You love cozy houses and apartments, and yours is small and charming! But you’ve never had the time or resources to properly organize your space and transform it into the comfortable and practical place you’ve always dreamed of! In fact, when it comes to recreating the perfect setting you envision, you need to be smart and tasteful! And sometimes, we just don’t have the brainpower for that!
How can you save space while creating a harmonious interior? What furniture should you buy? How should you arrange everything? What colors should you use? So many questions we ask ourselves, and we don’t necessarily have the answers if we know nothing about interior design!
There are plenty of ways to make your home feel cozy and inviting despite its small size. Today we’ll show you how to achieve this by working on the design of your living room.
Read also: 21 ideas for storing clothes when you don’t have space in the closet
Space distribution: how to decorate your living room?
If your living room is small and you don’t know how to organize it, this article is for you! Discover all our tips and inspiration and make your small living room feel warm and spacious—without any renovations!
To maximize storage for your belongings, the arrangement of your furniture, and the placement of your favorite items, you just need to get a little creative! No matter the size of your living room, you can save space, and we’ll show you how…
Cozy decorating tip: How to arrange a living room in a small room?
Just follow a few simple tips to set up your living room and make it look bigger.
- First of all, and interior designer Sylvia James is there to confirm this, you have to opt for white and light colors on your walls, woodwork, and ceiling. White has the power to make spaces feel larger!
- Choose a rug of the correct size (one that is too small can restrict your room);
- Don’t skimp on mirrors that make the space look bigger!
- Avoid over-decorating your space, as too many small accessories create a cluttered visual effect;
- Think minimalist! Opt for multi-purpose furniture, like benches with hidden storage or nesting tables. Tell yourself that the more functions an item has, the more space you’ll save!
Space planning ideas: how to create a small, cozy living room?
We’re here! Get comfortable and read on! Here are 34 tips, each as effective as the last, to help you organize your small living room!
1. Organize your furniture intelligently!
If your sofa , coffee table, bookcase, and desk are randomly placed in your living room, it’s perfectly normal to waste space! Therefore, even if you have a lot of furniture, careful organization will prevent you from having a cluttered and poorly ventilated living room.
2. Use practical storage solutions
Natural tones and plenty of light are important factors in making a room look bigger, but don’t overlook practical storage for excess items (like small baskets under a bench, for example!).
3. Opt for a decorative wall
An accent wall is usually a different color than the rest of the wall. It stands out because of its texture and shape, differentiating it from the aesthetic of the rest of the room. The green arch, for example, is the focal point of the space here!
4. Play with the optical effect!
Mirrors are the number one solution to your space problem. Place some on your walls and admire their magnifying and airy effects! Thanks to the mirror’s reflections, you’ll create a stunning illusion of spaciousness!
5. Get inspired by home decor stores
Room layouts from stores that sell flat-pack furniture are perfect for small living rooms! Why not recreate your ultra-stylish ideas in your living room, if the dimensions are right? So, if a particular design catches your eye while shopping because of its style and size, make it your own at home!
6. Take advantage of the height of your walls for vertical decoration!
If you’re lucky enough to have high ceilings, use them to your advantage! When decorating , think vertically, not horizontally! Place large mirrors on the walls, opt for tall shelves, and adorn your windows with large curtains… This draws the eye and creates the illusion of a spacious and airy room.
7. A multi-purpose room!
If you don’t have enough space for two separate areas, one for your living room and one for your dining room, incorporate your dining area into your living room! It’s simple! Create two zones in one room! All you’ll need is furniture of the right size!
8. Make the most of your corner, if you have one!
Even a small alcove can be transformed into a cozy living room! Emphasize comfort with soft textures and soothing colors, and show your visitors that your living room is intentionally small and that this is an aesthetic choice.
9. Optimize space!
If your living room is narrow, opt for small furniture and slim accessories that don’t overwhelm the space. Remember to also place everything against the wall to make the most of every square inch. It’s smarter!
10. Keep the same tones and color palette!
If the tones and colors throughout the room (walls, furniture, carpets, and accessories) are harmonious and blend well, it will probably make it look bigger and less cramped!
11. Don’t be afraid to build something different!
Your living room is for relaxing, of course, but that doesn’t mean it’s only for that! If you have a spare corner for your refrigerator, which doesn’t fit in your small kitchen, or even for your washing machine, go for it! It will look great in your living room, especially if its color matches the rest of the room!
12. Put up a wall of books!
For a dramatic transformation of your small living space, convert one of your empty walls into a large, floor-to-ceiling bookcase! You’ll gain ample extra storage space and a luxurious, elegant look. Give your bookcase a bold color and add molding for an even more sophisticated appearance!
13. Use color to separate spaces
In your studio, paint the wall along your sofa a different color to delineate the living area from the rest of the room. Opt for a dark, “blocking” color to give the effect of two separate rooms. Remember to keep the amount of furniture to a minimum to allow for ventilation and make the space feel larger.
14. Invite your travel souvenirs and favorite objects into your space
Let your guests be captivated by your living room decor! Capture their attention with original and personalized accessories that you can place in every corner of your room. But be careful! Don’t overdo it, or you risk creating the opposite effect…
15. Shelves make space feel bigger!
Another trick is to use various geometric and linear patterns (in your rugs, curtains, wallpaper, or whatever). This will structure your space and give the eye the illusion of a larger, longer, and wider dimension!
