Designing small living room: 35 Best Small Living Room Ideas

28

Build Banquettes

Romanek Design Studio

If you’re trying to transform a little bonus area into a small living room, take a cue from this swanky little nook designed by Romanek Design Studio. Banquette seating instantly transports you to a speakeasy or European train car (we’ll happily take either option). Bonus points if you equip your coffee table with a classic game.

29

Stick to a Tight Color Story

James Merrell

As we’ve mentioned a few times already, a small space doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with color. So if you love incorporating pretty pastels or vivid brights but want to make sure your living room doesn’t look chaotic, the trick is to stick to a tight color palette. Mixing patterns is also fair game, especially when done as masterfully as this cheerful room designed by Ellen Kavanaugh.

30

Paint Your Walls White

Paul Raeside

Keep walls and ceilings all white to brighten up the space. Large black-and-white artwork is eye-catching but won’t add clutter, as shown in this room designed by Andrew Flesher. That way you can make a colorful piece of furniture the focal point of the room, and it won’t feel like the walls are closing in on you.

31

Float Your Furniture

Alexandra Ribar; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

Resist the urge to push all of your furniture up against the walls. If you create space behind the furniture, it makes the room look wider than it is. An antique stool vibes well the Chesterfield sofa in this room designed by Leanne Ford.

32

Hang a Chair

Hecker Guthrie

Swing chairs are super fun and seem to be having a design moment right now. More importantly, they can be a life saver in a small living room or family room. You can add seating without taking up a ton of floor space, like you would with a traditional armchair. This mod style in a Hecker Guthrie-designed space is all the convincing we need.

33

Shrink Your Sofa

Douglas Friedman

In designer Ann Pyne’s New York City apartment, a small red settee fills the entire living room with personality. A leopard print stool and matching pale yellow armchairs ensure plenty of seating, too.

34

Make It Multi-Purpose

Josh Franer; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

When space is lacking, the only option is to get creative and make things multi-purpose. For example, if you don’t have room for a separate living room, family room, and home office, combine each concept into one space. This living room and office by Leanne Ford proves that the right layout and pieces can look great, no matter what shape or size the room.

35

Build Shelving

Trevor Tondro

Use ottomans in place of a traditional coffee table to make better use of your space (because a tiny house means your living room often does double or triple duty when people come over). You can top them with a tray to hold flowers and books, or use as extra seating. Then when it’s family time, they become footrests. These red leather ottomans in a small family room designed by Redmond Aldrich strike that perfect balance between formal and casual.

Hadley Mendelsohn
Senior Editor
Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful’s senior design editor and the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House.

37 Small Living Room Ideas for Maximum Space and Style

By

Kaitlyn McInnis

Kaitlyn McInnis

Kaitlyn McInnis is a lifestyle expert and writer specializing in global interior design trends and styles which she is able to experience first-hand through her extensive travels. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Forbes, Homes & Gardens, and Real Homes. Kaitlyn also worked for AskMen.com, where she managed an international team of writers and experts.

Learn more about The Spruce’s
Editorial Process

Updated on 02/07/22

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Don’t let your small living room pinch your style. No matter how small your space, it can still look stylish whether you own or rent. Discover the ​best small-space décor tricks for personalizing the most lived-in spot in your home.

• 01
  of 37

  Focus on one color palette

  @thevisionairyhusbands

  “The primary thing to remember when designing a small room is to ensure all tones stick to the same color palette—thus creating flow throughout the room,” says Gian Moore, former interior designer and partner at Mellowpine. “Make sure to shift your focus around monochromatic and tonal hues that will accentuate the scheme further.”

  That doesn’t mean that it can’t be colorful, but that does mean sticking to a tonal palette, whether that be cool tones like blues and greens or warmer tones like terracotta, beige, and rusts.

• 02
  of 37

  Layer your lighting

  @thelasthouseonbedfordlane

  “Layering the heights of your lighting is key—so ensure you have a pendant light overhead with a dimmable control, lots of lamplight and wall lights,” says Moore. “Choose shades that can both direct light for tasks like reading, and create pools of light for the atmosphere. Having wall lights that direct soft shafts of light up and down will also make the space look taller.”

• 03
  of 37

  Open up walls (when possible)

  @reflektiondesign

  You can add a clean, crisp, and contemporary feel to your small living room by opening up some walls. “A bright and fresh feeling is created when you open up the space, allowing natural light to enter,” explains Kate Diaz, Interior Designer and Co-founder of Swanky Den. “You can install floor to ceiling windows or doors, or side panels. You can also paint your walls in light colors with white trim, which will make it seem large. ”

• 04
  of 37

  Create an accent wall

  @lasthouseonbedfordlane

  According to Diaz, it’s better to use one accent wall to show character rather than many patterns on one wall. One well-chosen color that sticks out well will frame the focal point of your living room nicely.

• 05
  of 37

  Consider mirrors

  @love_in_1000_square_feet

  According to Diaz, adding a mirror leading into your living room will help give the space a more light and airy entrance. You can also try adding mirrors to opposing walls to create the feeling of a bigger space.

• 06
  of 37

  Install open concept wall mounted shelves

  @darbywallisdesign

  Open concept shelving might not seem like the best idea if you’re trying to minimize clutter—but this type of airy shelving unit will do much better than closed off or boxy shelving if you’re hoping to create a more light flooded living space.

• 07
  of 37

  Opt for neutral walls

  @love_in_1000_square_feet

  Whether you love bold colors or you could do without them—you’ll want to paint the walls one neutral shade, says Diaz. If you do want to add some personality by way of bold colorways you can always add pops of color in select furniture pieces

• 08
  of 37

  Mix floor and wall colorways

  @love_in_1000_square_feet

  Light colors are great for your walls—but you can opt for a darker floor color if you’re hoping to maintain a sense of warmth. “Using light colors on the walls with dark floors will create a clean look,” explains Diaz.

• 09
  of 37

  Be strategic with your artwork

  @darbywellisdesign

  The right wall art can add visual interest to your space while taking away from the fact that it’s smaller than average. Diaz suggests hanging artwork directly above your sofa rather than all around the room.

• 10
  of 37

  Opt for multi-purpose furniture

  @reflektiondesign

  Multi-purpose furniture is a great way to save space while still ensuring your living room is as cozy and functional as possible. According to Diaz, this could look like placing bookshelves near windows so they can double as window seats or opting for plush coffee table furniture that can also be used as seating.

• 11
  of 37

  Use a variety of heights and depths

  @thecollectivedallas

  Try to use furniture with varying height and depth, such as sofas or recliners in order for the space to feel more open than it actually is. Just because something seems small doesn’t mean there isn’t any wiggle room left where creativity might come into play.

• 12
  of 37

  Consider small artwork

  @oursouthwestnest

  “You’ll want to keep any pictures or wall art small and only hang them if they are meaningful,” says Diaz. This will allow your walls to breathe and actually make them look much more expansive than they are.

• 13
  of 37

  Add vases to your space

  @oursouthwestnest

  You don’t need to forego decorations in order to make your space feel neat and decluttered. “Adding vases to your space can offer visual interest without looking cluttered,” says Diaz. “I suggest using a glass or porcelain vase for a tall, clean look.”

  The 10 Best Vases of 2022 to Decorate Your Space

• 14
  of 37

  Consider wall sconces

  @weepingwillow.farmhouse

  Wall sconces are a great way to add mood lighting without taking up floor space. Diaz suggests grouping sconces together for a bold wall statement or positioning them over windows for a gallery-like effect.

• 15
  of 37

  Take advantage of alcoves

  @darbywallisdesign

  “If you have the space, put your sofa in an alcove to make it feel cozy,” suggests Diaz. If you have a smaller alcove you can hang shelves or create a smaller seating nook so as to capitalize on the space.

• 16
  of 37

  Go for neutral rugs and carpets

  @little_weavers_cottage

  Neutral colorways will make a tiny space appear larger—but that’s especially true for your carpets or rugs. You’ll want to opt for light-colored textiles, which will make a room look light and spacious, regardless of the size.

• 17
  of 37

  Reorganize

  @reflektiondesign

  Decluttering your living room is a great way to clear out extra space—but you don’t have to get rid of anything you don’t want to. In fact, Diaz suggests decluttering by putting items in different places around the room to keep the space interesting.

• 18
  of 37

  Avoid floor cabinets

  @sanctuaryhomedecor

  “As much as possible, you’ll want to focus on hanging cabinets or open air coffee table storage,” says Jeneva Aaron, Founder of TheHouseWire. “The floor space can still be used for something else, so choosing hanging cabinets or coffee table storage that isn’t too bulky is key.”

• 19
  of 37

  Paint the area with light colors

  @oursouthwestnest

  Aaron suggests pairing your area with light colors—like whites and beiges. “White and beige are perfect choices,” she says. “They can absorb the sunlight, which makes the room well-lit and look big.”

• 20
  of 37

  Apply minimalism

  @sorenshome

  The less furniture, the better. “Choose multifunction furniture so you wouldn’t need to include tons of furniture in the area,” says Aaron. “Be creative and try to mix and match.”

• 21
  of 37

  Work your weird angles

  @lasthouseonbedfordlane

  An odd sized living room might seem like a challenge to decorate and furnish—but it’s actually a great opportunity to take the emphasis off the small size. Opt for a salon-style gallery wall or jewel box-inspired decor to help make your abnormal space shine.

• 22
  of 37

  Use the right proportions

  @flynnhaus

  You might be tempted to opt for smaller furniture in order to make your space look bigger—but sometimes an abundance of small pieces can actually make your space feel more cluttered. Instead, opt for larger furniture in fewer numbers.

• 23
  of 37

  Leverage natural light

  @darbywallisdesign

  Smaller living rooms can seem a whole lot bigger when the right natural light hits. You’ll want to leverage the natural light as much as possible by optimizing mirrors, sheer curtains, and moving clutter out of the window sills.

• 24
  of 37

  Opt for high reflectance colors

  @weepingwillow.farmhouse

  “Colors such as white have a higher reflectance, and this can make your room seem a lot bigger than it is,” explains Roman Ramona, Founder of Living Beyond Design. “This trick works well when we’re dealing with small spaces as it lets the light bounce around the room.”

• 25
  of 37

  Skip the bold rug or carpet

  @trevorfulmerdesign

  According to Ramona, you’ll want to avoid using bold or statement rugs when possible. The logic behind this is that if you, let’s say, have light flooring, like oak, and add a black or dark brown rug on top it will create a focal point and make the room seem smaller. “Try to make everything as uniform as possible, because that contrast can draw attention to that rug and your room will seem even smaller,” Ramona explains.

• 26
  of 37

  Use furniture with legs

  @flynnhaus

  “Using furniture with legs helps create more visual space, which our mind translates as being more actual space into a room than it actually is,” says Ramona. “Use a table that doesn’t block your visual space and your living room will look bigger.”

• 27
  of 37

  Place mirrors in front of windows

  @lasthouseonbedfordlane

  “Placing a mirror on a wall doubles the space visually, but if it has a window on the other side, it will help bring even more light into the room, increasing the visually expanding effect,” explains Ramona.

• 28
  of 37

  Allow the room to breathe

  @revealmydiy

  “The effective use of space is the most important element in designing a small living environment,” says Heather Higgins, Founder and Interior Designer at Higgins Design Studio. “Although it is tempting to try and use every square inch, maintaining a balance with open, empty space is key to creating a personal, high functioning design that provides comfort and visual appeal.”

• 29
  of 37

  Use modular storage solutions

  @masha_kindjer

  Providing enough and the right type of storage is a crucial element, says Higgins. Build in or fit out as much as you can behind the scenes. “Modular-style storage with cabinets and drawers will conceal clutter and streamline a space,” says Higgins. “I often create a ‘storage wall’ along a wall that runs the length of a space. Because the units are usually just 15-18” deep, they require very little floor space, but provide copious storage.”

• 30
  of 37

  Consider a low sofa

  @homesweetlakehouse

  The visual impact of a lower sofa and other furniture will help make your ceilings look much higher. In fact, playing around with the size and proportion of all of your furniture will create the illusion of a larger space overall.

• 31
  of 37

  Mix patterns and textures

  @itshomeyall

  If you’re tempted to use bright colors or pastels in your small space but you’re afraid it’ll look cluttered, consider opting for patterns or wallpapers. This’ll give a more whimsical look without adding visual clutter.

• 32
  of 37

  Avoid warm color schemes

  @thecollectivedallas

  Opting for warm colorways might seem like a cozy idea—but it’s the easiest way to make a room feel more congested. Instead, stick to classic and simple colors that will establish a flow throughout the whole room and not just on the walls.

• 33
  of 37

  Go monochromatic

  @our_little_brodick_

  Consider using monochromatic and tonal hues which involve an accentuation for the scheme. “Using different colors and palette makes the room look divided which ultimately makes it look smaller,” says Richard Fung, Owner of Forever Homes. “Even if you use more than one color, limit that to two and be sensitive to the design. ”

  For example, a dark color will make the room look smaller while a coral color with the right design lifts the room’s space. Using white on your woodwork and skirtings is also a good idea to increase the space of your small living room.

• 34
  of 37

  Consider contrasting colors for visual interest

  @darbywallisdesign

  Using contrasting colors is a great way to add pops of color without making the room look smaller. Consider placing furniture in groups that coordinate with one another or use light colors on walls opposite of dark walls for a dramatic effect.

• 35
  of 37

  Make any and all vertical lines stand out

  @thenewsmallhouse

  Likewise, by accenting any vertical lines in your space—including tall shelves, longer picture frames, or other furniture with vertical motifs—you’ll give the room a sense of space by making the ceilings appear much higher and adding visual interest without taking up much floor space.

• 36
  of 37

  Lose the drapes and curtains

  @darbywallisdesign

  Drapes and curtains are a great way to add visual interest to a space—and of course block out the light when needed—but thick drapes can easily obstruct the view from outside, hence making the space feel much more closed off. Floor-to-ceiling drapes can also take up valuable floor space whereas blinds take up no space at all.

