Q. ­What’s the best way to accessorize a sofa and coffee table in a small living room?

A. The living room is the heart of most homes, so it’s a crucial space to stage when you’re preparing to sell. The first thing you need to consider is the scale of your sofa and coffee table, said Mark Neuwirth, a senior associate real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Bellmarc in Manhattan.

“It’s very important for the coffee table and couch to be appropriately sized for the space,” he said.

If you have a modest-size room, he said, big furniture can make it look even smaller. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen living rooms overwhelmed with big pieces,” he said. That can create a negative impression at showings, and in your listing photos as well, which could result in potential buyers ruling out your home without ever seeing it in person.

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Assuming the furniture is the right size for the room, you can turn your attention to accessories. Debbie Oulvey, owner of the home-staging company Amazing Space NYC, suggested starting with a few accent pillows on the sofa.

In a large home, “patterned pillows are one of my favorite things to do,” Ms. Oulvey said. “But if you have a small space, you need to keep everything very neutral.” Otherwise it may look busy or cluttered, and that also makes a room look smaller. She recommended choosing pillows in a solid color or a tone-on-tone pattern.

For a sleek, modern sofa, she said, “you could do two oblong pillows.” If you have a traditional sofa with a high back, try putting square pillows in the corners. “But not too big: 18 to 20 inches max,” she said.

Adding a throw made from a soft or textured material like cashmere or faux fur will lend a sense of warmth, Ms. Oulvey said, but make sure it coordinates with the pillows. “As long as everything is in the same color family, you should be fine,” she said. “It won’t look too choppy.”

If you have a small coffee table, she recommended leaving it more or less bare. You could put a single plant or flower arrangement on it, but “don’t use a big vase with a gigantic floral arrangement,” she said, because that will block sightlines. “Maybe do an orchid, because you can see through it.”

For slightly larger coffee tables with room for additional decorative elements, “I always design with odd numbers,” Ms. Oulvey said. “If you’re going to do something, do it in three.”

Along with a flower arrangement, for instance, you could arrange a stack of three to five hardcover books and a small attractive dish. But keep the height of the items on the table low. “You don’t want to have a stack of books that looks like it needs to be shelved by the librarian,” she said.

­Questions about repairs or redecorating before putting a home on the market may be sent to marketready@nytimes.com. Unpublished questions cannot be answered individually.

A version of this article appears in print on November 13, 2014, on page D7 of the New York edition. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe