In case you aren’t too familiar with me, hi! I’m Jess, Emily’s editorial director, and I’ve been working at EHD for almost a decade. I say this to give you the utmost confidence that I know what makes an Emily Henderson living room, a true Emily Henderson living room. So while each home she’s lived in has had its own unique style, there are common threads through almost all of her spaces. Today we are focusing on living rooms and the 8 things that each of them generally has. The decor pieces that, if you love her style, will help guide you to creating your own interesting and collected room. She’s been designing beautiful rooms for 20+ years, so it’s safe to say these won’t steer you wrong:)

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Colorful or Architectural Sofa

Let’s start in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, in her modern Tudor home. Blue sofas are to Emily Henderson as fish are to water…they belong together. She, of course, dabbles in other colors, but blue is her heart. FYI, in an Emily Henderson living room, blue is a neutral but a fun one. A perfect gateway into getting a colorful sofa is to try blue. Both of these sofas above are in the same color family, but their tones and shapes create such different aesthetics. It’s important to make sure you have other blue moments in the room to balance, but aside from that, it’s a cool and bold choice that’s actually extremely versatile.

But as you likely know, she’s used more than just blue sofas:) Green is another favorite (again, it’s an EHD neutral) and is well within her general preferred home color palette. Those two matching green sofas add such a calming warmth to the space. I just think it creates this visual interest that’s both welcoming and elevated. Would the right gray or brown leather be pretty? Totally. But choosing a less expected color tends to be an easy way to make a living room feel cool and designed. Same goes for the pink and blue Barb sofas. They weren’t meant for this room, but Em loved them and the pop they brought to it. I mean, if there’s an Emily Henderson living room color palette, it’s usually some variation of a blue, green, and blush world.

There’s also the color drench/tonal option that she designed for our photographer, Kaitlin Green! The dark green corduroy sectional doesn’t feel visually intense because of the tonal wall color and pretty brown and wood accents.

Well, this room is unreal for a million reasons, but two of them are that blue sofa and rust loveseat. Because this room has wallpaper, painted trim, and a green dining room that’s open to it, this room needed sofas that could visually hold up. However, choosing blue for the larger sofa made sense because it complements the green rug and dining room while the rust is a perfect (and smaller) contrast. Then that rust color is peppered in with pillows, a tray, and more for balance.

Here’s where she mixes a very architectural sofa with a simpler, colorful one. Unlike the last room we just talked about, this one at the river house is much more neutral and nature-driven. Two colorful sofas could have taken a little too much attention from the other elements in the room. So choosing this larger, fun-shaped gray sofa as the larger piece and then that beautiful deep blue simpler sofa, it’s the perfect blend of neutral but not boring.

But our girl also knows how to pick a beautiful (and vintage) architectural sofa that can stand on its own too. This one from her Glendale home has such a beautiful back! This is old school “Emily Henderson Living Room”! I mean the whole room is beautiful. Since this was the more formal living room and not the cuddle up and watch TV room, it’s ok that this one isn’t the most plush. However, comfort/usability is always something you should really consider. Read Caitlin’s curved sofa warning if you want an example of that.

Ah, another beautiful vintage sofa that Emily had reupholstered. Those angles and exposed seams are extremely good. Clearly, the mountain house was meant to be very light and neutral, so a soft gray sectional made the most sense. Unfortunately, this one’s pillows would fall off all the time, so they ended up selling it, but if this had been their full-time home, potentially the cushion could have been secured. Regardless, it’s such a cool sofa.

Ok, I threw my current living room in here to show you that while our styles are different, I very much abide by the Emily Henderson living room design pillars. Cognac isn’t exactly a colorful tone like blue, green, or blush, BUT it feels like it to me, and this sofa really helped to visually balance out the brown fireplace.

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Patterned Rug

Colorful sectional? Check. Ok, now let’s talk rugs. We/Emily love a good solid rug. But what she is more often drawn to is a patterned and/textured one. It’s like art on the ground! It makes a room instantly feel interesting and can really do most of the heavy lifting pattern-wise if you don’t want to do too hard on other patterns. Take the river house family room. The bulk of the decor is textured solids. So while the right solid rug would be pretty, the playful impact that this one brings wouldn’t exist otherwise.