• 37
  of 37

  Consider an all-white design

  @thecollectivedallas

  All white might seem a little bland—but it’s the easiest way to add light and the appearance of more space to a room. White reflects light which can help make the space feel much more light and airy. An all-white room also offers a clean and modern effect.

How to Decorate a Small Living Room

50 small living room ideas – top tips and design tricks

Ideal Home Newsletter

The Home Of Great Ideas For More Than 100 Years

Thank you for signing up to . You will receive a verification email shortly.

There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Clever small living room ideas can change a space from feeling crammed and cluttered to feeling cosy and calming, plus ensure there is no wasted space in a compact living space. From clever tricks, to smart storage solutions and savvy design buys, our ideas will inspire decor for even the smallest of snugs, turning it into the loveliest of lounges.

Before you start looking for any kind of living room ideas, start by drawing up a list of wants for your space and work out exactly how you’ll be using it. Will it be a space to entertain? A place to chill with the dog and a movie? A place the kids will mainly use, or will it be an adults-only retreat. Once you know how you want it to feel, you can start the fun bit of coming up with ideas for decoration.

These days, our lounges work hard – as somewhere to relax, entertain and even work from home. Since we’re not all blessed will limitless space, small living room ideas are key to getting the most out of what you have.

To discover how to design a living room successfully, start by drawing up a list of wants for your space and work out exactly how you’ll be using it. Will it be a space to entertain? A place to chill with the dog and a movie? A place the kids will mainly use, or will it be an adults-only retreat. Once you know how you want it to feel, you can start the fun bit of coming up with ideas for decoration.

From thoughtful furniture placement and genius ways with paint to savvy curtain tricks there’s a whole host of smart ideas to make your small living room ideas feel bigger than it actually is. Choose seating with legs so more of the floor can be seen, making the room appear bigger. This trick lends itself well to any living room, as many classic-style sofas and armchairs are finished with beautiful turned wooden legs.

Fill alcoves or bay windows with built-in storage. If there is little room for a side table next to the best sofa for your space, position a narrow console behind a sofa to serve as a display shelf. When you are redecorating, one of the easiest ways to make a small snug area feel more spacious is to inject soft, neutral shades into your scheme to keep the room warm and inviting.

Small living room ideas

Clever small living room ideas can change a space from feeling crammed and cluttered to feeling cosy and calming, plus ensure there is no wasted space in a compact living space.

From clever tricks, to smart storage solutions and savvy design buys, our ideas will inspire decor for even the smallest of snugs, turning it into the loveliest of lounges.

1. Choose a broken plan layout

(Image credit: Future PLC/Anna Stathaki)

The modern interpretation of open-plan living, broken plan layouts are perfect for small living room ideas. This contemporary look is well-suited to modern living room ideas.  You’ll have all the benefits of the sense of space that you get from open-plan. However, what broken plan also does if offer more of a visual separation between your zones without having to block them off with doors.

If a simple wall jutting out doesn’t separate the spaces enough, look to glass doors, instead.

2. Opt for a loveseat over a sofa

(Image credit: Future)

A bulky sofa can eat up living room space quickly, so if you have an especially tiny room, consider other options. There are plenty of living room sofa ideas that could be a better fit for your space.

Ask yourself if you could manage with an equally comfy but far less invasive ‘snuggler’ or ‘loveseat’. Otherwise known as a 1.5 seater, this small living room ideas stapple can easily accommodate a parent and child – or a cuddly couple.

3. Use paint to trick the eye

(Image credit: Future PLC/Dan Duchars)

Living room feature wall ideas do much more than just add pretty decoration. Trick the eye into your room appearing taller by carefully considered painting. Coat the bottom half of the wall in your favourite bright shade, which will draw attention.

Then paint the top half and the ceiling in a more neutral colour so it seems to disappear by comparison, and blurs the lines of where the walls end and the ceiling begins.

4. Open up with a serving hatch

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Forget all those 70s connotations of serving hatches. Instead, think of how this addition could bring light and space to your small living room ideas.

A simple rectangle cut in between your living room and kitchen will make both your rooms feel larger without having to commit to an open-plan living room layout. Plus, you can still use the space for its intended purpose, except leave the pineapple hedgehogs behind.

5. Boost light with floor to ceiling windows

(Image credit: Future PLC/Carolyn Barber)

There’s nothing like natural light to make a space feel bigger. Amp up the sense of space in your lounge by giving your back wall totally over to floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows.

If you have a lush garden beyond, this will only enhance the sense of light and space.

6. Open up to the hallway

(Image credit: Future PLC/Anna Stathaki)

While this might seem a dramatic move, you can increase the sense of space by opening up the wall behind the sofa, revealing the light-filled hallway ideas behind.

This is a clever idea if your front room feels dark and crammed, and won’t impact too much on the structure of your rooms, as you’ll only be opening up part of the wall. Always seek professional advice before grabbing a sledge hammer but keep in mind a ‘hole in the wall’ could be the answer to your small space issue.

7. Choose a neutral sofa

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

‘A neutral sofa can help lighten the space, however it’s worth remembering that neutral doesn’t have to mean selecting a plain design,’ says Suzy McMahon, Buying Director, Sofology . ‘Opting for styles with beautiful details, such as curves, buttons or fluting, will add character to a small space without overpowering your scheme.’ Bear this in mind when looking for sofa ideas for small living rooms.

‘Additionally, cushions and throws in bolder shades and patterns can keep the look from feeling too pared back. Alternatively, an accent chair is a great way to add a pop of colour and will effortlessly lift a darker space.’

8. Keep it cohesive

(Image credit: Future PLC/Jo Henderson)

When working with small living room ideas, try and keep your colours cohesive, when it comes to furniture, accessories and wall colour too. This way everything will seamlessly sit together and nothing will jump out too much, making it dominate the room. 

Use living room paint ideas to zone spaces within the room and add plenty of plants to bring a feeling of life to the room.

9. Choose storage furniture with a small footprint

(Image credit: Future PLC/Fiona Walker-Arnott)

Whilst living room storage ideas are still very much needed, regardless of the size of your space, try to make the most of ceiling height and avoid using too much floor space.

‘More and more customers have embraced ladder-style shelving to store and display, from paperwork and keys to houseplants and prized possessions,’ says Kate Gibson, Home Buying Manager, Habitat . ‘A versatile storage solution, this style provides valuable shelf space with a minimal footprint.’

10. Opt for built in everything

(Image credit: Future PLC)

If you need a lot of storage space in your living room, why not opt for built in everything!

Built in shelving and cupboards are much better space savers than freestanding. But a built in seating area too, will mean no space is wasted at all, especially if you add under-bench storage too. Choosing a coffee table with an open, wire base will also make the space feel roomier.

11. Save space with wall lights

(Image credit: Future PLC/James French)

In small spaces, it’s all about saving precious floor space so the room doesn’t seem too cluttered. Bear this in mind when choosing your perfect living room lighting ideas.

‘Opt for wall mounted lighting with a sleek profile to regain valuable floor space that would be lost to floor lamps or lamp topped side tables,’ advises Anna Cross, Home Living Buying Manager, Habitat. ‘We’ve seen high demand for plugin designs, as customers seek to create a cosy glow without the hassle of rewiring.”

12. Use multi-functional furniture

(Image credit: Future PLC/Rob Sanderson)

The thing you should never do if you have a small living room is cram in too much furniture. Instead, choose a sofa that’s proportional to the size of the space, and if you’re still in need of more seating, use stools. They’ll take up far less room than bulky armchairs, and can be easily manoeuvred – or used as footrests.

For extra space-savvy points look for stowaway furniture, such as cube stools that can be tucked under a coffee table when you don’t need them, or ottomans that hide hidden storage inside.

And if you’re short on space but still want to be able to entertain, then consider multifunctional furniture like one of the best sofa beds so you can put up occasional overnight guests. Thinking about furniture which offers two uses in one is a great way to make each piece in your home work harder.

13. Choose light colours for the walls

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Wooley)

Dark colours are definitely having a moment right now, but they can be tricky to work with in small spaces. Light colours tend to work best so stick to pale tones such as white, cream, and grey to keep your room scheme light, airy and open – especially effective in spaces with minimal natural light sources.

Light shades will make any small living room ideas feel fresh and inviting – cosy, and yet not closed in. Steer clear of brilliant whites and instead pick those with a subtle green, grey or taupe tone. With so many different shades available choosing the best white paint can feel like a minefield – be sure to try tester samples in the space before you paint.

14. Use simplistic window treatments to boost light

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Make the most of natural light in the room by keeping window treatments simple.

Shutters are a brilliant alternative to curtains, providing privacy and light control without taking up space. If you do choose to go for living room curtain ideas, keep them light and make sure they can be swept away from the window for light or alternatively go for Roman or roller blinds.

15. Paint the skirting boards

(Image credit: Future PLC/Rachael Smith)

Breaking with convention, the trick to make a space feel bigger is to paint the skirting boards in the same colour as the wall. No more bold white borders.  ‘One little tip, paint the skirting boards,’ advises interior designer Kelly Hoppen . ‘It will make the whole wall look a lot taller. When you paint them white it’s a bit like wearing a sock and your trouser leg being too high. It kind of looks a bit odd!’

A brilliant analogy for the look of bold white skirting boards standing out from the wall colour, for all the wrong reasons – especially prominent when using a dark living room colour scheme. This trick will prevent the wall from being divided – helping to elongate them, so the room feels taller and therefore bigger.

Kelly Hoppen’s advice for painting skirting boards is a real game-changer in small spaces.

16. Add a feature wall in a warm colour

(Image credit: Future PLC/Fiona Walker-Arnott)

We all want our living rooms to feel cosy and restful. However, in a small space, you may feel apprehensive about introducing too many dark colours for fear of making the room feel cramped.

In that instance, pick a rich warm colour as a backdrop to a part of the room that’s all about relaxation, such as behind the sofa or your favourite armchair. So if you’re after cosy living room ideas, that deep shot of colour is a visual ‘hug’ that relaxes and draws us in, without making the room feel smaller.

17. Seamlessly transition to an outdoor space

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

If you small living room is lucky enough to an adjoining outdoor area, no matter how large or small, embrace the feeling of extra space. Seek to have sliding or bifold doors that open out fully, to open up the space and create a sense of freedom from indoors to outdoors.

Choose coordinating furniture and furnishings to decorate the two areas to unite them and make the journey from one to the other feel seamless. This will help to make any small living area feel more generous by simply knowing the outdoor area is just beyond the threshold.

18. Create space using mirrors

(Image credit: Future PLC/Mark Luscombe-Whyte)

It’s the oldest trick in the book, but it really does work. You can instantly create the illusion of space by simply adding more living room mirror ideas. All the better still, like above, opt for an over-sized mirror to cover an entire wall.

The mirror will create the illusion of space by reflecting light and of course the interior decor – doubling up your small living room ideas. Try keeping the colour palette light and airy to aid the overall effect.

[hawk model=”Large Mirrors” widget_type=”review”]

19.

Use lighting to your advantage

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

In order to make the most out of your space ensure you have at least three working lights in the room. Light should be located a different heights, be indirect and allow your eye to move about the room.

More light and more varied light is always good for a compact room.

20. Replace curtains with blinds

(Image credit: Future PLC/Alexander James)

Kelly Hoppen’s design advice for small spaces is to ditch the curtains and go for a living room blind idea instead. ‘Often people focus on something which really doesn’t need to be changed,’ explains Kelly. She suggests it can be as simple as changing a few little tiny things to make all the difference – such as the curtains.

If you are wondering how to dress a bay window, particularly one that is small and challenging then steer away from curtains. ‘I would put blinds up rather than curtains,’ advises Kelly. ‘This would actually make the room seem taller. ’

What a great insider design tip to help make any small space feel instantly larger. The free space either side of the windows would create the illusion of airy space. So simple, yet so brilliant.

[hawk model=”roller blinds” widget_type=”review”] 

21. Build in a window seat to save space

(Image credit: Future PLC/Rob Sanderson)

If you have a bay window use the awkward space to build a smart seating solution. A smart window seat provides an extra space for guests to perch without the need for bulky furniture taking up valuable floor space.

22. Up the storage potential

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

The key in a small space is to make the most of every inch available. When it comes to storage think outside the box and create bespoke storage solutions that use the free vertical space on walls and unused corners and nooks created by living room fireplace ideas as an advantage. An affordable way to use a recess space for storage is to fit stacked floating shelves.

Staggering them allows you to use both sides of the wall. The openness helps to keep the look light and airy, rather than boxed in. Just be sure not to overwhelm the room with clutter – use the shelves for displaying your favourite books and trinkets.

23. Take storage to new heights

(Image credit: Future PLC/ Lizzie Orme)

Don’t let vertical space go to waste. Hang pictures, choose tall furniture and think about practical living room shelving ideas. A striking picture or wall hanging will draw the eye up, making a space feel more expansive than it actually is.

[hawk model=”wall hanging” widget_type=”review”]

24. Blur lines with botanical prints

(Image credit: Sofa.com)

A neat trick that’s genius for small rooms that back onto gardens is making the most of a botanical decorating scheme. Pretty florals and lashings of green are perfect for blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors.

Creating this visual link will draw the eye outside and again make the room feel bigger.

[hawk model=”Small Sofas” widget_type=”review”] 

25. Wall-mount and conceal a TV

(Image credit: Future PLC/ Simon Whitmore)

A wall-mounted TV is always going to be the better option for small living room ideas. Firstly we don’t want it taking up valuable space! Secure your modern flatscreen to the wall to create a streamlined look, freeing up the space beneath where you would otherwise have to accommodate a TV stand. Above a disused fireplace helps to use up otherwise redundant wall space too.

Look for smart ways to disguise your TV to prevent it standing out as point of focus. Cleverly concealing the large black oblong, that looks like a black hole, will help to stop it encroaching on a small space.

