gotten all the way to the “Personality” layer in our living room when I felt like something bigger was missing. That’s when I went back and added a rug to the space.

Keeping things cohesive

I’ve gotten into the habit of creating pin boards for all of the spaces I work on. I pin all of the items I’m considering and often organize them by layer. Pinterest now allows you to create subcategories on each board – this is great for different layers!

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