37 Small Living Room Ideas for Maximum Space and Style
- Layer your lighting
- Open up walls (when possible)
- Create an accent wall
- Consider mirrors
- Install open concept wall mounted shelves
- Opt for neutral walls
- Mix floor and wall colorways
- Be strategic with your artwork
- Opt for multi-purpose furniture
- Use a variety of heights and depths
- Consider small artwork
- Add vases to your space
- Reorganize
- Avoid floor cabinets
- Apply minimalism
- Consider a low sofa
- Go monochromatic
Full Answer
How to decorate a small living room beautifully?
Small Living Room Ideas to Make the Most of Itty Bitty Spaces
- Go long. It can be difficult to decorate a narrow room. ...
- Elevate an alcove. Even a tiny alcove, like in this New York apartment, can work as the perfect living room. ...
- Embrace a multipurpose room. ...
- Size down and build up. ...
- Look to decor stores as inspiration. ...
- Get your reflection on. ...
- Fill ‘er up. ...
- Cozy eclectic. ...
- Go for the wow factor. ...
- Keep things linear. ...
How do I design a small living room?
50 Best Small Living Room Design Ideas
- Eclectic Elegance. Source: interiorsbycolor.com This little beauty highlights how each piece in a space can be wildly different yet still be harmonious.
- Earthly Pleasures. Source: chumfm.com This room has a money-saving secret in its design. ...
- Recreational Activities. ...
- Monochrome with Color. ...
- The Fine Line. ...
- A Marriage of Styles. ...
- Wooden Wonder. ...
- New York Shorty. ...
How to design and lay out a small living room?
- Color palette: In small spaces, use three colors maximum, but a two-color palette works best. An all-white color palette can be beautiful in small spaces.
- Wall color: Purchase your furnishings before choosing your wall color. ...
- Minimal design: Keep furnishings to a minimum. ...
How to decorate a small living room on a budget?
Method 1 Method 1 of 3: Adding Inexpensive Accessories Download Article
- Add a variety of plants to bring your living room to life. Potted plants will always be an excellent and inexpensive choice for decorative purposes. ...
- Use embellishments on items you already have to add sparkle. ...
- Install new light fixtures or lamps to brighten up your living room. ...
- Use curtains or blinds to change the look of your entire living room. ...
How can I make a small living room look nice?
The best tricks to make a small living look bigger are:Painting walls and ceilings a pale or light color.Choosing reflective finishes for walls and floors – in tasteful moderation.Hanging mirrors.Decluttering and investing in smart storage to keep surfaces as clear as possible.More items...•
How do you arrange furniture in a small living room?
In a small living room, arrange furniture around a designated focal point. A TV, fireplace, window, or piece of wall decor can all serve as the room's center of attention. Position furnishings around or directly facing the focal point to maintain a clear view.
How can I brighten up my small living room?
Bring in the Light 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.
Which sofa is best for small living room?
In any small space, it's crucial to invest in pieces that can do double duty. A sleeper sofa with removeable seat cushions does just that. Sleeper sofas are multi-functional and are excellent for saving space. If you want to use your living room as a primary bedroom, try a sofa bed with built-in storage units.
Does the sofa have to face the TV?
While it's always a safe choice to have your sofas directly facing your television, it's not the only way you can arrange your seating. If you take a look at interior design inspiration articles, you'll see that there are so many different ways you can arrange your living room.
What color makes a small room look bigger?
Naturally, white is an obvious choice for making a room feel bigger. It's no secret that light colors make a room look larger, especially if the space is bathed in natural light. Eggshell or satin finishes will help reflect the light, creating the appearance of even more space.
What Colour makes a room look bigger?
In the design world, it's well known that light paint colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Light and bright walls are more reflective, making a space feel open and airy, which helps maximize natural light's effect. Dark shades tend to absorb light, making rooms feel smaller.
What color curtains brighten a room?
But really, any white curtains will give you a similar effect. You can even choose to go with a light grey, or beige color – any curtains that are light and neutral will let plenty of light through.
Make The Best of Strange Angles
A feature wall is a great way to properly weigh and focus a room with awkward angles, like in this room from Alvhem, that uses a bold floral wallpa...
Invite Tiny Keepsakes & Treasures Into Your Space
In this charming living room via Domino, your attention is occupied and delighted by all the personal accents and accessories that draw you into ea...