26. Make your own media centre

(Image credit: Future PLC/Jo Henderson)

Free up floor space, from storage units, by creating your own media centre that takes up minimal space. Fix an MDF panel to the wall and mount your TV screen and floating shelves on it, one above and one below if needed.

The space saving shelves will allow for storage without taking up too much needed space. The area underneath the bottom shelf allows for extra storage for items such as slim drawer units or drum storage stools.

27. Utilise awkward architectural spaces

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Cleveland)

Does your living room lack space due to awkward room proportions? Often with period properties the features which we love the most, such as bay windows, present a logistical nightmare for arranging furniture. If you have a compact sofa it should fit neatly into the position, without taking up valuable floor space.

Alternatively use the awkward area to house larger, bulkier furniture pieces such as sideboards and TV units. This prevents the pieces overpowering the rest of the small living room ideas, because the space would be otherwise unused anyway.

(Image credit: Future PLC/Joanna Henderson)

If you are faced with small space living the only way really is up! Make the most of any floor space by keeping it as clutter-free as possible. That includes any small bits and bobs you might otherwise have laying around. 

Willow baskets are an attractive way to solve the storage problem. Ideal because one they look great and two they are sturdy enough to hold all manner of clutter – a  storage idea for a family living room.

Hanging from decorative hooks that can take a lot of weight, these baskets are great for quick end-of-day tidy-ups for toys, books, magazines, iPads and all the other stuff that tends to lay around.

[hawk model=”hanging baskets” widget_type=”review”]

29. Add storage near the ceiling

(Image credit: Future PLC/Georgia Burns)

Mount some carefully camouflaged white storage units at the top of the living room walls, to stash clutter out of sight. Off-the-shelf kitchen wall cabinets are ideal for this.

That said, be very to careful the maximum load that each unit can take when wall mounted – you don’t want everything crashing down on your head, after all.

30.

Avoid a corridor effect with a corner sofa

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

If your small living room ideas are based around a long, thin space, then it can be prone to feeling rather corridor-esque. Dark sofas will enhance this, so look for a pale L-shaped design to both open up the space and create a useful and cosy corner.

Choosing the best corner sofa set up means there will also be more room for extra seating by way of large floor cushions or a footstool. 

31. Draw attention to the windows

Walls in Cream White and Mustard Jar Easyclean Matt emulsion, £25 for 2.5ltrs, Crown Paint

(Image credit: Crown Paint)

To let as much light in as possible make sure there is nothing obscuring your windows. Painting the window surround can help to draw attention to the source of natural light, which aids the feeling of space.

Also, remember to keep on top of cleaning windows, this will lighten and brighten up the room beyond.

32. Make your coffee table work harder

(Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme)

When it comes to small living room ideas, hard-working, multi-functional pieces of furniture are key. Coffee tables are often overlooked as items which can double up their use. Look for versions which have integrated storage, allowing you to clear away any clutter at a moment’s notice.

Some options also come with removable trays in addition to the storage, providing an extra surface which can be added as and when needed.

[hawk model=”Coffee Tables With Storage” widget_type=”review”]

33. Draw attention away from the door

(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Eltes)

Whether a country cottage or a studio flat, it can be tricky to create a relaxing bolt hole when your front door opens straight into your living room. Take the emphasis away from the entrance by creating a focal point with thoughtfully arranged living room seating.

Arrange your seating and surfaces facing into the centre of the space, visually blocking the door.

34. Decorate vertically

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Think about living room wall decor to complement your lounge. Take that décor up high when floor space is limited. Think painting a section of the wall, or pasting with a patterned wallpaper to pull the eye upwards to make the most of a high ceiling.

35. Choose slimline storage

(Image credit: Future PLC/ David Brittain)

Think about alternatives to traditional living room furniture to save on space, without compromising on practicality. If you don’t have built-in storage then add in a slimline ladder-style shelving. The narrow footprint will slip in no matter how small the space, but still provide you enough space for books and objets.

36. Pop an L-shaped sofa into a tight space

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

Before decorating or furnishing an awkwardly shaped living room consider how best to optimise the space available.

Think about an L-shaped sofa in a tight eaves space teamed with trunks that can function as coffee tables as well as handy storage. Keep a dark room white to make the most of what little light there is.

(Image credit: Future PLC/ Paul Raeside)

Pick one or two statement items, such as an over-sized table lamp, an attention-grabbing piece of art or an armchair upholstered in a fabulous fabric, and keep the rest of the room relatively clutter free. These will make the room feel up to date and draw attention away from its size.

38. Factor in textural pieces

(Image credit: Future PLC/Brent Darby)

Decorating with white on walls, ceiling and floor always wins for small living room ideas, but it can leave it feeling clinical and stark. 

Take the chill off a compact nook by mixing and matching fabrics and textures. Think leathers, woods, sisal and raffia to add both a tactile dimension and warmth with the natural tones. This is perfect for a country living room idea.

39. Create a central focus with overhead light

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Parmiter)

Mark out a living space with an overhanging pendant light and carefully positioned round coffee table. The two pieces work together to create a focal point around which you can sit a couple of chairs and add floor cushions or stools when guests visit.

40. Display objects of interest up high

(Image credit: Future PLC/Lizzie Orme)

Just because your living room is verging on the small side, it doesn’t mean that you should hide away all your favourite belongings in storage.

If you have objects that are worthy of showing off then display them along an open shelf, above the sofa. This idea is great for when floor space is at a premium.

41. Place your pattern to create a theme

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Brittain)

Pattern can work as well in small living rooms as it does in large, but it pays to think carefully about where you put it.

Wool fabrics are made for cosy country-style firesides, but keep tartans, checks, paisleys and florals confined to throws and cushions on sofas and armchairs, leaving walls for plain paint finishes. Add a natural rug to bring the two sides of a room together.

42. Distract the eye with characterful furnishings

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

While banishing clutter might help small living room ideas feel more open, if you’re a fan of the cosy, lived-in look such a pared back scheme will do little for you. But small doesn’t have to mean bare and characterless. Try the classic combination of dark leather furniture and traditional fireplace – there’s nothing like it for creating a warm, cosy environment.

Add much-loved items and accessories – in an interesting, character-filled scheme, no one will be thinking about how small the room is.

43. Make the most of the space under the stairs

(Image credit: Future PLC/Jamie Mason)

Make the most of the unused space under the stairs by incorporating everything from storage to quirky accessories. 

If you have space issues in your small abode and need to make the most of every nook and cranny then turn to that nimble spot under the stairs into a warm and cosy living space.

A thoughtful staircase idea can result in a built-in bookcase, reading area, or storage spot tucked in neatly in an often unloved and underused area.

44. Make storage fit comfortably

(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)

Use architectural features to incorporate smart storage. Build storage seamlessly into alcoves either side of a fireplace, for example. Give the surrounding original features a modern update with a fresh coat of paint and light retouching to keep things contemporary.

45. Maximise storage potential

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Small living room ideas need to be kept fresh and uncluttered with well-chosen storage. A great way to make a small living room feel larger is to keep it meticulously tidy and in order to do that, everything in the room needs to have its proper place.

Floating shelves are perfect for small rooms because they can hold a lot of things on a wall or in alcoves beside a small living room fireplace. Or choose bespoke fitted, floor-to-ceiling shelves and cupboards that make use of every inch of spare space.

46. Keep it to scale

(Image credit: Future PLC/Oliver Gordon)

If you have a little living room, don’t go overboard with a huge L-shaped sofa that’s big enough for the whole family, the dog and the neighbours when they pop round for a cuppa.

Large furniture will easily overwhelm a small space, so keep it simple – a two-seater sofa is often all you need. Especially when paired with other seating solutions such as floor cushions or an ottoman.

47. Play with patterns

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Brittain)

Don’t be afraid to experiment with fun, bold patterns in a small room and incorporate patterned textiles or living room wallpaper ideas.

A fabulous floral print will not only create a beautiful statement in a snug space but can also set the colour theme for the room. It’s an easy way to create a unified and considered feel in even the most petite of spaces.

48. Go for nice and neutral

(Image credit: Future PLC/David Giles)

Like we mentioned earlier, neutral tones will help a small room to feel larger. Light coloured carpets, walls and furniture are a great way to keep a space feeling bright and airy, whatever the size of the room. 

We love the little extra touches in this charming living room – the wall-mounted shelving unit provides the perfect space for personal mementos and accessories. If you’re prefer a modern small living room idea like this one, then simplicity is key.

49. Invest in a daybed

(Image credit: Future PLC/Carolyn Barber)

If your living room doubles up as a place for guests to stay, make sure your seating can accommodate them. If you’re too tight on space for a sofa bed, however, there are other options. Day beds tend to take up less floor space and still provide a cosy bed and comfy sofa.

50. Go big and bold

(Image credit: Graham & Brown)

Go big, in a tiny room? Didn’t we just tell you not to buy a massive sofa? Yes, yes, but when it comes to wall décor and artwork, it’s a different story. If you’ve got the wall space, use it! Small living room ideas can make a big impact thanks to a statement feature wall.

How do you make a small living room look bigger?

‘If you are short for space in the living room, adding some height to your key pieces of furniture will help create an airy, open feel to help enlarge the room,’ advises Patricia Gibbons, Designer, Sofa.com . ‘Not every piece needs to be elevated but adding legs to your sofa would be most effective for bringing in the illusion of space. There is something about being able to see more floor which creates the feel of spaciousness especially when you aren’t spoiled for it.’

And in terms of a flooring choice, David Snazel, Hard Flooring Buyer at Carpetright offers this advice, ‘For small rooms, a light wood finish floor with a single plank design will help create the perception of space within small living room ideas. In a broken plan layout carry the same flooring through from the kitchen to conjoining areas to create a consistent flow between the rooms. Chevron wood flooring can be especially effective running from a narrow kitchen into a separate dining or living space to help these areas feel harmonious. ’

How can I decorate my living room when it is small?

It’s all about making clever choices when buying furniture for small living room ideas. ‘Linear furniture designs with a minimal profile are ideal for smaller rooms,’ explains Rachael Fell, Furniture Buying Manager at Habitat . ‘The open lines of a wire metal coffee table gives the illusion of more space as the surrounding scene is visible through it. Look out for designs that incorporate shelving into their silhouette to maximise storage capabilities.’

And when it comes to colour, be brave and go for that bold shade you love, regardless of the size of the room. ‘Some fear that adding a deep or bright colour to a small room will make it appear claustrophobic, opting instead for light neutrals to keep the space open,’ says Helen Shaw, UK Director, Benjamin Moore .  

‘However, when working with a small area, dark colours cleverly absorb the light of a space, making the division between walls appear blurred. This ‘blurred edges’ effect adds depth and dimension to a room, making it appear larger.’

Where do you put a TV in a small living room?

If your living room is more of a snug, and you use it generally for cosying up and watching movies, you don’t need to worry too much about where the TV goes, as it’s all about being comfortable. Céline Erlam of Indie & Co advises, ‘A TV needs to be at the correct height in relation to your sofa- you shouldn’t need to look up to view, and ideally, place it central to your sofa.’

She goes on to say, ‘Before you start work on your snug or small living room ideas, think about the audio systems and TV that you have so you can conceal any cabling’

But if you’re not keen on having your small living room TV idea on show, think about hiding it away. ‘Don’t rule our concealing your TV- you can even fit a projector in the ceiling, which drops down when in use, as well as concealed built-in speakers,’ Céline advises.

You could look at hiding your tv behind a set of framed prints or a screen, or even in a TV cabinet.

Small living room ideas: 38 decor schemes for tiny spaces

Homes & Gardens is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s why you can trust us.

(Image credit: Studio Ashby)

Small living room ideas may be short on volume but they can be big on style. Our favorite interior designers share their top tips and tricks for tiny living rooms.

There are tons of small living room ideas and tricks of the trade to help turn that awkward, small living room decor into something stylish and sophisticated, whatever its shape and proportions and make the most of space in your small living room. 

Though small living rooms can present challenges, there are several benefits to compact living. A well-designed scheme can feel just as comfortable as a larger space, with all the coziness and comfort associated with family living.  

One of the main advantages is the convenient accessibility of everything that’s needed. Easy maintenance is another bonus. 

In a small living space, zoning is key. So here are our favorite living room ideas for smaller sitting rooms and how to design and decorate a compact space with our best small living room ideas.

Make the most of a small living room by planning a hard-working layout, keeping accessories to a minimum and picking the right color scheme. So whether you’re working with a small apartment living room or a compact sitting room in a family home, you can make the space work best for you.

1. Use the same color on walls, woodwork and furniture

(Image credit: Studio Indigo / Andrew Beasley)

When a single living room color scheme is used on both walls and woodwork, a room suddenly feels bigger, because having no contrast means that you are less aware of the confines of the space. ‘The eye does not stop to register a second color and glides straight out of the window to the view, blending the garden and room together,’ says Joa Studholme, color curator, Farrow & Ball.

2. Expand a small living room by introducing nature

(Image credit: VSP Interiors)

We mention below how utilizing mirrors can really open up a small living room, and you can see how well it works here. However, other key elements combined with this design trick will also help. 

Choosing light and airy living room color schemes – including a pale wooden floor – with an accent shade will lift a small room. 

‘As well as the mirrors making the room feel bigger, they also reflect the greenery outside and bring it in,’ explains Henriette Von Stockhausen, founder and creative director at UK-based VSP Interiors .

‘So I have used botanical fabrics with green and a bright white background for a fresh spring feel. The emerald velvet green cushions create a contrast against a soft white backdrop, while the ottoman makes for a subtler distinction, then we used accents of green, inspired by the artwork, to help unite this elegant scheme.’

3. Opt for a neutral scheme based around symmetry

(Image credit: Donal Murphy/Sara Cosgrove)

Symmetry in interior design is introduced to create balance and a feeling of calm. This works perfectly in long living rooms and is ideal for enhancing a small living space. Max the feeling of serenity to the limit if you use calm neutrals to decorate. 

