Small living rooms can be challenging for designers and homeowners, but they reward with so much coziness and character.
If you are about to design your small living room or want to find ways to maximize it, check out our inspiring ideas here.
We will reveal a few tricks and helpful advice on maximizing your small living room decor.
1. Add Mirrors
One of the most popular designer’s guidelines about small spaces is using mirrors to enlarge the area visually.
One larger mirror or a group of small mirrors will reflect the natural light and create an airy feel.
2. Go For Open Shelves
Open shelves are surely an obstacle for a cluttered space but if you arrange the decorations properly, they will create a more airy living space.
Work with the room’s height and utilize the entire wall with open shelving units to store more items.
3. Add Character To The Walls
The walls’ lighter color is a way to make the small room feel more spacious, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t try with a statement wall.
Just be sure you pick the right color that matches other parts of the room and makes the wall visually attractive.
You can use architectural details such as molding and paneling to create interest.
4. Layer The Storage
Another way to store all accessories and decorations in the living room without making it feel cluttered and overwhelming is to use furniture and shelves of different heights to achieve a layered overall look.
Alcoves and floating shelves are perfect for utilizing one of the walls.
Ensure that the floor-standing furniture is taken to the minimum so there is enough floor space to keep the airy feeling.
5. Create A Wall Of Books
Another exciting way to optimize storage and, at the same time, create a point of interest is to turn an empty wall into a mini library.
It will ensure plenty of storage and a unique interior look in the living room. The color of this library is also very important for the room’s airy feel.
If you have kept the rest of the interior neutral and light, you can imply a bolder color on the library to create a statement.
6. Opt For A Large Sofa
@Jennifer Grey Color Specialist Interior Design
Do you think that small furniture is the best choice for small spaces? Not in all cases! If there is a group of many small pieces, they will create a cluttered look and overwhelm the space.
Instead, one large sofa will provide enough seating without covering the entire floor area.
7. Go For Mirror Furniture
@Cuppett Kilpatrick Architecture Interior Design
Another designer’s hint about the furniture in a small living space is to use mirror furniture. This applies only to rooms that are somewhat narrow and longer than square-shaped.
Make sure that the doubled furniture is well balanced with the surrounding decorations. Keep the extra seating places to a minimum.
8. Opt For A Patterned Rug
@Jace Interiors CreateGirl Blog
The small living space will look bigger without any rug or carpet. If you want to feel comfortable having such, be careful.
Either use a small rug to define the areas in the living room or a large rug like this one to make the space feel much bigger than it is.
The patterns of the rugs depend on the overall interior. If the atmosphere is neutral, you can experiment with a carpet with patterns in the same color palette.
9. Place The Artwork Strategically
The place and the type of art are essential for the airy feel of the small living room.
Designers advise hanging it on the wall above the sofa rather than spreading it on all walls.
That will create an interest and will keep the look decluttered.
10. Built-in The Storage Spaces
Built-in shelving units are perfect for small living rooms.
Make them tall from floor to ceiling or give them an architectural interest by curving their top and surrounding them with pillars and corbels, as in the idea above.
11. Optimize Natural Light
Natural light is the key to making a tiny room look much bigger.
Floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows are the perfect choice. Also, mirrors that reflect light and sheer curtains can improve the amount of natural light coming through the windows.
12. Choose The Right Light Sources
Ensure you have included enough light sources in the small living room to make it look bigger.
Sconces, built-in ceiling lights, and free-standing pendant lamps are great for enlightening space and also making certain nooks more comfortable.
13. Stick To One Color Palette
An important rule in the design of a small room is to keep all tones in the same color palette. That will ensure a flow throughout the room and an airy feel.
Of course, you can create interest with small accents and details in the interior.
14. Take Advantage Of The Existing Features
You are so lucky if you have a fireplace in the small living room!
The fireplace instantly makes the area more welcoming and cozy. It is also great to turn it into the room’s focal point or a display for a focal point.
An oversized artwork hanging right above the fireplace will make the room feel larger.
15. Focus On Dimension
Choosing furniture of varying heights and depths will give the small living room a sense of dimension.
As you can see in this living room idea, furniture is also practical, ensuring additional space for storage.
16. Hang The Curtains Right Below The Ceiling
Another interior hint for making a living room look visually larger is to hang the curtains just under the ceiling instead of directly above the window frames.
17. Create An Accent Wall
@Michelle Gage | Interior Designer
Although the space is small, you can create a statement wall.
If too much is asked for attention, the space will feel claustrophobic.
One focal point expressed with paint, wallpaper, wall painting, or a gallery wall will give the space character.
18. Use Multifunctional Furniture
Small spaces require multifunctional furniture. In addition to saving space, it will provide more storage space and create the needed comfort.
Check this inspiring small living room idea where the space between the vertical bookshelf units is turned into a reading nook.
19. Stick To An Interior Style
In a small living room, you don’t want to mix up interior styles as there is a risk of making it too chaotic and cluttered.
Choose the interior style you like most and implement it with furniture pieces and decor accents.
20. Utilize The Alcoves
Alcoves give spaces character but are also savors when decluttering the space if the living room has alcoves, store books, decorations, or plants.
21. Blend The TV Unit
Consider mounting the TV on the wall rather than leaving it free-standing on a flat furniture surface in the small living room.
To blend the TV with the interior, create a flawless blend between the place where it will be mounted and the rest of the room.
In this appealing living room idea, the TV is mounted on a statement wall covered with paneling in the center and two built-in shelf units at the sides.
The entire wall is painted the same color, which helps the TV fade into the background.
22. Use The Vertical Space
Think vertically when you are challenged to design a small living room. Maximize space by installing tall shelves. Floor-to-ceiling cabinetry is also a great vertical storage solution.
They will draw the eye upward and will create the illusion of a taller room. In addition to that, they will function without taking up much of the floor space.
