How to Decorate a Small Living Room
Arrange your compact living room to get the comfort, seating options and style you need
Laura Gaskill
March 8, 2019
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance checklist. My favorite pieces to write center around the emotional aspects of home and savoring life's simple pleasures. Get my bi-weekly email: https://www.lauragaskill.com/thesimplelist/
Houzz Contributor. I cover decorating ideas, Houzz tours & the monthly home maintenance... More
Though all small spaces present design challenges, the living room can be especially tricky as it is where you probably spend the most time and entertain guests as well. How do you strike a balance between making the room feel as spacious as possible while also squeezing in extra seating? What furniture should you choose, and where do you put it? These design tips will help you make the most of your space.
Angela Steyn & Co.
Use Mirrors and Wallpaper
A small living room, especially if it’s short on windows, can feel a bit boxed in. Create a focal point, boost light and add depth all at once by adding wallpaper and hanging a mirror on top. If you can position the mirror across from a window, all the better — the mirror will reflect the view outside, giving the impression of an extra window.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
Use Mirrors and Wallpaper
A small living room, especially if it’s short on windows, can feel a bit boxed in. Create a focal point, boost light and add depth all at once by adding wallpaper and hanging a mirror on top. If you can position the mirror across from a window, all the better — the mirror will reflect the view outside, giving the impression of an extra window.
Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
Lisette Voûte Designs
Add Hidden Storage
Pick furniture with built-in storage to limit clutter. A trunk or storage ottoman as a coffee table works well. Along the perimeter of the room, try a small chest of drawers or a small credenza instead of a console table to boost storage options.
Add Hidden Storage
Pick furniture with built-in storage to limit clutter. A trunk or storage ottoman as a coffee table works well. Along the perimeter of the room, try a small chest of drawers or a small credenza instead of a console table to boost storage options.
Acra Designs
Embrace Vertical Space
If your small living room is blessed with high ceilings, take full advantage of that extra space. While vertical space doesn’t help with squeezing in an extra seat, drawing the eye upward does help give the impression that your room is far larger and grander that it would otherwise seem. Fill the vertical space with an eclectic art gallery.
Embrace Vertical Space
If your small living room is blessed with high ceilings, take full advantage of that extra space. While vertical space doesn’t help with squeezing in an extra seat, drawing the eye upward does help give the impression that your room is far larger and grander that it would otherwise seem. Fill the vertical space with an eclectic art gallery.
Downsize the Sofa
In some spaces a full-size sofa just won’t do. Try a slimmed-down love seat or a petite sofa on for size instead. Choose one with clean lines and exposed legs for the airiest look.
Find a love seat for your small space
In some spaces a full-size sofa just won’t do. Try a slimmed-down love seat or a petite sofa on for size instead. Choose one with clean lines and exposed legs for the airiest look.
Find a love seat for your small space
Soeur Interiors
Completely Fill a Corner
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but if you have a small corner living room space, sometimes going with the largest piece of furniture possible can actually make it feel bigger. Why? A generously sized sectional is comfortable and able to seat tons of people — but because it reads as just one piece, it helps the room feel uncluttered. A modern sectional with clean, straight lines works better in a small space than an overstuffed version.
Completely Fill a Corner
It’s a bit counterintuitive, but if you have a small corner living room space, sometimes going with the largest piece of furniture possible can actually make it feel bigger. Why? A generously sized sectional is comfortable and able to seat tons of people — but because it reads as just one piece, it helps the room feel uncluttered. A modern sectional with clean, straight lines works better in a small space than an overstuffed version.
The Den Interiors
Add Plants
Like wallpaper and mirrors, plants are a wonderful way to add depth to a small living room. Lush greenery softens corners and fools the eye into thinking there is more to the room than there really is. Plants are especially effective in corners and beside or behind chairs and sofas.
Add Plants
Like wallpaper and mirrors, plants are a wonderful way to add depth to a small living room. Lush greenery softens corners and fools the eye into thinking there is more to the room than there really is. Plants are especially effective in corners and beside or behind chairs and sofas.
Tracy Lynn Interiors
Use Multifunctional Furniture
In a small living room, each piece of furniture should earn its keep. Think of using ottomans that work as a coffee table or extra seating, nesting side tables that can be moved around as needed or versatile little stools that can be seats or tables.
Use Multifunctional Furniture
In a small living room, each piece of furniture should earn its keep. Think of using ottomans that work as a coffee table or extra seating, nesting side tables that can be moved around as needed or versatile little stools that can be seats or tables.
Studio Morton
Build in Storage
Instead of letting lots of small pieces of furniture (a bookshelf here, a chest there) eat up space, bite the bullet and devote one entire wall to storage. A floor-to-ceiling storage wall can be customized to contain everything from books to a media center — perhaps even a pull-down desk.
Find a pro to help you revamp your storage with custom cabinets
Build in Storage
Instead of letting lots of small pieces of furniture (a bookshelf here, a chest there) eat up space, bite the bullet and devote one entire wall to storage. A floor-to-ceiling storage wall can be customized to contain everything from books to a media center — perhaps even a pull-down desk.
Find a pro to help you revamp your storage with custom cabinets
Skip the Sofa
Who says a living room has to have a sofa at all? If space is tight, try circling two, three or four armchairs around a coffee table instead. For added flexibility, make the coffee table a tray-topped ottoman that can be used as a seat, or add a pouf or stool to the arrangement.
Could Your Living Room Be Better Without a Sofa?
Elizabeth Taich Design
Try an ‘Invisible’ Piece
Acrylic, Lucite and glass are wonderful materials to use in a small living room, because they take up zero visual space. Try a coffee table or nesting side tables with a waterfall edge in one of these clear materials.
Try an ‘Invisible’ Piece
Acrylic, Lucite and glass are wonderful materials to use in a small living room, because they take up zero visual space. Try a coffee table or nesting side tables with a waterfall edge in one of these clear materials.
Choose Small-Scale Furniture
There is more to living room furniture than full-size sofas and bulky armchairs. Antiques shops are a great place to look for small-scale furniture, because the average room size was typically quite small until the last half century or so. Look for small settees, love seats and chairs that can work for your space.
Marcelle Guilbeau
Keep a Stash of Spare Seats
In a small space, it may not be possible to have as many seating options as you would like. One way to get around this is by storing a few folding cafe chairs or stacking stools in a closet or under a bed, where you can easily pull them out when company is coming.
Keep a Stash of Spare Seats
In a small space, it may not be possible to have as many seating options as you would like. One way to get around this is by storing a few folding cafe chairs or stacking stools in a closet or under a bed, where you can easily pull them out when company is coming.
Design Milieu
Tell us: We’d love to see your small living room. Please share a photo and tell us about it in the Comments!
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How to Get Your Furniture Arrangement Right
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Tell us: We’d love to see your small living room. Please share a photo and tell us about it in the Comments!
More on Houzz
How to Get Your Furniture Arrangement Right
Find a design pro near you
Shop for home products
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All good ideas!
When the kids were small and injured themselves on the coffee table I got rid of it and we still just use side tables which have drawers. We never used the coffee table really anyway. The kids had a much larger play area (or performance area - 'Dad! - look at me!!") without us worrying about them hurting themselves, and they don't feel as cut off from the big people. For us, the whole room feels much more spacious.
We can pull an armchair into the area from the other end of the room when we have friends around for movies too. Or there's always a floor cushion or - ahem -... beanbag.
Great ideas! To make it work, I went bigger and bolder when it came to decorating an east side shoebox apartment.
Large artworks that are tone-on-tone adorn the walls as a focal point, as well as lush greens to soften the minimalist look.