The beautiful brass accents that are a major design feature in this space help to distract the eye from the size of the living room. Sara Cosgrove, owner of Sara Cosgrove Studio which has bases in both Dublin and London, explains how this luxurious scheme was put together. 

‘Our client wanted to create a more formal reception and entertaining space, but at the same time keeping it light and airy so it could be used throughout the day.

‘Our solution was to keep the walls fresh and light in tone and bring in a more elevated feel through the antique brass accents, antique mirrored elements and a stunning Chesneys fireplace.’

4. Cut the clutter 

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

If there’s one thing that’s going to create the illusion of more space, it’s decluttering – it can actually make a room feel wider in seconds. Make sure you keep your room tidy and organized by removing toys, plants, knickknacks and other unnecessary items, and your space will instantly feel bigger and more pleasant to be in. 

And, of course, brilliant small living room storage ideas are key to maintaining this clutter-free, space-enhanced feel.

With accessories and essentials neatly arranged and out of sight, the space will soon feel orderly and open. A room that’s crammed full of ‘belongings’ takes up space, making it feel disorderly, busy and small. Try and keep the floor as clear as possible, too, as it’s one of the easiest ways to maintain a sense of spaciousness, so remove any oversized rugs.

5. Use pattern as accents to perk up plains subtly

(Image credit: Henry Prideaux)

This small, yet perfectly formed living room in a stucco fronted townhouse in London’s Chelsea was created by interior designer Henry Prideaux for an American client. He wanted Henry to bring a flavour of ‘the English country in the city’ to his London residence.  

Henry says, ‘Don’t be afraid to go for bold color and pattern in a small space. It’s all about balance. A scheme featuring cleverly selected furniture pieces layered together with textured rugs and tactile fabrics can create a really inviting and comfortable space even if square footage is compromised. 

‘Sophisticated artwork and eye catching accessories can be displayed to provide lots of interesting little vignettes throughout.’

Henry also explains that clever small living room lighting ideas can not only make a room lighter, but feel larger too: ‘A lighting scheme that includes light sources at varying levels enhances the room and helps to create mood at different times of the day.’

6. Light up a small living room

(Image credit: Future / Matthew Williams)

Light helps to brighten up a room instantly, so first and foremost allow any natural light to stream indoors by taking down heavy, dark window coverings. Try sheer window treatments or install white wooden blinds or shutters to let the natural light flow into your room during the day, while simultaneously providing nighttime privacy.  

Plus, wide horizontal slats help to magnify the illusion of a wider room. Dark corners can make a room appear small and cramped so position a floor or table lamp in a bare corner to visually expand the area, while recessed ceiling lights can illuminate an entire room without taking up much space.

7. Use a color-blocking trick to detract from a living room’s size

(Image credit: Kelling Designs)

Finding the perfect couch for a small living room is key to the feel of your space. 

If you can’t find a brand new sofa you love, but your old couch looks a little tired and a little tatty round the edges, then why not have it re-upholstered instead of investing in a new one? It’s more sustainable and if you love the comfort and style of it then give it a new lease of life. 

And this is where the trick comes in – if you make your sofa the focal point of your living room it will detract the eye from the size of your space. A bold and vibrant shade will give your living room impact – then accessorize accordingly to pull the key colour throughout the rest of the scheme.  

8. Be fussy with furniture

(Image credit: Future / Jan Baldwin)

Furniture can be a cumbersome business, especially in narrow rooms, so it pays to arrange and buy items correctly. 

One great way to make the most of a smaller space is by using multi-function furniture, like a chest that can be used as a coffee table, nest of tables, and folding chairs that can be tucked away when you don’t need them. 

Another important pointer is to place large pieces of furniture against walls so the open space in the middle is not broken up.

9. Use mirrors to expand a compact space

(Image credit: Future)

Not surprisingly, mirrors can make a room look a lot larger. When decorating small spaces, hang a mirror on a wall opposite a window or very near one to reflect the outdoors, broadening the feel of your room. 

You can also try using a focal point and angle your mirrors towards it, which will give the illusion of depth.

Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night and they bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. Mirrors on the walls and glass tabletops will make it seem like there’s a more open flow. You can also use mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered.

10. Balance the ying and yang in your small living room decor

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

We love the design contradiction between this beautiful feminine shade called Nancy’s Blushes and the visually heaviness of the mahogany sofa and eye-catching Old Master’s style portraits in the bohemian living room pictured above. 

Keeping the floor the same color as the furniture also helps to blend the room together – if nothing stands out, then your eye will flow around a space and in a small living room this can be key to making it feel larger.

11. Get creative with paint

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lewis)

You can visually widen a rectangular-shaped room with clever living room paint ideas such as painting the two end walls a darker color than the other two walls.  

The gradation of shade and color of paint on opposing walls can either lengthen distance by using a lighter shade or shorten a distance with a darker shade.

Light colors such as creamy white or light grey help to brighten a room, making it appear larger and wider. Satin paint finishes tend to reflect more light. 

You can also paint horizontal stripes on a wall to make a room feel wider. Use two alternating colors to paint each stripe about 12 inches wide.

12. Mimic the symmetry of the room’s architecture

(Image credit: Yellow London)

Smaller living rooms benefit from order and a more de-cluttered feel. This is where symmetry can be your best friend. Keeping furniture in line eases the mind as Liv Wallers from British design studio, Yellow London explains:

‘Symmetry provides balance within a room and it often starts from a focal point like a fireplace or windows in the sitting room. It brings a sense of comfort and rhythm to a space which is an integral part of our design approach. It can be used right down to the smaller details of the room, cushions on the sofa to lamps on a dresser.’

13. Repeat a pattern to enhance space

(Image credit: Colefax)

Matching your blind or curtain fabric to your sofa is becoming a trend we love, especially when pattern and print is really to the fore in the design world currently. 

It works in a smaller living room when the background color to the print is pale, and in this instance with Colefax & Fowler’s Callista fabric it also brings the outside in so that helps to create an airy feel in tandem with the white painted walls that act like a blank canvas.

14. Zone a narrow but long living room

(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)

Long living room ideas rarely feel homely, but there are tricks you can use to zone the space to make it feel far cozier. A rug can visually draw together the furniture in a space, giving a room focus and adding comfort. 

While a focal point that contrasts with the rest of the scheme can be visually interesting, disguising the awkward layout, something like quirky piece of art, coffee table or striking lampshade.

15. Be inventive with color

(Image credit: Paint & Paper Library)

Painting ceilings in a color is huge right now, and you can make a room feel cozier by painting it in a warming shade, great for living room ceiling ideas.

Another design trick is to paint the same color outside of the room – like the hallway here for example. It plays on the visual aspect and draws your eye through to another space – and not having a door helps to make a room feel large too. 

16. Hang art in a small space

(Image credit: Future / Jan Baldwin)

When it comes to planning a living room feature wall, quite often, bigger is better. Walls that are covered with pictures and other wall hangings tend to make a room feel closed in, narrow and busy, so simply hang one or two large pieces of artwork on your walls to make the room feel wider and more spacious. 

Avoid hanging pictures high on the longer wall as they will just highlight the imbalance in the proportions, instead choose art that can sit wide but low over the couch for example, to bring the eye level down and help make the room seem wider.

17. Think: scale and proportions

(Image credit: Future)

Select furniture pieces that are in proportion to the size of your room – oversized cabinets, living room sofas and chairs can make a small room feel narrow. 

Living room furniture that is the same color as your walls tends to blend into the wall, making it look wider. 

Make sure you arrange your furniture at an angle to create a sense of depth to the room, otherwise if you place all furniture against the walls you might end up with a narrow ‘bowling alley’ look.

18. Create a focal point in a small living room

(Image credit: Amy Bartlam)

When decorating a small living room, create a focal point – one area or feature that will draw the eye, so there’s less emphasis on the room’s layout. In the living room, the focal point will most likely be the coffee table, so make sure that focal point is the star of the room.

19. Unite two rooms

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

If you’ve got a long narrow room that’s divided in two – like a living room one end and a dining room the other – it might be worth picking a favorite color and using it as a key tone to coordinate the one space.  This also works to make a small dining room feel bigger, too.

For example, linking navy blue walls in the dining room end with the same wall color in the living room for a space that feels united and cozy.

20. Decorate with a light color palette

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

It’s always effective to use a palette of light living room colors, but in different materials and textures. A common misperception is that the less furniture and features you have in the space, the bigger it will look. 

But in fact, multiple zones and features create a perception of different spaces within one room. It’s all about the right furniture size, the right swatch and the right small living room lighting ideas. Try to stick to a neutral living room scheme in smaller spaces, introducing splashes of color with accessories.

21. Paint the fifth wall in a small living room

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

The fifth wall is often an afterthought when it comes to redecorating, but done right, it can make a real difference to a small room. As long as your ceiling is painted in a paler color than your walls, no matter what the color, your ceilings will feel higher, helping a narrow living room feel more spacious.

22. Keep a small living room organized

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside)

The key to compact living is to be exceptionally well organized. In my experience, small spaces can actually transform personal habits for the better, as they require careful editing and storage. 

‘Open up the space as much as possible to allow for comfortable circulation. Every centimeter of a small studio has to be cleverly utilized, so that it doesn’t look cluttered, yet provides a functional layout with optimized living room storage,’ says Irina Townsend, interior designer at Keir Townsend .

23. Make it monochrome

(Image credit: Future / Jake Curtis)

A monochromatic color scheme, using different tones of the same color, will help to make the furniture and other features recede and appear to take up less space. You can soften the palette by adding a warm grey-blue rather than a harsh black or white.

24. Play with scale in a narrow scheme

(Image credit: Future / Jody Stewart)

Choose one large-scale piece – a huge cabinet, an oversized lampshade or a wall to ceiling mirror for a small living room. By choosing carefully these large accessories will draw attention away from the lack of space and focus the eye onto other things.

25. Swap curtains out for blinds

(Image credit: Stefani Stein)

Curtains can look bulky, so it is worth considering swapping them out for blinds instead. These, in this lovely small living room designed by Stefani Stein , allow daylight to filter through, too, which will help the room feel still larger and brighter. 

26. Choose dark colors but balance them with light

(Image credit: Stefani Stein)

There’s no rule that says you can’t have dark colors in a small living room – in fact, if the room is lit well and has large enough windows and a south- or west-facing aspect, dark colors on small living room walls can look beautiful and make the space feel really welcoming.  

However, if the living room lacks warm daylight, you can create plenty of impact with dark colors on the focal wall and beyond, but that it’s a wise move to balance that with paler shades, both on walls and furnishings.

27. Draw the eye to a focal point

(Image credit: Future / Jody Stewart)

This small living room is a busy space, but still, the living room fireplace wall is drawing all the attention, and, as we all know, having a strong focal point within a room can make it feel larger than it really is.

‘The lines created by the area rug, the trunk coffee table and the bookshelves all direct the eye to the fireplace wall,’ says H&G‘s Editor in Chief Lucy Searle. ‘The huge main picture and those around it accentuate the width of the wall, uncomplicated by a fire surround. This creates a simple visual trick of making a really quite (beautifully) cluttered room feel very well planned – its size isn’t even an issue.’

28. Accentuate the vertical

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside)

Another useful visual trick has been created in this living room, with floor-to-ceiling curtains creating a panel of color that emphasizes the height of the room. The height of the picture and of the pots sat at ceiling height further exaggerate the room’s proportions.

29. Keep the scheme neutral – but add bursts of color

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lee / Sally Denning)

Decorating with primary colors is a wonderful way to add to create a successful small living room scheme because it allows you to create a space-stretching neutral room, but with more exciting pops of color in accessories that you can swap in and out depending on your mood.

30. Decorate with stripes to make small living rooms feel bigger

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lee / Sally Denning)

Decorating with stripes is another clever way to make small living rooms feel larger. The direction the stripes run will have distinct effects – vertical stripes, like on these armchairs above – will make a room with a low ceiling feel taller. Run the stripes horizontally and it will feel longer or wider, depending on your perspective.

31.

Create a sense of infinity

(Image credit: Future)

Paint is a great tool when you need to maximize the feeling of space in a small room. Matching the clean white paint – used on the walls – of this compact living room with the same color on the ceiling helps to blur the lines between the different surfaces, pushing them back so that the room feels more spacious and lofty. 

Use dark, richly colored furniture, flooring and statement artwork to add depth and interest to an otherwise simple scheme.

32. Stick to a simple palette

(Image credit: Future)

Channel this contemporary take on a classic look by making bold and vibrant patterns the stars – even in a small living room. Combing a variety of prints but all in greens and whites ensures this room feels calm and not overwhelming. 

33. Opt for compact furniture – upholstered in patterned fabric

(Image credit: Future / Jon Day)

A sense of scale is a key principle for successful interior design – try mixing it up to have fun with your small living room.  

Be guided by the room’s proportions and architecture when setting the scale for furniture. They key to good living room seating ideas in small spaces is to avoid a couch that is too large. Instead, invest in a compact design, then have it upholstered in a gorgeous fabric for instant appeal. 

34. Instil coziness with a taupe color scheme

(Image credit: Future)

Go for a more understated style with a timeless taupe color scheme. Not quite a brown, not a grey, either, taupe falls somewhere between the two. Go for warmer taupes in rooms where you want to create coziness, and cooler taupes where you need a calm feel.   

To avoid colors merging into one and looking bland, layer on the texture with lots of tactile finishes and weaves with plush damasks and chenilles on curtains and upholstery. Invest in good-quality lighting to highlight different textures, sheens and finishes.

35. Keep furniture away from the wall

(Image credit: Future)

A common misconception in a small living room is to push furniture against the wall. Give the room space to breath by leaving gaps between the furniture and the walls. Enlarge a small living room by pulling the furniture away from he walls, even by just a couple of inches, creates bathing space that will make your room appear bigger. 