This is how Emily staged her Glendale living room to sell it back in 2016. It turned out so beautiful, but this version is likely more neutral than she would have gone had they still lived there. But please now turn your attention to the amazing hide, scalloped patterned rug. It’s quiet has so much movement and life! It may be white, but it’s not boring (and hide is apparently super kid- and pet-friendly).

I personally loved this rug, and it was the perfect color palette for the green sofa from Clad Home. Good large, blue Persian rugs aren’t easy to find, so this one was a gem! It didn’t end up being perfect, so she ended up returning it, but she did love it.

For her best friend Robyn’s old basement, she chose a more modern checkered rug that was an EHD staple for years. I used it in my old living room too! The style is cozy but a cool contrast to the wall-panelled PNW overall style. It keeps it fresh and a total Emily Henderson living room!

Here we have the Barbs again but with Emily’s new vintage Persian rug. It’s a beautiful mid-tone rug that also really picks up all of the colors in the room. She’s still working her magic, so stay tuned for the next iteration:)

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Art (Mixed Media, Oil, “3D”)

Finding and choosing incredible art is one of Emily’s super powers. While no medium is off limits, the three main styles are mixed media (which I wrote a whole post about recently), oil painting, and “3D”. What I mean by 3D is wall sculptures, textiles, framed ceramics, etc. The gallery above has all three and then some. The mediums are varied, but the color palette is so beautifully cohesive. Scale is so important too. Enough pieces are a medium to large size so the couple of small pieces don’t feel too bitsy.

But you don’t always have to mix mediums (at least on the same wall:))

This giant vintage flag is nearly a core memory of mine from the early days I was here. An Emily Henderson living room knows the power of a giant beautiful textile (especially when it’s vintage).

She didn’t use many oil paintings in the mountain house but brought in her Cy Twombly print, Jane Denton embroidered abstract, and those other two amazing stacked contemporary pieces by Arielle Zamora.

All vintage oil paintings mixed with vintage mirrors that are hung on brass art rods. A classic Emily Henderson living room (and dining room) feature but made even more special by this new-to-her hanging system. Collected vintage art isn’t quick (unless you’re ready to pay), but if you take your time and find the deals you can, absolutely create your own version.

No vintage here but still stunning paintings, a print, and a TV! The color palette again is so in sync, and it’s probably the best “gallery wall with a TV” I’ve ever seen. Each piece holds its own scale-wise and style. I love that she also went with all wood frames but varied the tones and the two small ones have unique (but not overly ornate) details.

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Sculptural Lamp

I feel fairly certain I can blame my complete obsession with lamps on Emily. I don’t think there’s a room, living room or not, where there hasn’t been a cool sculptural lamp. This is an Emily Henderson classic from Schoolhouse she’s had for years. It’s simple but a little playful, and that navy shape gives it that next-level style.

Other incredible lamps that were a style contrast to an Emily Henderson living room are these two. Their cool modern shapes add a burst of freshness to this traditional Tudor, and I couldn’t love them more. I believe she still has both, so I’m sure you will see them again in the future. Remember to play with shape and light direction. The white bulbous one gives off the prettiest ambient light while the black double light is clearly a task lamp:)

Of course not every lamp or wall fixture needs to be modern, but look at Emily’s traditional sconce with the modern striped ceramic beaut. Perfect tension, which is something Em’s always tries to create a little of.

In the river house, Em chose three different sizes and styles but all the same organic vibe. The little modern bulb light on the bench behind the sofa, the fabric Noguchi-style table lamp on the side table, and of course that beautiful curved floor lamp with the knife pleated shade! They add a softness to the overall “Emily Henderson Living Room.” Lamps…are truly a magical decor tool, so use them!

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Sculptural Chair

A cool sculptural armchair is an incredible addition if you have the space. It’s definitely a decor piece that nearly every Emily Henderson living room has. This vintage Safari chair was also used in their rental apartment before they bought their Glendale home, but, of course, they found a perfect spot for it. The vintage added soul, the shape added character, and the leather added texture. Win-win-win.

Both of these lived in the Portland projects living room. The green chair was the perfect traditional piece to echo the style of the home, while that incredible little wood chair was a fun and unexpected contrast. Different materials, shapes, and visual weight!