Keep Things Monochromatic
In this space by The Apartment St Kilda via Instagram, the crisp white walls serve as the perfect canvas for the oversize jet black lighting fixtur...
Floor to Ceiling Draperies
Draperies are the quickest way to add instant height to any space. The trick is to hang them from right around where your wall meets your ceiling a...
Behold The Power of Threes
Grouping items into threes like in this space on SFGirlbyBay is a great way to make a living room feel a bit bigger by adding more pieces to a spac...
Don't Overlook Underused Spots
If you have some windows in your tiny living room, put those window sills to work holding books, plants and other decorative objects.
Forego Traditional Pieces
We're so conditioned by the living room formula sofa + coffee table, but what if you focused on doing what works for you and how you live instead?...
Get Creative With Storage
Okay, so this one is reserved for homeowners who can invest in custom solutions, but how enviable is this media center designed by London-based fir...
Skip The Coffee Table in Place of An Ottoman Or Pouf
This space from Cup of Jo is by no means a small living room, but let's pretend for a second that it is to learn a thing or two from it. See those...
Who designed the small living room in London?
The small living room in this luxe London apartment designed by David Long Designs is the epitome of regal chic. A silvery-gray palette sets the stage for a layer of beautiful accessories in rich colors and lush fabrics. The cherry on top is the commissioned portrait that makes the room feel bigger by drawing the eye up.
How to add visual interest to a living room?
Adding a bookcase or shelves behind your sofa is a sneaky and effective way to add visual interest and storage to your living room. In this design, light colors and a large window also help to maximize apparent space.
How many square feet is Havenly's living room?
If you're looking to start decorating your space from scratch, the living room in this 600-square foot apartment decorated by Havenly reveals a simple formula for small space decorating.
What to do with white walls?
White walls can be dull, but they can also create a calming mood. Consider embracing a white-on-white interior. Pairing your white walls with equally pale furniture is an elegant and straightforward way to make any small space feel brighter and larger. For character, add pops of colors and splashes of texture.
What makes a low ceiling look higher?
If your low ceiling is cramping your style, then take a good look at these walls in a home decorated by Sheer and Company. The subtle vertical stripes make the low ceiling in this compact living room seem higher.
What to do if your living room is lacking architectural detail?
If your living room is lacking architectural detail, it's easy to create an affordable and unique touch without undergoing a costly renovation. Show off your personal style by creating a feature wall like this one from Joe Human that transforms your room into an eye-catching focal point.
Can a small living room be a style?
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.
How to decorate a living room that is limited in size?
When decorating a living room that’s limited in size, trying to fit everything i can make it feel cramped and cluttered. Most living rooms have couches or chairs, a television and maybe even a small table or ottoman. Adding colored walls, photos, artwork, lamps, curtains and pillows can begin to make a room look and feel even smaller.
What do you need to make a room look smaller?
Most living rooms have couches or chairs, a television and maybe even a small table or ottoman. Adding colored walls, photos, artwork, lamps, curtains and pillows can begin to make a room look and feel even smaller.
How to use wall space wisely?
Installing a few hanging shelves for books, decor or storage is an excellent way to use your wall space wisely. Instead of adding bulky cabinets or tables, keep your items on your walls for a clean and open look. Open shelves are perfect living room decor for both small and large spaces.
How to make a large couch look more oversized?
Ditch the large couch and go for a collection of plush, oversized chairs. Create dimension by adding a large rug and placing the chairs around the perimeter. For a stylish look, go for an eclectic collection of chairs.
How to make a room look bigger?
Placing your furniture away from your walls not only adds a bit more walking space but will help give the illusion of a roomier living room. Adding low sofas, chairs and tables will help add to a more spacious looking room.
What to do instead of a large couch?
Instead of a large couch, shop around for a cute corner booth. This unique piece of furniture will draw the eye away from the space itself and give your room a little extra space.
How to maximize space in a living room?
Always look for ways to maximize your space. If your living room has some built-in shelves, use them for storage, as a small library, or modify them to fit your TV.
What is the best way to make a small living room feel small?
Even a tiny alcove, like in this New York apartment, can work as the perfect living room. Emphasize the coziness of a small footprint with soft textures and calming colors, both of which can make a tiny area feel intentionally small.