36. In a dark living room, choose a light furnishings

(Image credit: Albion Nord)

It’s important in any scheme to have a good balance between light and dark. Choose a lamp that is paler in color so it contrasts with dark walls. We love how this trio of the lamp, vase and painting all link together visually.

‘Keep the lighting as soft and warm as possible too, use wall lights or table lamps and avoid too many spotlights, as they can make a small living room feel stark and imposing in a space that’s purpose is for relaxation,’ advises Camilla Clarke, creative director at Albion Nord .

37. Play with scale to create impact

(Image credit: Kelling Design)

We asked Emma Deterding, founder and creative director at Kelling Designs her thoughts on working with scale in a small living room:

‘When it comes to small living room lighting ideas it is all about being clever with the placement of your light sources and playing with scale. A statement ceiling light can be just as effective in a compact space, helping to create a focal point, and using floor and table lamps to supplement this will brighten up corners to make the room feel brighter whilst giving the illusion of space. You should also not be afraid of using bright colors and bold patterns – they can help a smaller living space feel bigger by adding brightness.’ 

38. Get the lighting just right

(Image credit: Milo Brown)

‘Some people feel the need to flood small spaces with ceiling lights to make them feel brighter and therefore larger,’ says Claire Sa, director, De Rosee Sa . ‘However, I think atmosphere and dimension can be added to small spaces with different levels of controlled lighting. The lowest level might be lamps on side tables; the next would be lamps on a desk, console or chest. Finally, add fewer rather than more directional ceiling lights, positioned closer to the walls and angled away from the centre of the room to create a feature glow on, for example, a piece of wall art. ’ 

How do you decorate walls in a small living room?

Make the most of reflective surfaces in a small living room. ‘Consider finishing the walls in polished plaster, a material that reflects light and increases visual perception of space. Any other reflective decorative surfaces, such as patinated mirrors, silver leaf or lacquer will make the space seem bigger too,’ explains Irina Townsend, Keir Townsend .

How do you make a small living room look bigger?

Homes that are short on space can still be big on style. A carefully designed living room that incorporates plenty of concealed storage and furniture that is tailored to the space as in the living room pictures above can achieve a sense of comfort and convenience that belies a modest square footage. 

The key to perfectly executed small living room ideas lies in a little forward planning.

Scale the furniture to fit the size of the room and don’t block walking pathways – oversized sofas or too much furniture will make the living room look smaller, while furniture and accessories blocking the view into a room will make the space look cramped – if you can see the floor, the room will look larger.  

A great tip is to choose a couch and chairs with open arms and exposed legs, and a glass coffee table, both will keep the appearance of a much more open and free space, allowing light to filter under and around the furniture far easier.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the ‘best interiors website’ in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

35 Designer-Approved Small Living Room Ideas

Design: Katherine Carter, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

Call us crazy, but we prefer styling a small living room over a large one any day. There’s something incredibly thrilling about size-challenged decorating that really forces you to get creative. Yes, you’ll make mistakes arranging furniture in a small living room, but when decorated well, petite rooms can look seriously stylish (tiny bathrooms are proof). Just because there’s less space to work with, doesn’t mean you have to compromise on taste, either. If you’re looking for small living room ideas, follow these decorating tips.

01
of 35

Design: Katherine Carter, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

When it comes to small–living room ideas, designer Tom Stringer says that prior planning is key when space is so limited. “The first step is to ensure that the layout will be functional for your needs,” he says. “Then confirm the sizes of the pieces.”

02
of 35

Design: Max Humphrey

If you’re stumped on how to plan your layout, answer celebrated interior designer Max Humphrey’s simple question: What will the room be used for most? “While you might plan on having friends over all the time for movie nights, chances are it’ll be you and your family using it the most, so keep that in mind when designing it,” Humphrey says.

03
of 35

 Design: World Market

Since you don’t have the luxury of a lot of space, you can’t just throw a bunch of pretty things together and hope it’ll work. Australian interior designer and The Tailored Interior author Greg Natale believes that it’s important to first consider all the pieces of furniture you’ll need in order to create a “welcoming, livable space.” Ask yourself questions like: Would stools or ottomans work better in the space than armchairs? Would a side table be a more size-friendly option than a coffee table?

04
of 35

Design: Katherine Carter, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

So you have a tiny living room, but does that mean you have to compromise on the big furniture you love? Humphrey doesn’t think so. “I always recommend buying the absolute biggest sofa that will fit in the space, because if you’re anything like me, chances are that’s where you’ll spend most of your time lounging around.”

05
of 35

Design: Studio DB, Photo: Matthew Williams

Natale believes small furniture is a better bet if you want “more opportunities to include all the pieces you like. ” Consider what’s more important to you: comfort and big style, or having more variety?

06
of 35

Design: Tali Roth, Photo: Claire Esparros

If you decide that bigger is better when it comes to furniture, Natale recommends pieces with a sleek silhouette, such as a “sofa with a low, narrow shape and slender arms; chairs with narrow or no arms; and tables with glass tops and narrow or cutaway legs.”

07
of 35

Design: Sara Tramp for Emily Henderson

When it comes to small-space living room ideas, you really can’t go wrong if you stick to neutral and natural hues. You can carry this over to your furniture, too. “Use furniture that appears light or disappears, such as a glass or acrylic piece,” designer Trip Haenisch says.

08
of 35

Design: Studio McGee

If you’re all about color, you aren’t out of luck. Designer Jeff Andrews believes there’s absolutely a place for it in a small living room. “Go dark and go big,” he says. Speaking of which, we have a few favorite dark paint colors, including Benjamin Moore Black Beauty, Clare Prince, and Sherwin-Williams Charcoal Blue, if you’re feeling adventurous.

09
of 35

Photo: Julia Robbs

When in doubt, revert to mirrors. For a small living space, Australian design firm Cordony opted for mirrored panels across an entire wall, which doubled the size of the room. Mirrors can work like clever optical illusions.

10
of 35

Design: Fantastic Frank

This trick is one you’ve probably never even considered before, but it’s a total game-changer. Opt for a sofa with legs and no upholstery on the base. It will visually open up the room, advises Natale.

11
of 35

Design: Amber Interiors Design Studio, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

In a small living room, the more uses each piece of furniture can serve, the better. “Make an ottoman work double-time by placing a tray on it and [turning it into] a coffee table when you don’t need it as a seat,” says Natale.

12
of 35

Design: Sarah Sherman Samuel

A thoughtful mix of furniture and décor in varying styles and finishes adds depth and coziness to any space—not to mention it seriously ramps up the style factor. “If you fill a room with things you love you can’t go wrong,” says Humphrey.

13
of 35

Design: Pella Hedeby

The key to minimalism is to find your style, stick to it, and then edit. Designer Christine Gachot says, “My home is edited with a capital E. I live in a constant state of chaos with my schedule, so I need to be organized and to live minimally (shoe collection aside). This is about small spaces. Be thoughtful and precise.”

14
of 35

Design: Ginny Macdonald, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

When it comes to wall color, each of our experts recommended a neutral palette with white walls and ceilings to visually brighten a room and make it appear larger. If the bleached-out look isn’t your flavor, Natale suggests adding pops of color through soft furnishings, accessories, and artwork.

15
of 35

Design: Fantastic Frank

If you’re keen to ditch white completely, go gray instead. Stringer loves Benjamin Moore HC 173 Edgecomb Gray as a “great neutral with undertones that work with most spaces. ”

16
of 35

 Design: Katherine Carter

Feel free to forgo paint altogether and add use a removable wallpaper instead. Whether you opt to do an accent wall, or wallpaper the whole room, Cordony says it will layer the space with texture.

17
of 35

Design: Stefani Stein, Photo: Tessa Neustadt

Ensuring that everything in your small living room works together comes down to careful and constant curating. Natale says you need to “step back at every stage of your design and assess its effect, particularly in terms of balance and contrast.”

18
of 35

 Design: Dazey Den

If you live by the motto that “more is more,” an edited space won’t appeal. Stringer says “clutter is good as long as it is organized,” so group like items together (think baskets for magazines). Organize your items into vignettes so the clutter feels more cohesive.

19
of 35

Design: Blue Copper Design, Photo: Life Created 

Most importantly, “Make sure your furniture fits through the front door, in the elevator, and up the stairs,” says Gachot. “If it can’t turn the corner in your walk-up, then it’s probably not going to fit in your studio. I learned this one the hard way—twice.” Noted.

20
of 35

Design: Katie Martinez

If you’re feeling hesitant, Andrews wants you to ditch the fear. “Don’t be afraid to try something and take a risk with styling,” he says. “Go for the unexpected, take a look, and then edit.”

21
of 35

 Design: Dazey Den

Even if you love occasional seating, a big comfy sofa will probably be the most practical in a small living room. “You can always bring in a chair or two from the dining room when you have extra people over,” Humphrey suggests.

22
of 35

Design: Coco Lapline Design 

If you like to lounge across a sofa, filling your small-space living room with armchairs may not be the best idea in the long term. So be sure to purchase furniture that suits your needs. “It’s no fun trying to stretch out on a loveseat,” Humphrey says.

23
of 35

 Design: Becca Interiors 

“I love dark, glossy walls in a small room to create a sense of drama and intimacy,” Andrews admits. There’s something so dreamy about living room swathed in a darker shade and we love the look of a dramatic navy. After all, what’s more relaxing than the color of a night sky?

24
of 35

Design: Bespoke Only, Photo: Nicole Franzen

According to feng shui experts, mirrors can double what’s in front of them, so using a mirror (or two) in your small space living room can instantly make it feel bigger. “If you can’t panel the whole wall, hang large mirrors on the walls, ideally opposite a window or door to reflect the light,” Cordony advises.

25
of 35

Design: Katie Hodges Design 

Natale suggests asking a few questions about your space and how you live to make sure there’s a balance of light, color, and texture. A few key ones include: Is there too much of something or not enough of another? Is a particular color or shape dominating the space without enough highlights or drama, or conversely, does the room look bland? 

26
of 35

Photo: Julia Robbs

“Each person should recognize his or her individual lifestyle needs and then commit to a simple vision that suits it,” Gachot advises. Don’t outfit your space in trends if those specific styles don’t appeal to your personal taste. Be sure to purchase pieces that make you feel happy and at home.

27
of 35

Design: Katie Martinez Design

Make sure you don’t choose furniture for one specific home because, if you love it, you’ll want to bring it with you to your next home. “Purchase pieces that will grow with you one day into a larger home, or your next pied-à-terre,” Gachot says. Before you decide on a piece, make sure it’s not too big or too small so that it will work in your future home.

28
of 35

Jenna Peffley; DESIGN: Tali Roth for MyDomaine

Building out a large gallery wall could make a small living room feel cluttered. Instead, opt for one giant piece of oversized art, like in the room pictured. It’ll fill your wall without making the room look too busy.

29
of 35

Ashley Webb

A bulky media console might be practical, but it’s just going to take up way too much precious floor space. Instead, mount your television and utilize built-ins. They’ll offer a space to display your books, trinkets, and vases, without having to add another piece of furniture to your already cramped space.

30
of 35

 Tyler Karu Design

A dark leather sofa is sleek and sophisticated, but it’s not going to do much to open up a small space. Consider adding in furniture with open, woven detailing, like these chairs. Because you can see through the material on the sides, they visually open up the space a bit more.

31
of 35

Victoria Bell Design

Sleek, clean lines can make a space feel less cluttered (and therefore, more open and spacious), which is key in a small living room. But this doesn’t just apply to furniture silhouettes and architectural detailing—arrange all your books in neat, even stacks and make sure your bookshelf styling is symmetrical.

32
of 35

White Sands 

Instead of an armchair, try a built-in bench. This window seat creates a cozy nook, but doesn’t intrude on any floor space, leaving the walkway between the couch and the television open and airy.

33
of 35

White Sands

Instead of one large coffee table, opt for a set of nesting tables. When guests are over or you need more space to hold food or drinks, you can set the nesting tables side-by-side to create the size of a standard coffee table. When not in use, you can store one table underneath the other for a smaller footprint.

34
of 35

Victoria Bell Design

Circular tables inherently take up less space than a rectangular or square coffee table, thanks to their lack of angles. These are ideal in small living rooms since having enough of a walkway is crucial. No one wants to bump into the couch or hit their leg on the table trying to enter or leave the room.

35
of 35

Rikki Snyder 

In a small space, poufs are your new secret weapon. Not only are they stylish and take up little space (seriously, they can even be stored underneath a side or coffee table), but they can serve many different functions. Use them as ottomans, side tables, or even as an extra seat.

How To Decorate A Small Living Room – Forbes Advisor

Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors’ opinions or evaluations.

Lizzie Green/ popixdesigns

If a small living room is cramping your style and has become a place in your home that really isn’t utilized, there are some design tips and tricks to make even the smallest of rooms seem larger. From where to place your furniture to the right kind of lighting, and how to use every inch of the floor and walls so there’s no wasted space, we’ve rounded up 10 small living room ideas that will help you make the most out of your available square footage, no matter the dimensions of your room. If you need small living room design ideas that make a compact room seem spacious and ready for some living, here are ten of our favorite tips for how to decorate a small living room.

Compare Quotes From Top-rated Home Renovation Contractors

Free, No-commitment Estimates

Find a Contractor

1.

Go High

Hilarey Ball / thenewsmallhouse

One of the easiest ways to maximize space in a small living room, and to give the appearance that the room is much larger, is to design up. This means taking your curtains and the curtain rod close to the ceiling instead of right above the window. Make sure to add extra inches to your curtains to avoid an awkward length.

When it comes to your artwork and wall decor, go beyond eye level and build up towards the ceiling. Design your gallery wall to extend to the ceiling or add shelves that are stacked higher than the middle of the wall. When you walk into your living room, these design strategies will pull your eyes upward and give your room the appearance of being larger and more spacious.

2. Go Low

Joi Svezia/ joidan82

Contrast the higher decorating details with lower stylings. From couches and chairs that sit close to the ground, to coffee tables and ottomans that are designed to be low, the contrast of high and low designs will stretch your space and give the illusion of a larger room.

