Layer Your Lighting Save Photo by Casey Dunn Every room should have three kinds of lighting: ambient, which provides overall illumination and often comes from ceiling fixtures; task, which is often found over a kitchen island or a reading nook; and accent, which is more decorative, highlighting, say, artwork. For a living room, you should have at least 3 watts (42 lumens) per square foot. One visual trick Breining swears by: using uplights. "Placing a canister uplight or a torchiere in the corner will cast a glow on the ceiling, making a room seem bigger," he says. Anchor Rugs under Furniture Feet Save Photo by David Prince Follow these basic rules for an area rug: "In a living room, all four legs of the sofa and chairs in a furniture grouping should fit on it; the rug should define the seating area," says Breining. "At the very least, the front two legs of the sofa and chairs should rest on it," he adds. Even living rooms with less th...