How to decorate a narrow room?
Find furniture with smaller dimensions and leggy, airy pieces that don’t have a lot of visual weight. Place key furnishings like your sofa and large bookcases against the wall to take advantage of every square inch of floor space.
How to add height to a room?
Draperies are the quickest way to add instant height to any space. The trick is to hang them from right around where your wall meets your ceiling and let them slightly puddle on the ground.
How to add storage to a living room?
If you’re looking to add storage/display surfaces to your living room, consider going leg-free and attaching units directly to the wall (like this Besta unit from IKEA in a room via Livet Hemma ). Floating large pieces like this tricks the eye into thinking less space has been taken up because the floor area is still free (plus, you can use that newly found space for even more storage should you feel the need).
How to make a living room feel bigger?
Grouping items into threes is a great way to make a living room feel a bit bigger by adding more pieces to a space without taking up more real estate. (Not to mention you can move smaller furnishings like these around as needed.)
How to turn a sad room into a fun room?
To turn a small, sort of sad living space into your favorite room, consider taking an empty wall and turning it into a top-to-bottom mini library. It’ll provide plenty of storage opportunities, but also makes such a statement and gives a luxe built-in effect. For an even more stylish push, pick a rich color, like the hunter green of this room, and add molding to polish off the custom look.
What does a sectional feel like in a tiny room?
In a tiny space, you might be afraid of overwhelming things with too-large furniture, but oftentimes, if you go full throttle with a large sectional that hugs the walls, you’ll get a room that #1 seats a ton of people and #2 feels super welcoming and cozy. Take notes from this home we toured in the UK that fits a family of four.
How many different small living room designs are there?
45 amazing different small living room designs and ideas. Browse this massive photo gallery for all kinds of excellent compact ideas and examples.
How big is a small living room?
Living room dimensions may vary, but a small living room is typically either a 7’ x 10’ or a 10’ x 13’ area (your living room may be smaller or a bit larger). If you live in an apartment, such as a studio space or a smaller one-bedroom, there may be no walls that define your living room from your dining area.
What is the mirror on the slipcovered sofa?
A mirror shaped like a wagon wheel hangs above part of the slipcovered sofa. The dark side table and coffee table provide stunning contrast to the taupe walls, carpet, and natural fiber area rug, in addition to the sharper contrast with the white sofa and chair. The lamp on the left has a wrought iron base with a vine pattern.
What is a traditional living room?
A traditional living room with a light tile floor and an ornate floral rug and tall windows on the rear wall. All of the furniture has nailhead trim accents and a delicate floral pattern. Accents include pictures, urns, and a houseplant.
What is a half room?
A long room with floor-to-ceiling windows divided into two sections. Half is a series of modern, white loveseats, ottoman, and armless chair, and the other half contains a beautiful glass table with upholstered dining chairs. A small overhead light above the tall glass vase filled with gladiolas lights the dining space. On either side of the bar are tall floor lamps.
What is a small living room with a fireplace?
A small living room with an ornate fireplace mantle and a screened wood-burning fireplace. White built-ins to the left of the fireplace are perfect for displaying ceramics. French doors and windows along the back wall let in ample natural light to the contemporary, yet traditional space. Light blues are brought in by the rug, pillows, and other small accents. Glass vases grace the ornate mantle.
What color is a modular coffee table?
The furniture is in a light beige with yellow tones, and pastels in the throw pillows and curtains add a subtle, chic dash of color.
What is the best way to decorate a small living room?
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.
How can I arrange my small living room?
If you have or have ever had a narrow room at home, then you’ll be more than aware of the tricky task of making it look wider than it actually is, while desperately trying to make every corner look cozy. You’ve probably spent hours rearranging furniture in a frenzied attempt to make your rectangular space look more square, but in the back of your mind you know that unless you knock down the walls and rebuild the room from scratch, there’s just nothing you can do.
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.
What is the focal point of a small room?
When decorating a small 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.
How to make a long room feel homely?
A rug can visually draw together the furniture in a space, giving a room focus and adding comfort .
How to let natural light flow into a room?
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.
How to make a room feel wider?
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.
What is the best way to decorate a small living room?