3. Skip the Sofa

Nicole Maxon/ cole.maxon

Instead of crowding your small living room with multiple sofas or a large sectional, make a seating area with two smaller chairs. You can create a cozy space that is welcoming and stylish without shrinking the room. Position the chairs towards the focal point in the room-the fireplace, entertainment center or coffee table- to make the chairs feel connected to the rest of the space.

4. The Right Size Rug

Deb Monroe/ Beacon Valley Home

In a small living room, you’ll want to avoid large pieces of furniture that can crowd the space, but when it comes to the rug, bigger is better. A large rug that fills the space will anchor your room and give the appearance of a much larger living room. A smaller rug can look like it’s floating in the middle of the room and make your space look choppy and small. Not sure what size rug will work in your space? Grab a roll of painters tape and map out the outline of a rug on the floor. Choose different sizes so you can see what size and shape rug will best fill your space and leave your room looking larger.

5. Add Mirrors

Deb Monroe/ Beacon Valley Home

A favorite trick of designers is to add mirrors to a small space to make the room appear bigger. Mirrors add light and dimensions to any room and can be an inexpensive way to create the look of a much bigger space. However, not all mirrors are created equal. Since the goal is to add space, skip mirrors with very large and ornate frames. These frames cut down on the actual mirror and can seem overpowering in a small room. Instead, opt for a small frame around your larger mirror. To boost the reflective powers of your mirrors, pair them with a light source like a table lamp or sconce that is placed close to the mirror. If you are creating a gallery wall, consider adding a mirror into the mix.

Compare Quotes From Top-rated Home Renovation Contractors

Free, No-commitment Estimates

Find a Contractor

6.

Go Vertical

Lizzie Green/ popixdesigns

Use the vertical space in your living room for styling and storage. If your room doesn’t have builts-ins, a floating storage unit can be added to the wall to hold your favorite pieces of decor as well as the TV and other items you’ll want in your living room. Since space is limited, decorating vertically gives you more options and gives the room the appearance of being more spacious. Be sure to decorate from bottom to top in order to pull your eyes up when in the room. A vertical storage unit or shelves are great options if you have an alcove or angled wall that you aren’t sure how to decorate.

7. Bring in the Light

Katie and Stefan/ DoorNumberEleven

Light is a key design feature in any room, but it is essential in a small space. Skip the heavy window treatments that will block out the natural light and choose curtains or shades that will let the light in. Add interesting lamps and light fixtures to your room that go beyond just a lamp on an end table. Brighten a wall and add a fun design detail with wall sconces. Add a light behind a couch or in a corner with floor lamps of varying heights to brighten the room. Don’t forget about the ceiling. A light fixture on the ceiling will draw your eyes up, add interest to your room and lighten your space.

8. Choose Furniture That Moves

Char and Jack/ LittleAvonHouse

From small end tables that can scoot from one end of the room to the other, to an ottoman that can be used as a coffee table, seating or storage, and chairs that can be easily moved around your space, choose furniture that doesn’t have to stay in one spot. A bar cart on wheels means when it’s not cocktail hour, the cart can pull double duty as storage or make room for more seating. By creating a flexible space with furniture that can be moved and rearranged easily, you’ll do a lot more living in your living room.

9. Pop With Color

Brad and Natalie/BradWillBuildIt

A lighter color palette will make your living room look bigger and more spacious, but that doesn’t mean you have to skip on all colors. Instead, add pops of color in a couch, pillows, rug, artwork, or a connecting room that has a bold accent wall. Keep your walls and ceilings light and neutral in a small living room to give the appearance of being larger, but get creative with color in your accent details.

10. Float Your Media Center

Sara Khayatian /nextleveldesigning

If you are looking for a solution to free up floor space, avoid a big and bulky media unit, and create something that is eye-catching, consider a floating media center. Start by mounting your TV to the wall and attaching floating shelves above and below the television. Now you have a place to hide wires and cords but also a spot to add touches of decor and more storage. Slide ottomans under the bottom shelves or transform the lower shelf into an at-home workspace. This is a space you can personalize and make it totally your own.

Compare Quotes From Top-rated Home Renovation Contractors

Free, No-commitment Estimates

Find a Contractor

Your Home. Your Decisions. Our Support.

Get expert advice on your home, design tips, how much to pay for pros and hiring experts, delivered to you daily.

Was this article helpful?

Rate this Article

★
★
★
★
★

Please rate the article

Please enter valid email address

Comments

We’d love to hear from you, please enter your comments.

Invalid email address

Thank You for your feedback!

Something went wrong. Please try again later.

More from

Information provided on Forbes Advisor is for educational purposes only. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.

Amanda is a writer and content creator. When she’s not hosting national and local TV segments, creating DIY and life hacks videos, or writing articles that cover home, parenting, and everything in between, she’s at her favorite job, being a mom of three.

Lexie is an assistant editor who is responsible for writing and editing articles over a wide variety of home-related topics. She has almost four years’ experience in the home improvement space and harnessed her expertise while working for companies like HomeAdvisor and Angi (formerly Angie’s List).

The Forbes Advisor editorial team is independent and objective. To help support our reporting work, and to continue our ability to provide this content for free to our readers, we receive compensation from the companies that advertise on the Forbes Advisor site. This compensation comes from two main sources. First, we provide paid placements to advertisers to present their offers. The compensation we receive for those placements affects how and where advertisers’ offers appear on the site. This site does not include all companies or products available within the market. Second, we also include links to advertisers’ offers in some of our articles; these “affiliate links” may generate income for our site when you click on them. The compensation we receive from advertisers does not influence the recommendations or advice our editorial team provides in our articles or otherwise impact any of the editorial content on Forbes Advisor. While we work hard to provide accurate and up to date information that we think you will find relevant, Forbes Advisor does not and cannot guarantee that any information provided is complete and makes no representations or warranties in connection thereto, nor to the accuracy or applicability thereof. Here is a list of our partners who offer products that we have affiliate links for.

Are you sure you want to rest your choices?

60 photos of interiors, ideas for renovation

A small living room is not a problem. Even the cramped, at first glance, room can easily be turned into a cozy place for evening relaxation in front of the TV, chatting with friends and family holidays. Our ideas and tips will help you to ensure comfort, as well as create a relaxed atmosphere!

Interior style for a small living room

The living room is the face of the house and its arrangement should be given special attention. It is always a pleasure to relax in a beautiful interior, as well as invite friends. To visually increase the space of the room, it is advisable to opt for one of the styles described below. They are united by lightness, unloaded details and predominantly light colors in the finish.

Contemporary living room

This style combines functionality and neatness. Clear graphic lines, soothing monochrome colors, cutting-edge materials and the latest in electronics are the perfect environment for busy people. Modern style is reminiscent of the office, but it can always be complemented with cute home decor, textiles, cushions or houseplants.

Classic living room

The luxurious classic style is characterized by harmony and symmetry. The abundance of white, crystal chandeliers and sconces, mirrors in gilded frames will fill the room with a soft glow.

The main decoration of a small living room in a classic style is carved furniture in ivory color or expensive wood polished to a shine.

Stucco molding, relief cornices, arches, columns are required. The windows are covered with heavy curtains with vertical drapery and jewelry-made tiebacks.

Provence style living room

The charming simplicity of southern France is the best solution for a small romantic living room. The distinctive features of Provence are lace, floral prints on the wallpaper, as well as pastel beige, peach, blue and gray shades. It remains only to get a beautiful service, put a vase with homemade jam and have a tea party!

Loft style living room

The design of a small loft-style living room provides for bare walls, panoramic windows and a minimum amount of furniture. Abstract paintings, black and white photographs, metal floor lamps can act as decor.

Minimalist living room

The name of this direction speaks for itself – a minimum of things, no decorations, only the necessary compact furniture and modern appliances.

Only one of the colors is used, in extreme cases – two. Available in white, grey, beige, silver or blue. Accents can be saturated, but always in a calm range.

Scandinavian style living room

Scandinavian interior style – a snow-white background with a slight admixture of beige, bright accents, as well as a lot of natural light. This design will create a feeling of freshness in a small living room.

Color matters!

To visually enlarge a small living room, it is necessary to keep the design in two or three light or neutral colors. Darker ones can be used in flooring, furniture, neat decor. The pattern should be on one thing – if the walls are decorated, then the textiles are plain, and vice versa. Restrained palette, conciseness, lack of flashy details – this is the secret of a room in which nothing will distract or annoy.

White living room

White color is ideal for the background (walls, ceiling), goes well with other colors – gives them contrast. Makes the living room more spacious and brighter.

Gray living room

Neutral grays tone down objects that are too bright. For vertical surfaces, a bleached tone of dry asphalt, silver, is suitable. Furniture and decor could be darker.

Brown living room

Brown color looks great in autumn colors – from sand to chocolate. Interspersed with orange, red, burgundy or light green shades are possible.

Blue living room

Blue color has a calming effect on the human psyche, cools. A white ceiling, blue walls and light furniture are a magical option for a small living room interior design.

Green living room

Green color has a good effect on vision and improves well-being. Looks beautiful surrounded by natural elements in shades of wood, stones, water and flowers.

Lilac living room

Shades of sunset and lavender fields. A small living room in lilac color will set you in a romantic mood and will become a favorite vacation spot for all the inhabitants of the apartment.

Small living room decoration

To make the living room look impressive, you should choose high-quality, but not necessarily expensive materials for its decoration. The main criterion in this case is aesthetics.

Floor

For flooring in a small living room, natural parquet, laminate and carpet are most often used.

An extravagant design can also be created with self-leveling floors, artificial stone, tiles or porcelain stoneware. A glossy or polished surface will visually add height to the room.

If there are small children in the house, it is worth laying carpets – they will soften falls and warm the kids while playing on the floor, and protect expensive finishes from damage.

Walls

The side background of a small living room should be light, without noticeable color spots. Monochromatic painting, seamless wallpaper (with narrow vertical patterns), brick or stonework, polished stone, plastic panels are suitable.

Panoramic wallpaper with 3D effect, mirror and glass partitions, artistic painting can be an interesting addition.

You can make interesting illuminated niches in plasterboard walls to place appliances, an aquarium, a collection of souvenirs or books.

Ceiling

Best of all in a small living room will look stretch mirror ceiling, two-level plasterboard or combined.

In an economical version, it is enough just to level it and paint it white. All kinds of plastic panels should be abandoned – squares and stripes will visually reduce the height of the room. The same goes for massive hanging chandeliers.

Decor and textiles

The choice of fabrics will largely depend on the overall style of the interior. So, for the classics, satin, silk, velvet textures are ideal; for the loft – translucent white, for Provence and country – in a small flower.

To visually increase the space of a small living room, it is recommended to use light and shiny textiles. Curtains should be in harmony with the rest of the finish, partially repeat the patterns on the wallpaper, emphasize the color of the walls or merge with it.

Attaching a cornice to the ceiling and lowering the curtains to the floor will make the room appear higher. A good solution for a small-sized hall is curtains throughout the wall, always light and with vertical drapery.

Large perspective paintings, mirrors, modular images, family photos and interesting panels are suitable for decoration. Vases with flowers or branches, indoor plants will also be appropriate in the living room.

Collector’s editions of books, figurines and interior candles can be placed on open shelves. In order not to disturb the harmony of a small space, it is advisable to use the decor very sparingly.

Placement of furniture and appliances

The location of the sofa, TV, coffee table, shelves and other important things in a small living room largely depends on its layout. So, in a studio apartment, you will have to combine a recreation area with a dining room, and perhaps also provide for a folding bed; the walk-through living room should somehow be protected, made more comfortable; a rectangular room will need to be balanced using geometric techniques.

Small square living room

The symmetrical harmony of the square allows you to beautifully arrange any furniture under the wall or in the center. Using corner structures, the situation can be made diamond-shaped.

Narrow (rectangular) small living room

In such rooms, usually the door is located opposite the window and the effect of the corridor is obtained. You can improve the situation as follows: curtain the window with white curtains with a smooth horizontal drapery, make the front door large and light – this will increase the narrow walls. Free areas should be trimmed with elements like brickwork or racks with elongated shelves should be arranged.

The broad sides should be mirrored, glossy, with prominent vertical lines of contrasting color and clear form from floor to ceiling.

Plank flooring should be laid parallel to narrow walls.

It is advisable to choose furniture with high backs – a squat one will “smear” the room.

Small irregular living room

If the living room turned out as a result of complex zoning or the owners decided to equip the attic for this purpose, the problem of non-standard planning arises.

In this case, it is worth ordering corner or semi-circular furniture, walls with beveled edges, unusual tables and taking care of the access of light to every part of the space.

Small living room lighting

Proper placement and aesthetic appearance of luminaires can greatly transform any small space. The living room definitely needs at least one powerful lamp on the ceiling, but you should not hang a bulky chandelier if the actual height of the room is less than 4 meters.

Neat spot diodes can be installed along the perimeter, wall lamps can be attached to the wall near the sofa (for example, to make it convenient to read books), and decor or shelves with favorite things can be illuminated with flexible ribbons. In some design options, stylized lanterns, garlands and luminescent elements will look very nice.

Get rid of the feeling of hanging overhead ceiling will help the light coming from below, vertically from the floor. Reflected in a glossy film, it will make the room look higher.

Design of a small living room in Khrushchev

In Khrushchev, as a rule, one cannot do without redevelopment – in such cases the living room is often combined with the kitchen. This helps to increase the area and turn a familiar room into a modern studio.

To save space, it is recommended to stick to minimalism: use compact narrow racks, doors without handles, hang a flat-screen TV on the wall, and not install it on a bulky cabinet.

Upholstered furniture is better to choose folding – so in case of spending the night guests will have an extra bed.

A free corner of a small living room in Khrushchev should be equipped as a workplace: put a computer, a lamp and attach hanging shelves for books.

Integration with other premises

In cramped conditions, a good way to increase the area is to combine the living room with adjacent rooms.

