Furnishing a small living room is the challenge faced by many tenants and urban owners. What furniture to adopt to combine the decorative aspect of the living room and practicality? How to place them so that they do not clutter the room? What colors to choose to gain in brightness? How to cleverly use each square meter to make the space cozy and pleasant to live in on a daily basis? Discover 30 decorating ideas to easily change the atmosphere.
1. Do not stick the sofa to the wall
In small spaces, it is often the walls that are scarce. To back up a sofa, a TV cabinet, a storage sideboard and a small bookcase, the affair looks complicated.
Our tip to remedy this issue in a small living room: position the sofa in the center of the room. In this way, the walls breathe and a certain fluidity in the space is created. Note that if the trips become too complex, this idea is not to be adopted at home. Also choose the right size for your sofa, we have a list of small sofas that are precisely suited to the layout of small living rooms.
2. Exploit angles
The angles of the room are very clearly invaluable allies to help you in the arrangement of your small living room , and this, even if part of the walls is already exploited by a window, a door dial or a radiator. Go around obstacles and adapt to what already exists, as here, where simple wooden shelves transform this nook which seemed inefficient into a very decorative bookcase . An essential to store souvenirs, trinkets, photos … You can even decorate with the vegetal trend and put small plants like succulents or cacti.
3. Bet on a clever coffee table
Rather than betting on a multitude of small pieces of furniture in the living room, why not opt for modular furniture , whatever its dimensions? The Danish brand Woud has designed this coffee table in blond wood, large enough for meals on the go, and equipped with a removable top that reveals a large storage niche. The plus: to avoid bumping into small spaces, nothing like a rounded table model. Nesting tables are also practical for setting up small living rooms. Ideally, we still provide practical furniture that can also be used as storage. Some ottomans, for example, can turn into a box to store throws, cushions and all the stuff that tends to clutter up small living rooms.
4. Set up a small wall-mounted office area
You need a working space in the living room , but you clearly don’t have room for a small table in the corner. No worries ! The wall secretary option is especially intended for you. The chair slides underneath when you need to sit down, and your decorative items are organized there as if they were a simple shelf . The square meters on the ground are thus preserved. A mistake, however, is not adapting your workspace to its use. If you use your home office for telecommuting, a piece of furniture like the one in the photo may lack the comfort and ergonomics to be truly productive.
5. Prefer sober shades
Red, orange, yellow… to avoid the feeling of suffocation in a small living room, warm colors should be avoided. We prefer sober shades such as white and beige in all its variations, so that the space is bright. Also, don’t forget to add lighting and table lamps. Contrary to popular belief, XXL pendant lights are also suitable for small living rooms.
6. Add a large mirror
It’s silly, and yet we tend to forget all the qualities that a large round mirror can reveal in a small space . Cleverly positioned in a small living room for example, it plays with perspectives and has the significant advantage of offering a feeling of depth to the room. Installed facing a window, it gently reflects the exterior light it reflects. A touch of clarity that we would be wrong to do without.
7. Store on the walls
In decoration as in storage, the walls must absolutely be exploited when running after the square meters in a small living room. And so as not to overload the decor with a large, imposing piece of furniture, we swap the furniture for simple shelves that seem to float on the wall. Books, posters, green plants, candles and your finest decorative finds can be lounged there without cluttering up the floor space.
8. Bring transparency
It’s a detail that can make all the difference! Using glass, whether smooth, streaked, smoked, colored … as the star of the decoration is a real good idea to give a feeling of clarity in a small living room . Glass vases rather than stoneware, glass suspension rather than wicker, glass bowls rather than ceramic… their play of transparency will be a weighty ally to give lightness to the room.
9. Arrange the space under the window
If you don’t have a patio door in your living room, you will be able to use the space just below this skylight. The best idea to save storage : place several fairly discreet shelving units in which books, DVDs, magazines and bazaar baskets are easily accessible.
10. Maximize the space under the slope
Small living room + slope under the eaves = a long time to find the best layout so as not to lose usable surface.
