As a Designer and a Home Stager I see a lot of things in peoples homes. I see homes in all price levels from a couple hundred thousand to a few million. There are a few design and home staging mistakes I see over and over and they are so easy to fix.
One of these common mistakes is:
Having all the furniture pushed back to the walls.
Even in a small room this is not always the best option. Usually something can be angled or pulled forward.
In a large room, the room actually looks smaller when all pieces are back against the walls. Plus, the room is not very cozy as the conversation area is too far apart.
My advice is to move the furniture up and create a cozier conversation area. If the room is overly large you will need to split it into two sections.
It is okay to have furniture away from the walls. You can have it floating out into the room as long as it is anchored with an area rug, side tables and/or coffee table.
A tree or a sofa table and lamp can be added behind the furniture to draw the eye back and add height.
Pull chairs away from the walls when they are flanking a fireplace, don't have them stuck back in the corners and touching the wall. By doing this you will actually draw even more attention to the the fireplace.
Pulling furniture away from the wall is hard for many people to visualize or imagine. It is difficult to see alternatives to furniture placement, especially in your own home. You aren't alone in this. That is why I am calling this a "common" mistake.
If this is difficult for you, hire a professional Home Stager to show you how.