Combination of a small living room and kitchen

This is a very logical option – in the living room they receive friends, relax, and can not do without tea or festive feasts. It is enough to visually separate the cooking area with a bar counter, and on the other hand put a sofa, TV, wall – and you get a comfortable multifunctional studio.

Combination of a living room with a balcony or loggia

By removing the partition between the small living room and the loggia, due to the latter, you can significantly expand the space, as well as arrange a greenhouse or work area. To prevent heat from escaping from the apartment, the balcony will have to be glazed, the cracks closed and well insulated.

Combination of a living room with a hallway or a corridor

This redevelopment option is often found in private houses, but it is also quite suitable for apartments. A few square meters at the entrance can be left for storing clothes and shoes, separating this area, for example, with ceramic floor tiles (to make cleaning easier), and cover the rest of the space with carpet or parquet and use it as a living room.

Small living room design ideas – photo

Our gallery contains the most interesting design solutions for small living rooms. In the photo you can see what effect this or that finish gives, how different combinations of colors look, where it is better to put furniture and appliances. Get inspired!

Video: Small living room design

Interior design of a small living room: design project ideas

The living room is the most difficult room in an apartment or a country house in terms of interior design and arrangement. And if the living room is also small in size, then the task is tripled. But the more thorny the path, the more a person is proud of the results of his efforts! Designing a living room in small apartments is a real test even for experienced designers. Few people succeed in a small living room beautiful, harmonious, modern. At the same time, it is especially important to organize the space ergonomically and maintain a single style. We invite you to read a fascinating article on the topic “Design a small living room”.

Often the living room not only fulfills its direct function – to be the epicenter of home comfort and a room where every invited guest will be accommodated with comfort and pleasure – but also tries on the role of a dining room, a workplace, or even a full-fledged bedroom.

And in this case, the interior of the living room in a small apartment will not do without transformers: folding tables, sofa beds, furniture on wheels, folding ironing boards and multifunctional cabinets. Over time, humanity comes up with more and more devices to make their lives easier.

Mr.Doors does not lag behind: in our desire to create not only beautiful and high-quality, but also functional furniture, we, perhaps, have no equal.

A huge number of our customers will be happy to confirm this, and some may even show their cozy little living rooms in the photo!

Design and interiors of small living rooms in the catalog photo

A bright small living room is a place where its owner will hurry in the evenings after a hard day’s work.

White is the undisputed leader when it comes to choosing a color for a small space. Try not to go too far with it, because you risk getting a cold room as a result, more like a medical worker’s office than a cozy nest of a happy family.

In the direction of visual enlargement of the room, mirrors and glossy surfaces that reflect light sources will play. Speaking of light! Do not choose heavy curtains for small rooms – they will not only block sunlight, but visually hide precious centimeters. Light and weightless tulle is the necessary option if you have a very small living room (as in the photo):

Small modern living room: photos and solutions

Connoisseurs of functional comfort will fall in love with our collections of furniture in the style of “Modern”. Small and roomy racks do not take up much space, but hide everything you need behind their facades. Small living room – minimalism in everything!

The living room is not always a separate room. Sometimes it’s just a huge wardrobe built into a niche, designed exclusively for a given room and equipped with spectacular lighting:

Small living room in a classic style: photos and fresh ideas

The classic interior of a small living room in a house or apartment is not an easy task!

Despite the generally accepted opinion that the classic needs space, we still dare to offer you a design option for a very small living room in a classic style:

most importantly, do not buy a bulky chandelier for a small living room – it will seem to you that it practically lies on your head.

If all conditions are met, the small white classic living room will amaze you with its cosiness and extraordinary atmosphere.

You can look at small corner living rooms in a classic style (and buy for yourself!) in our branded showrooms.

Small living room furniture

The simpler the designs, the lighter and more spacious the room as a whole will seem. Opt for chairs with thin legs and small tables. Try to place interesting, but small lamps on the ceiling.

Small living room. Interior design and photo:

Be careful when designing a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe for your living room. Thus, you will simply cut off a rather impressive piece of the room. Light low furniture and open shelves are beautiful and stylish solutions for a small living room. However, the decision, of course, is up to you!

How to furnish a small living room

A time-consuming and very responsible process that will require maximum attention and patience from you. Gather a family council, for example, under the heading “Design of a small living room-bedroom” and discuss how each of the household sees the result.

Make a list of what you must have and what you can do without.

Now the Internet is replete with a huge number of photos of finished interiors – why not take advantage of this? You may not find “your” version there, but you will play your fantasy to glory.

Arrangement of furniture in a small living room

How to furnish a small living room? Look at the photo!

Before you start buying furniture and selecting accessories, you need to decide on the main purpose of the room and choose the “main item”. In most cases, this role is played by a TV, an aquarium or a fireplace.

When the center is chosen, things will go faster: build a composition so that every member of your family has a place and every guest wants to return to your house.

You are very lucky if you have a small square living room at your disposal! Arranging furniture in such a room is much easier.

If the process drags on, come to any nearest Mr.Doors furniture showroom. Our professional designers will only need a room plan with approximate dimensions and a little of your time to develop and draw a design project, even if your goal is the interior of a small living room in a country house!

Small living room zoning

Living rooms combined with a kitchen or hallway are gaining popularity, and a small living room with a balcony is generally good luck! Then the size of the room with which the living room is combined begins to play a role. If the kitchen is also small, then as a result you will get just a small kitchen-living room. But if the kitchen has the right dimensions, the result will surely suit you. At the same time, the apartment will remain small, but at the same time it will be quite spacious and full of air.

When combining the living room and kitchen area, combine the room with a common finish. You can conditionally distinguish between them using a cozy sofa or bar counter. In addition, the creation of a border is possible using decorative light.

Small living room ideas pictured

Small living rooms look infinitely cozy, where the furniture is arranged wisely. Do not be afraid to experiment and combine several zones in one room, then the layout of a small living room will give you a lot of pleasure.

Living room furniture can also serve as a partition between the kitchen and the living room itself. Agree that this is an amazing idea! Interior design and layout of a small kitchen-living room especially for you:

You will learn about a huge number of fresh ideas and unusual solutions if you find time to visit the Mr. Doors furniture studio, where you can choose furniture for yourself slowly.

There you will be pleased with the best service, tell the history of the brand, and also demonstrate our collections. You will be able to see for yourself the quality and functionality of the furniture that Mr.Doors has been producing for more than 20 years especially for its customers.

Small living room – 77 photos of impeccable design

A spacious and bright apartment in which a bright living room is a dream for many, because the realities are as follows: the presence of a room that is modest in size.

How to make the interior of a small living room cozy? There are quite a few interior designs available today.

When planning a room, it is worth following a number of tips on the choice of materials for finishing, when choosing decor, to give a tiny living room style and homeliness.

Content of the article:

• Extension of space
• Color design
• furniture and decor
• Light in room
• Photo design of a small living room

9000 all means to make the available space visually more spacious.

Because in principle it is impossible to add “squares” in fact, it is worth using rationally what is.

The simplest and most affordable way is to use compact cabinet furniture – when creating a contrast, the brain begins to perceive the room visually larger against the background of the furniture.

Doors “steal” the area, valuable meters, and therefore it is best to completely abandon them.

In a narrow room, mirrors give the room a special depth. For this purpose, it is worth using a stretch ceiling with a glossy surface – the room seems to be getting higher.

Very small living rooms can also look spacious with proper lighting, so the windows should be large. Window decoration – light light curtains – no thick curtains.

You can also visually expand the room with the help of redevelopment, for example, you can connect the living room with the kitchen.

Colors

A small living room needs to be bright, and that goes for any living room. With the help of light surface finishes, perhaps in one tone, you can add depth to the space.

To expand the space a bit, you need to choose light wallpaper with a vertical pattern. The stripes should not be flashy, literally invisible.

There are several options for how to use color in a small living room:

• Monochrome – a combination of black and white, interspersed with other colors, due to which the room looks more spacious and wider.
• If the windows are north, a warm range of colors is used, and vice versa, if the windows are south, then cold.

The pale mood of the room is diluted with a contrasting color, however, dosed.

One wall is accentuated with color, combined wallpapers are glued, and fresh decor will allow you to perceive the living room in a completely different way.

Furniture and decor

The attractiveness of furniture matters, but it is secondary, because in a modest living room there is no place for a massive and monofunctional soft sofa.

But a wardrobe with mirrored doors is not just a convenient way to store things, but also a way to visually expand the space a little.

The design of a small living room suggests that there should be a minimum of everything in it, because in this way you can rationally use all the available space.

Furniture can be modular, functional, which not only does not change the “squares” of the room, but also allows you to quickly change the boring interior.

The glossy surface of the facades – a way to expand the room

Shelves and tables should be made of glass, because this way the living room in a small apartment will not look overloaded. The furniture will look elegant, airy.

Carefully use pictures on the wall, photographs. The frames should be light, the location should be rational.

An abundance of decor is unacceptable, because any thing must be strictly in its place. The abundance of paintings hanging on the walls, shelves with a sea of ​​figurines, create chaos and disorder in the room – the room will not be stylish.

Light in the room

The defining moment for a small room is light. Everything is extremely clear with natural light – a large window, light tulle. With artificial lighting, it’s just a little different.

A massive chandelier will look cumbersome in the room. It is best to use not one chandelier, but a pair of lamps, sconces. You need to place them on different walls.

Lighting can be spot lighting, energy-saving lamps can be used to make the room look larger.

Look through the photo of a small living room on the Internet – you will notice that the light is also used for zoning the room.

If you previously combined the living room with the kitchen, then you can zone it for different functional spaces using lamps of different directions. This is the only way to bring to the end what the designer intended.

Photo design of a small living room

9000 9000

005

Small living room design, 127 photos.

Beautiful interiors and design

Designing a small space is always a challenge for a designer. After all, here we are talking not only about creating an interesting interior, but first of all about making the interior not just beautiful, but ergonomic, comfortable in absolutely everything. And, of course, I want to avoid this unpleasant feeling, as if the walls are “pressing” on you: the room, despite its small size, should still seem spacious. This is exactly what we will talk about today – how to create the right design for a small living room.

Interior of a small living room – light walls

In any small room, walls are best painted in light, light shades like beige or light gray. Thanks to this technique, the room will appear larger, and beautiful modern furniture will come to the fore.

Interior design for a small living room – choosing a sofa

A low sofa is best suited for the interior of a small living room. Place a seemingly weightless coffee table with a glass top on an aluminum frame in front of the sofa. However, solid wood will also look good.

Read also: ideas of beautiful magazine tables, 48 ​​photos

The interior of a small living room with a glass coffee table

Small living room, combined with a kitchen

Design of a small living room in black and red-white tones

000 9000

Complete the interior with furniture or accessories made of transparent acrylic or on thin legs that take up almost no space visually and give the room a modern look. Coffee tables, bookshelves, desks, even acrylic plant pots are easy to find in stores. Place a floor lamp with a clear acrylic base and a black or white shade next to the reading chair.

Small living room interior – mirrors

Hang a mirror above the sofa to make the room appear larger. A mirror in a silver metal frame or frameless will perfectly cope with its task, besides it will give the interior a modern touch. And different-sized mirrors of a round or oval shape can be interestingly grouped, forming a whole composition.

Photo of a small living room with color accents

Opt for an accent color that will brighten up the neutral color scheme of the entire room. Scatter bright decorative pillows on the sofa, put an eye-catching carpet on the floor. Place a large glass vase of sunny yellow tulips on your coffee table. There are many options, as well as bright colors.

Bright colors for a living room in a small apartment

The most suitable colors for the design of a small living room are blue, green, orange and yellow. Cold shades of blue and green may seem too pale, but pastel shades of the same colors will create the perfect spring atmosphere. Warm orange and yellow, depending on the intensity of the color, will give the interior either a calm and cozy mood, or energize the room. Pink can also be used to design a small living room, but in small quantities and not very bright, unless you really, really like this color.

Blue walls in the interior of a small living room

Combination of green and orange for a small living room

Walls painted in different colors can always revive the design of a small living room. By painting one wall, you will create a bright accent; if you want to paint all the walls at once, which is also possible, consider a more neutral color scheme for furniture and accessories.

Design of a small living room in neutral colors with a separately painted wall

Another interesting trick is to use the combination of different color palettes, for example, to combine the cool tone of the walls with the warm tone of the furniture. Thus, you can create an unusual creative environment.

The combination of warm and cold colors in the interior of a small kitchen-living room

In general, the bright interior of a small living room is by no means a taboo. A carpet of flashy shades, decorative pillows of cheerful shades will refresh the room and improve your mood. And the best thing is that these decorative elements can be put away in the closet at any time and replaced with others that best suit your mood at the moment.

Sofa in the interior of a small living room

What living room is without a sofa, right? This is the central element of each living room, the arrangement of all other pieces of furniture will “dance” from the location and configuration of the sofa. But when choosing a sofa for a small living room, you must, of course, take into account its size: choose two or three-seater models, no more. However, multi-seat corner sofas, despite their bulkiness, can be very useful in terms of space zoning, especially in studios.

Zoning a small kitchen-living room with a corner sofa

Arrangement of furniture in a small living room

Who among us has not stumbled over the table in front of the sofa? How often this happens depends on how comfortable a person will feel in the room. Properly organized space plays a big role for our convenience, therefore, when planning the interior design of a small living room, pay attention to maintaining a distance of at least 60 cm between individual pieces of furniture. This is just as important as the visual balance in the room. It is better to make a choice in favor of furniture of small sizes.