11. Opt for large curtains
This is an easy solution to set up and above all inexpensive. To give a feeling of high ceilings to a small living room , the choice of curtains can play a huge role when they nicely caress the floor.
12. Repaint a wall in a darker color
If light colors are the most popular for maintaining clarity in a small living room, it is quite possible to repaint a wall in a muted tone . Topping the list: forest green and deep blue that go through the seasons without taking a wrinkle. Perfect for adding personality to a small space.
13. Make a bench with storage
2 in 1 furniture is a must for small spaces. If it sometimes seems expensive, even more when it is made to measure, there are however lower cost alternatives .
14. Leave aside some traditional furniture
What if the simplest solution to decorate a small living room was to break free from the traditional codes expected in this room? We explain! Convertible sofa and coffee table, for example, take up considerable space in the room. Why not replace the first with two cocoon armchairs? As for the second, it can perfectly be exchanged with an end of the sofa that can be moved as needed.
15. Opt for 2 in 1 furniture
Coffee tables that turn into storage? Nothing more practical in a small living room! Keep in mind that duplicating furniture is one of the most formidable tips when it comes to furnishing a tight space. To shop without hesitation.
16. Daring wallpaper in a small living room
Daring wallpaSmall living room does not rhyme with sanitized room. On the contrary, you have to give it a personality (the goal being to see a space full of character rather than an XXS space) and the wallpaper is well placed to bring that necessary boost. So, on a wall (if patterned model) or two (if plain model), single pan version or total look, we dress up our walls without hesitation!per in a small living room
17. Bet on a carpet to delimit a small living room
In small apartments, the living room sometimes serves as a living room, bedroom, office, dressing room and others. A multifunctional space that must be arranged and decorated accordingly. So, to visually separate the living room area, we opt for a rug.
18. Think about transparent furniture
Transparent furniture is a way of decluttering a small living room without depriving it of furniture (for lack of space). Here, the coffee table is barely visible. Light and airy, it brings a sophisticated touch to space while ensuring its function.
19. Create wall of frames
Above the sofa, we retain the idea of creating a wall of frames. Small, large, colorful or in raw wood, it’s up to you. And so as not to suffocate the room, we leave the other walls bare.
20. Daring the dark wall
To reinforce the intimate side of a small living room, dare to paint a wall in a dark shade, provided that the room is bathed in light and opt for a light shade on the other walls.
21. Prefer nesting tables
A coffee table that is easy to move and which turns into a bedside table once the sofa bed is unfolded? The secret of a hyper-optimized XXS space.
22. Play the shades
Softness and cocoon feeling will be there thanks to the monochrome technique. We use a color like here, beige, to create unity without falling into the monotony of a small immaculate living room.
23. Create a cocooning atmosphere
Because cushions are part of our decoration obsessions , we multiply them for a cocooning bench. Combined with a nice carpet and a few (fake) furs, this is a living room ready to welcome fall / winter.
24. Impose your style
Because a small living room can be resolutely designer, do not think that it is difficult to impose your style. Take the time to find pretty pieces like this coffee table that brings personality to this cozy little living room.
25. Think about the mobile seats
Poufs and stools are the allies of small living rooms. They can be easily moved, stored or stacked. A way of putting together a smart, mobile space that can be personalized according to our needs.
26. Prefer two small sofas than a large one
The small living room requires a particular arrangement via furniture adapted to the surface of the room. And rather than opting for an imposing sofa, why not go for two designer benches? Thus, no need to think “armchair”, we simply ensure our rear via one or two poufs that we can move according to our needs.
27. Playing the purified card
Overcrowded space always seems smaller. In fact, have a light hand on the small decoration and choose your furniture well, especially if your walls are dark like here.
28. Store your books behind the sofa
Staggering a sofa from the wall a few meters to create a small bookcase is the good idea of this living room.
29. Abusing white
Those who seek clarity can only opt for white (or light shades). And for an exotic look, we mix white and natural materials such as wood or rattan.
30. Consider greening
The great green trend is blowing through our interiors, whether they are XXS or oversized. A cactus, a pilea or a hanging plant that is suspended from the ceiling. The possibilities are limitless.