Dark, glossy walls create a sophisticated backdrop for simple, clean-lined pieces and even colorful, bold items. Use the small space to your advantage and make it feel like a jewel-box. Painting your ceilings the same color can enhance the sense of intimacy even further. Then have fun with brighter furniture throughout, as in this small living room designed by Andrew Felsher.
How to save space in a small living room?
Choose lighting that can be attached to the walls or hung from above to save room on floor space like in this room designed by Tamsin Johnson Interiors. Swing-arm sconces also free up space on the floor and bring dimension to the walls, an ideal situation for small living rooms.
What to do if you don't have room for a sofa?
If you don't have room for both a sofa and club chairs, forgo the sofa and opt for two cozy armchairs like designer Jae Joo did in this sitting room. If there's a fireplace, angle them towards it to encourage cozy hangs and conversation while also drawing the eye to it.
How to make a lower couch more comfortable?
Playing with proportion and scale—like using a tiny side table next to a daybed—will also help. Just add pillows to make it more comfortable for lounging.
What to do with an ottoman in a tiny house?
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.
How to make a small room feel bigger?
Bring your artwork up to trick the eye and expand or accentuate the height of the room. A gallery wall might seem too busy for a small space, but it can actually make it feel larger if it extends to the ceiling. In this family room designed by Katie Ridder, the mirrored effect of this glossy red paint on the ceiling makes the small space feel larger—and more glam.
Can you have fun with color in a small room?
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.
What is interior design for small living room?
Interior design for small living room is all about balancing and contrasts , which this next home has plenty of. This home, described by the designer as “Scandinavian Rustic,” further shows how one element can change a room dramatically. This room possesses a wealth of 2D and 3D elements as well as polygonal and round elements. The eye-catching wall art literally defines how the space should feel, while the long and narrow sofa coupled with the two spool-like tables take advantage of the limited dimensions. The phrase “opposites attract” appear to be this room’s motto and it adheres to it well.
What is the living room?
Living Room. In many homes, the living room is where families and their guests go to kick back and relax after a long day. In many homes, this room is also where the television, computer and other knickknacks come together and choke the space. This is even truer in a small living room, which fills up after putting just a few pieces ...
Why is the rug in this room a good example?
The rug in this room is a great example because it breaks up the plainness and uniformity the room otherwise has. It also accomplishes this without being overly intrusive. It also forces you to look down at the floor, then up at everything else in the room, ensuring you see every bit of the room’s contents.
What to do when you don't agree with your spouse on what to do with a space?
Rather than try to push your style over theirs, figure out what elements each of you likes and incorporate both of your tastes into the room. This small living room design is a marriage of masculine and feminine with an exceptional mix of bold lines and pastel accents. The ceiling light is also a perfect representation of the two merged styles, being both geometrical and curvaceous.
Is it better to have a small living room or a large living room?
This is even truer in a small living room, which fills up after putting just a few pieces of furniture inside. Because of this, many people think that having a larger space is better but that isn’t always true. The secret to making a small living room look good is to take advantage of the living space you already have.
What is the best furniture for a small living room?
Smaller Sofas. Start with your most essential piece of living room furniture—your sofa. Look for a sofa in a solid neutral color with clean arms and a low back. In small spaces, you may prefer to use a loveseat instead of a full-sized sofa.
How to enliven a room?
To enliven your space, use brighter colors and small patterns in your decor and small furnishings. If you just can’t bring yourself to limit your walls to neutrals, consider an accent wall or a simple wall decal, stencil or painted design.
How long does a sofa last?
Average homeownership is currently less than 4 years, but a good sofa can last 10 years or longer.
How to reduce clutter in a room?
Start with a clean slate by clearing the room. Bring in your sofa first, and slowly add pieces from there. When you have a layout that you like, stop.
How to enhance a small space?
Don’t take up too much valuable floor or table space with lamps. Choose recessed, wall-mounted, hanging or shelf-mounted lighting. Floor up-lighting is also a great way to enhance a small space.
What are some ways to add a custom look to a kitchen?
Consider a section of faux built-ins. Wardrobes, closet storage systems, and even stock kitchen cabinets are an affordable way to add a custom look at a budget price.
Why are small homes lacking natural light?
Small homes are often lacking natural light because of two reasons: Builders know that windows are expensive, and they also know that they take up valuable wall space, and well, there’s only so much of that in a small space already.