Design of a small living room with cool walls

You can also zone the space with the help of a carpet

Design of a one-room studio apartment

You can use various stands instead of a magazine table1

Or, for example, stumps

Interior of a small living room of a hunter

Decorate the interior of a small living room with a composition of paintings or mirrors

Neutral color scheme for designing a small living room with blue pillows as an accent

Book element

9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 interior design of a small kitchen-living room0004

9000

Glass wall as room divider

Small kitchen-living room with blue walls

9000

year, they do not consider the living room as a separate room, especially a small one. What is there to do, watch TV? This can also be done in the bedroom. Receive guests in the kitchen, etc. There is simply no point in a small living room. You need to attach a kitchen, corridor or hallway, and this will be the only right option. If this is not possible, consider what to do with a small living room, but these are all compromises. About the interior design of a normal-sized living room, the article is better.

• Expanding the living room space
  • Actually – redevelopment
  • Visually – ideas
• Design of a small living room through color, light and furniture
  • Color in the living room
  • Light and accessories
  • Furniture for a small living room

0 6 SPECION 9,0007 — redevelopment

We have a very cool material (much better than this) for the design of a studio apartment. Even in very small apartments, you can make tricky redevelopments that directly significantly improve the quality of living.

If you’re afraid of redevelopment because of complexity or cost, don’t. Relocation of walls and other changes in the geometry of the room usually cost up to $ 1000 with all materials and work. This is minuscule when compared with the cost of an apartment. To refuse redevelopment there must be reasons not related to money and complexity.

Customization always pays off.

In general, a room can be called small with a footage of up to 12 square meters. Anything larger is medium size. For expanding space the living room is combined with the kitchen , hallway or balcony. You can combine the premises by dismantling one or more walls, the main thing is to make sure that the wall is not load-bearing. Another option, less radical, is the construction of arched vaults or through niches instead of doorways. A wide plasterboard arch is suitable for combining a living room with a balcony, and if you create a niche with shelves in it, then flower pots will comfortably fit in it. Learn that it is very difficult to officially agree on the combination of a living room with a balcony .

In order to get a harmonious interior after such a combination, it is important to think over the style of the room, colors, furniture and lighting, while you need to correctly divide the room into functional areas.

Since the removal of the walls is a serious step, it is worth weighing all the pros and cons of such a layout. Despite the convenience and spaciousness, there are some inconveniences. For example, if you combine the kitchen with the living room, then when cooking, the smells scatter outside the kitchen, so you need to immediately take care of ventilation. And any mess on the tables or in the work area will immediately catch your eye.

A good solution is to combine the living room with the hallway , when there is a small area with a hanger and a place for shoes near the front door, and the rest of the room belongs to the living room. With such a layout, when entering the apartment, a feeling of spaciousness is created. When creating an interior in combined rooms, it is better to zone the space with furniture, rather than partitions. For example, you can separate the dining area from the seating area using a bar counter, and you can separate the hallway from the living room by installing a sofa in this place.

Visual – Ideas

Without water, straight to the point.

• The use of mirrors and glossy textures. The light, reflected from the shiny surfaces, is evenly scattered around the room and gives it lightness. For this purpose, glass partitions are suitable if the room is divided into zones, mirrored doors in furniture, a table with a glass surface.
• Create an accent on one of the walls. This technique will divert attention from other walls, and erase the boundaries and correct the flaws in the layout. For a harmonious and complete design, you can choose accessories to match the color of the accent wall.
• Custom solutions. The use of unusual shades, a combination of different shapes and textures, the rejection of the usual arrangement of furniture – all this focuses on itself, distracting from the cramped area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe living room.
• Changing space with lines. Horizontal lines along the perimeter of the walls will make the room wider, and vertical lines will visually raise the ceiling.
• Diagonal rule. It does not involve the standard arrangement of furniture, parallel to the walls, but the installation of objects diagonally, at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the walls. You can enhance the effect of such an arrangement if you leave the center of the room free.
• Reflection method. A non-standard approach to the visual expansion of the room. It consists in the mirror arrangement of identical objects. For example: identical sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, vases. If you combine this technique with hanging real mirrors, the illusion of a large space is created.

The design of a small living room is a constant play with light and space in order to create a visual illusion and increase the perceived area.

Small living room design through color, light and furniture

By 2019, they have already been tested and have become the standard.

Color in the living room

It is better to decide on the color scheme before the start of cardinal changes. Light colors in the decoration of the walls and ceiling will immediately make the room wider. Dark shades, on the contrary, hide an already limited space. In addition, a calm color scheme will positively affect the well-being and mood of the residents.

Successful color combinations in a small living room:

• White color will successfully cope with the task of expanding the space. Walls and ceilings painted in white will visually hide the boundaries and facilitate the design of the room. The same applies to light furniture, but you should take care of practicality, and pick up chairs and sofas with removable covers.
• Black and white design. Such a contrast solution will visually enlarge the room, but at first glance it seems boring. In this case, bright details and color accents will enliven the living room and make it more comfortable.
• The interior in yellow shades will decorate the living room, the windows of which face the north side. Sunny colors will warm the room, bring liveliness and charge with optimism.
• The south-facing living room looks great with cool tones. Light blue combined with blue or green gives a feeling of freshness, while gray shades look stylish when complemented with warm colors.

Do not use bright or large prints in wall decoration, it is better to choose wallpaper with a small, unobtrusive pattern. An example of a successful design of a small living room can be borrowed in the Provence style – with elegant furniture, light pastel shades and simple decor.

Lighting and accessories

Along with the choice of color, it is important to take care to clear the room of unnecessary objects. Excess furniture and accessories accumulate dust and create a feeling of tightness.

The design of a small living room is highly dependent on the right lighting. First of all, it is important to create an influx of natural light by choosing light curtains for windows. Artificial lighting should not be limited to one chandelier, but it is better to disperse additional light sources around the entire perimeter of the living room. It is important that the chandelier be modest in size and decorations, otherwise it will hide part of the free space, distracting the eye.

It is worth using all the possibilities for a real and visual increase in the area. If the room has high ceilings, then you can use the vertical space, to do this, install the sofa on a special podium with shelves and drawers, make the original lighting below, and hang shelves for storing small things on the walls.

It is not desirable to occupy the space of a small living room with a lot of accessories : figurines, vases, paintings. This creates a sense of chaos. Pictures and photographs on the walls should be placed carefully so as not to overload the space. It is better to choose light images in discreet frames. In the photo below, an accent wall, a painting, a concrete ceiling are perfect.

Fireplace is a symbol of home warmth and comfort. It fits perfectly into the atmosphere of the living room. And even in a small space, it will look appropriate, the main thing is to properly organize its installation. For a small living room, a fireplace with an artificial flame is suitable, which looks quite realistic in appearance, and thus creates a feeling of peace. Various shapes and colors of electric fireplaces will fit into any interior. Therefore, in a compact living room, it is better to choose a compact light-colored fireplace that matches the color of the walls exactly. It is important to place the TV and the fireplace at a distance from each other, since both devices attract attention.

Furniture for a small living room

To properly use every centimeter of free space in the living room, it is better to think over the arrangement of furniture in the interior in advance. Thanks to this plan, it will be possible to avoid errors with the size and number of items. It is better to choose compact furniture, especially if this does not affect its functionality. The best option is transformable and foldable furniture: a sofa bed or a folding table. It is worth thinking about a storage system for things and small things. To do this, it is not necessary to buy a wall or install massive cabinets, it is enough to provide furniture with additional drawers and compartments.

In order not to overload the living room space with unnecessary furniture, you should start from the necessary minimum: TV, sofa and coffee table. If you need a wardrobe, then the most suitable option is a wardrobe with mirrored doors. For a small living room, a soft sofa in the form of a corner is well suited. And although with its help it will not be possible to save space, since it has an impressive size, it will fit well into the overall picture, becoming the central part of the interior. In addition, the number of seats on the folded sofa will allow you to do without additional chairs.

It is important that after the arrangement of furniture there is free space between objects.

We invite you to think again about the expediency of a small living room. Small bedroom is ok, living room is not ok. If there are at least some opportunities to redevelop, try to implement them.

Save and share – come in handy!

Design of a small living room – photo of 2019, 100 modern ideas

Contents:

• Small living room layout
• Square
• Rectangular
• Corner
• Balcony
• How to arrange the furniture?
• Color Solutions
• Style Tips
• Techniques for Visually Expanding the Space
• Small Living Room Interiors
• With a Fireplace
• With a Clock on the Wall
• small living room, about modern ideas 2019years, about how to choose a design. And be sure to show everything in the photo examples in the interior.

  Layout of a small living room

  In order to determine the organization of space, it is necessary to take into account the layout of the room. Let’s look at what small living rooms can be.

  Square

  Ideal for a small living room is a square shape. There is no need to visually adjust the space. In such a room, you can arrange furniture, both along the walls and in the center.

  Rectangular

  A narrow rectangular room needs careful planning, as the standard position of the door is opposite the window, which causes the effect of a corridor.

  To get rid of it, there are several design tricks:

  • increase the doorway or even abandon the door and make the opening look like a wide arch;
  • curtains for windows choose light, slightly draped along a horizontal line;
  • make wide walls glossy or use a vertical pattern;
  • Lay floorboards parallel to narrow walls.

  Narrow living room with sleeping area.

  Corner

  If you have a corner living room of a non-standard shape, then take care of sufficient lighting for each area. Most often, such a space should be made light, giving preference to unusual forms of furniture.

  Balcony

  The balcony in the living room allows for natural light. Modern designers often use a technique that allows you to use it as a summer option for expanding space.

  Some increase the room at the expense of the loggia, warming it.

  How to arrange the furniture?

  The main task of designing a small living room is to visually expand the space. Therefore, you should not furnish it with massive furniture, but rely on compact options.

  When choosing your living room furniture, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

  • The furniture should not look too big or take up too much space;
  • light shades will make it lighter;
  • adhere to regular geometric shapes;
  • diversify the light background of upholstered furniture with bright decorative pillows.

  A good option for a small room is to use furniture that can be easily transformed. For example, a sofa bed or a sofa with pouffes, which can be assembled into a corner or placed around a small table for tea drinking with friends.

  Color solutions

  The choice of color scheme for the living room depends on the location of the windows and the sufficiency of natural light. The southern rooms can be “cooled” a little and refreshed with cold shades, while the northern ones need a warm range.

  Small rooms need to be made visually more spacious. Therefore, light colors are most often used here, which do a good job of expanding the space. A pastel, beige palette of finishes, combined with light furniture and glass accessories, makes the living room light and bright.

  Dark colors, on the contrary, visually hide a small space and make it gloomy. Designers are advised to abandon such colors so that the interior of the living room is more pleasant and comfortable to be there.

  The addition of bright details in the living room is not excluded, which will look harmoniously in the whole appearance of the room. It can be an accent wall, furniture, carpet or other decor that will stand out from the crowd. But this technique should not be used for a large number of elements, otherwise the interior will seem overloaded with colors.

  Wallpaper plays an important role in the color of a small living room, read about the latest trends and novelties of this year here –

  https://desmyhome.ru/gostinaja/oboi-dlja-gostinoj-sovremennye-idei/

  Tips for choosing style

  The choice of style for a small living room should be taken responsibly. We list those that are most often used in its design.

  • Modern . Differs in functionality and convenience. Wood, concrete and glass harmoniously exist here. Graphic details on the walls make the interior interesting, while sofa cushions, a rug and a plaid soften it.
  • Scandinavian . Embodies lightness and freshness, so it is great for a small living room. White walls, ceiling create a background that expands the boundaries. In order for natural light to fill the space as much as possible, you should abandon the curtains on the windows. Interesting details can be lamps of unusual shapes, paintings, bright decorative pillows.
  • Provence . The subtlety of French manners is combined with rustic simplicity in a romantic Provencal style. In such a living room there are lace curtains, floral patterns on a delicate background in beige, pink or peach shades. Various graceful figurines, porcelain vases and live plants become an addition to solid, rather massive furniture.
  • Classic Neutral calm shades, natural materials, lamps made of glass or crystal, paintings and mirrors in gold frames are the distinctive elements of this style. Modern technical innovations easily fit into the atmosphere of the classics.

  Although you can usually find massive curtains on the windows in such an interior, in a small living room on the shady side it is better to make a lighter version or catch them with elegant ribbons. The beauty and symmetry of the space is complemented by stylish clocks and paintings.

  Techniques to visually expand the space

  Making a room bigger is easy, knowing a few secrets from interior designers:

  1. Give up large patterns and prints on the walls, give preference to plain surfaces or small drawings.
  2. Mirrors add light and expand the space. They can be on the wall or in the form of furniture inserts.
  3. Do not overload the room with many small details.
  4. It is acceptable to use gradient coloring of the walls, which will add brightness to the room. Be careful, this technique can visually overload the room.
  5. Pay special attention to lighting. If there is not enough natural light, add lights so that there are no dark areas.

  Small living room interiors

  Let’s look at beautiful interiors where a small living room looks elegant and stylish.

  Also well thought out and compact.

  With fireplace

  The hearth has the unique ability to turn even the simplest interior into a room where homeliness, comfort and a welcoming atmosphere reign. When organizing a fireplace in the living room, you need to know that it will become a key element.

  Of course, it is impossible to install a traditional fireplace in a city apartment. But the range of electrical analogues allows you to adapt it to a decorative portal and create the necessary atmosphere.

  Most often, the fireplace is installed close to the TV wall.

  And just below it.

  Read more about the interiors of the hall with a fireplace here.

  With a clock on the wall

  The clock in the living room is more often a decorative element. Stylish in their execution, they will be a great addition to the design of the walls.

  An important point when choosing a wall clock is the style in which the living room is decorated.

  For Provence, it can be a clock with a wooden frame, for a classic – a sophisticated mechanism in a gold frame, for Scandinavian – only arrows on the wall.

  Modern ideas

  Among the trends of recent years, one can observe a tendency to combine several rooms into one to increase small-sized areas. So, for example, the living room is combined:

  • with kitchen;
  • loggia.

  This technique is very successful in most cases.

  Eco-friendly and safe materials in decoration are the next modern trend. Light natural shades behave well in small rooms. Bright accents are also acceptable.

  The minimum amount of furniture will make the living room more spacious: focus on upholstered furniture, compact storage systems and abandon the traditional massive walls.