16. Say yes to comfort and a unique look!
Make your small living room a place that reflects you by placing objects and furniture that you love! The result is a comfortable and unique space, full of colorful textures that highlight your personality!
17. Dare to go oversized!
Large furniture can overwhelm a small space, but often, if you choose a large sofa that hugs the walls, you can achieve a cozy and comfortable room!
18. Everything in its place… Or not!
Don’t overcrowd your small living room… It depends on its capacity to accommodate furniture! Some things will fit naturally, while others will overwhelm the space. Measure the dimensions of your furniture and decide what can be assembled! If your desk is compact, it will blend perfectly with the decor, while an overly imposing armchair will clash with the overall look.
19. Be light!
Keep it SIMPLE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! If you want to inject color into your small room, remember that you don’t have to overdo it! Start with a neutral base and add any color you have in mind without scattering it everywhere! Don’t forget that in addition to colors, you can also vary textures and finishes—subtly, of course! It’s all about moderation…
20. Think in threes!
Grouping your decorative items in threes gives the impression of a larger living room! It also allows you to add more accessories to your space without taking up more room.
21. Floor-to-ceiling curtains to create height!
Hang long curtains that start from the top of the wall and trail slightly to the floor. This tip will definitely add height to your space.
22. Multifunctional furniture
To create a multi-purpose living room, use dual-function furniture! This will save space while making your living room more practical and efficient, despite its small size. Opt, for example, for a coffee table that can be raised to become a dining table! And voilà! No need for an additional dining set or extra furniture!
23. Invite greenery into your living room
It’s unanimous! Plants add value to every room in a house, and especially to an environment that invites nature into your home. So get creative and subtly incorporate some into your living space. To avoid them taking up floor space, you can place them on your furniture or even hang them on the wall or ceiling, thanks to wall sconces! Your compact living room will instantly look more vibrant!
24. Use small spaces efficiently!
In small spaces, you should never miss an opportunity to use space wisely! Even the area under your coffee table can be put to good use! You can, for example, slide out your poufs that serve as extra seating and pull them out when you have guests!
25. The essentials and nothing more!
If you hate feeling cramped, place only the essential furniture in your living room and enhance it with a minimal number of decorative elements. A sense of spaciousness is guaranteed, especially if your room has large windows. Bonus points for living rooms with wood, marble, or stone floors!
26. Combining colors
It’s true that all-white rooms look larger, but having colored walls won’t necessarily make your space look smaller. A practical tip is to match the color of your curtains to the color of your walls, whatever that color may be, so as not to interrupt the visual flow. The same goes for your curtains! Stick to consistent shades that coordinate with your entire living room.
27. The power of delicacy
Choose accent furniture with delicate frames and you’ll instantly reduce the visual clutter in your room! Your living room will feel more spacious thanks to the refined elegance of its finely framed pieces.
28. Look through your furniture!
Acrylic or glass furniture is one of the best tricks for avoiding clutter in a small room! It’s functional yet invisible! By partially blending into the space, it’s there without being there!
29. Replace your coffee table with an ottoman!
This trick will allow you to have more flexibility in a smaller space! Opting for a lightweight pouf instead of a coffee table will make you more efficient! This will give you a place to put your tray or remote control, while also providing extra seating that you can easily move!
30. Vertical storage!
Storing your belongings in baskets is very efficient, but it still takes up floor space! So as soon as you can, opt for other storage solutions, this time at height! For example, hang your blankets on a slanted ladder in your living room… Practical and original!
31. Opt for a large rug!
A large rug that covers the entire floor gives the impression of a larger space! So if you have one, great!
32. Don’t overlook any unused space!
Any surface in your living room can be used to free up floor space and make your living room feel larger! So if you have windows in your living room, use the window frames by transforming them into seating for your books, plants, or any other decorative items!
33. Layer your lighting
If your room has a high ceiling and large windows, you already have two key elements that add depth to the space. But to make it feel even more spacious, try tiered lighting with floor lamps, chandeliers, and task lamps! The brighter your room, the bigger it will look!
34. White on white!
Last but not least, we have a technique for making a small living room feel larger: monochromatic white decor! A spacious effect is guaranteed!
Where to put the sofa in a small living room?
You say it’s impossible to fit a sofa in a small room? Why not, if you know where and how to put it? Your sofa just needs to match your space and it will fit in easily!
To make your living room look bigger, choose one that doesn’t take up much space and follow these three general rules when deciding where to place it:
- Leave at least 1 meter between the sofa and other furniture, so you can pass through without bumping into anything;
- Your sofa should be placed at the back of the room or near a wall to make it easier to move around;
- Your sofa should not block the view of other parts of the room or interfere with the opening and closing of doors and windows.
Decorating idea: How to fit a large sofa into a small living room?
An oversized sofa creates a feeling of relaxation, comfort, and luxury. Bulky, yes! But for a good cause! According to interior designer Samantha Struck of StruckSured Interiors , people who truly want to give their space a homey feel shouldn’t shy away from a large sofa. To place one in your small living room, just be sure to keep these three points in mind:
Also read: Small kitchen layout: 49 ideas to optimize space
Respect the scale: if your sofa is large, the rest of your furniture shouldn’t be too small, it will make it look even more gigantic!
Opt for a light or monochromatic color in your room to make it look bigger and help your sofa blend in more easily with the decor;
Keep it simple by choosing understated accessories. You already have a striking element in your living room – your sofa – so don’t overdo it!