Here are two more chairs that follow that same “different materials, shapes, and visual weight”. It’s so fun, and it really makes for a very cool living room.

In the first iteration of the farmhouse, both of these chairs were modern contrasts to the farmhouse traditional style. One is vintage while the other isn’t, and they both have a heavier visual weight, but because they sit in different zones, it feels collected and not crowded.

The Baby Barb was my baby, and I love her. Her curved arms looked so good in the river house living room.

Even in a small space like my old studio apartment, I found a cool little accent chair that brought the whole room together for me. It lives in my bedroom now, but don’t think that if you have a small space doesn’t mean you can’t have a cool sculptural chair.

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Long Lumbar Sofa Pillow

This decor piece is the newest addition to the Emily Henderson living room recipe – the lumbar pillow on a sofa. We’ve sung their praises for years on beds, but they are equally as awesome on a sofa. It may seem a little impractical, but they look cool and can act as a body pillow when you’re lounging.

This Lulu and Georgia one is one of Em’s favs and has lived in her famhouse living room….

…and in the river house game room. It gives a pop of pattern and doesn’t require you to find and buy a bunch of smaller throw pillows (which we love too, so go with your preference).

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Contemporary Vase

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that every Emily Henderson living room has at least one cool, sculptural vase. For this room, that insanely good black vase on the hearth is so striking. It grounds the room with its size and simplicity, while the pink vase adds texture and flows with a more dominant part of the color palette.

The vase in the mountain house is, well, it’s perfect. The lines are graphic, the black ceramic pops off all the white in the room, AND it can hold big ole beautiful branches. The white bubble vase in the Los Feliz house feels modern against the vintage cabinet and sculptural chair. Then as an added bonus, those turquoise ones are little but still add shape and color! It’s the classic saying “Go big or go mini..or both!”

Imagine if that white vase was half the size? It would be nice, but it wouldn’t have the impact this one does, right? This room has a lot going on in the best way, so choosing a big vase with bold lines and neutral texture was the right move. It holds its own without taking too much attention.

Two more sculptural vases that add so much to this farmhouse living room. If they were more traditional, they would be totally fine, but if you want an Emily Henderson living room, you gotta go a little more out of the box. The white one was originally from Anthro, and that blue vase on the mantel is one of my favorites from Bzippy.

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Pretty Tray

Never underestimate the power of a great tray. It’s the great corraler of things! I’d take a bet that at least 99% of the Emily Henderson living room portfolio has a tray. It’s a no-brainer. It keeps things organized and not floating around, and it adds style (if you get a cool one:)). I love that ceramic one of Em’s so much. Sadly, they don’t seem to sell it anymore:/

They also aren’t just for coffee tables but are great for credenzas too. I think this mini bar tray makes it all look so much more intentional and pretty.

Playing with materials and colors in a tray is an easy an non commital way to add more color to your space. These red marble ones each have unique shapes, which just adds another layer of design.

Another unique tray example is this awesome scalloped one I can’t stop looking at. Case in point, have fun with your trays.

But also never underestimate the power of a classic wood tray… especially if it has leather handles:)

Emily Henderson Living Room Must-Have: Vintage

Vintage is nearly a non-negotiable in a true Emily Henderson living room. That’s her roots! So vintage is perfectly sprinkled into every room and likely taken to her next home because those are her true treasures. They add a story and soul to a room. That’s not to say she doesn’t love new products; she absolutely does, but mixing in some old with the new cannot be skipped. Think of her Glendale living room without that submarine drawing?

Or the Los Felix house didn’t have that steamer trunk or piano?

Her blue cabinet from Round Top and her Cherner chair have now lived in both California and Los Angeles. The more these pieces travel, the more soul they acquire. I’m pretty sure that’s science.

I will forever swoon over that MCM cabinet she found on Facebook Marketplace. The richness and shapes of the stacked pieces make my heart smile…which is ultimately what an Emily Henderson living room does.

If you’ve been trying to design an interesting and design-forward room, think about these things and see if they can help! Everyone has their own spin, but getting some tried-and-true methods sure can’t hurt.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credits: Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: A Quick Update: The Changes I’ve Made To My LA Living Room