Time to outsmart your limiting floorplan.
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Sprawling living rooms with multiple seating formations may be the dream, but for those of us with limited square footage, it’s definitely not the reality. Small living rooms can feel limiting, especially if there’s only one furniture configuration that feels right. However, that cramped and cluttered feeling can disappear without the need for a costly home extension or moving house altogether. Because no matter how small a space is, there are designer strategies to make it feel much bigger than it appears to be.
Making the most of your small living room doesn’t require magic or purging all of your belongings, you probably just need a few smart styling tricks and layout troubleshooting. Luckily, we have 55 small living room ideas for every style of design—from farmhouse to maximalist, industrial, and beyond. It’s important to think about the use of your living room when making design changes. Is this the space where your family gathers each evening to watch your favorite show, or is this the more formal space you only pass through on the way to the den? Functionality is key, and in small spaces, it’s crucial. A beautiful space is only good if it actually works for your lifestyle.
Get ready to bookmark all these tips and transform your small living room into a comfortable, stylish oasis for you and your household to hang out in. With these designer examples and decorating ideas to guide the way, you'll love the space so much that you'll never want to leave it
You love finding new design tricks. So do we. Let us share the best of them.
1
Opt for Open Furniture
Rather than choose a sofa with a traditional back, designer Lichelle Silvestry went with a daybed style piece that wouldn't block one half of this small, Parisian living room from the other. Now, no matter where your guests are you can turn to face them.
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2
Go Low with Accessory Furniture
Rather than overwhelm the space with a larger side table or console, designer Devin Kirk kept it low profile with a wooden stool. Because the emphasis is placed on the marbled sectional in this Chicago apartment, balancing the other proportions in the room was key.
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3
Free Up Some Visual Space
Designer Sarah Solis wanted this family den to feel restful, but still have functionality for homework time. Cue: a floating desk. Because the thin piece of wood seemingly levitates, it takes up much less mental room than a clunky desk with legs might, making it perfectly suited for the small space.
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4
Accentuate the Curve
Low or curved ceilings can make your living room feel smaller than it actually is. However, but playing with the curve, like designer Patrick Gallagher did here in with subtle, diamond-patterned wallpaper. This optical illusion heightens the ceilings and gives the appearance of more space.
5
Decorate Tonally
In this living room designed by Amity Worrel, beige is far from boring. The monochrome decorating palette (with pops of red, of course), was inspired by old European skiing chalets, and keeps the space from feeling too busy or cluttered. Plus, the warm tones imbue the room with a coziness you only get in small spaces.
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6
Accessorize with Care
Rather than adorn the walls of House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home living room with eye-catching art (which we also love, don't get us wrong), designer Caitlin Wilson opted for delicate plates instead. Not only does this choice soften the room, but it also lets your eye settle on what's important, the people around you.
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7
Buy Small
In a study designed by Los Angeles–based interior designer Alexandra Loew, a small loveseat sits nestled against the windows. While it was chosen to be proportionate to the family's small children, it's cozy enough for adults to lounge on as well.
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8
Look Up
Having a pet comes with a lot of accoutrements—feeding bowls, toys, scratching posts. But in the living room of Tammer Hijazi, the cofounder and design director of Bower Studio, Cleo the cat gets free-reign of the space, including the walls. A series of stacked IKEA LACK shelves make for a streamlined climbing system that doesn't intrude on the seating area below.
9
Don't Think Too Hard
In photographer Bjorn Wallander's one-room, studio apartment in New York City, no inch is wasted. And rather than take up valuable space with a bookshelf or display tables, his beloved coffee table books and knick-knacks are piled on every windowsill and spare floor he can find, which gives the apartment a true artistic flair.
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10
Make Furniture Play Double Duty
In an apartment, many times rooms have to combine in the tight space. Regan Baker exercised genius space planning when pairing together a dining and living room, allowing the dining chairs to double as guest seating when the dinner party turns to game night.
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11
Utilize Paneling
Just like in fashion, stripes can make an optical illusion work to your advantage. But for some, the circus stripe trend can be overwhelming, so take a note from Jeffery Alan Marks instead. Horizontal wood paneling widens out his California living room making the small size a non-issue.
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12
Bring Shelves Higher Up
Storage is essential, especially in a small space. So when there's not enough floor space for a bookshelf, look to your walls like designer John Wooden did in this bungalow. These high-up shelves offer plenty of flat surface area without using up any of the valuable square footage down below.
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13
Add Pattern to the Ceiling
In a small space, lots of colors and patterns can feel dizzying. Instead of wallpapering the walls, opt for the ceiling instead. This not only draws the eye up, but it also leaves the rest of your space feeling zen and wide open.
14
Ditch the Coffee Table
In this minimalist sitting area by designer Raji Radhakrishnan, a traditional coffee table was replaced with a bite-sized co*cktail table. While it's not large enough to put your feet up (that's what the loveseat is for), it is perfectly sized for a coffee and your most recent read.
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15
Work In Twos
Sometimes smaller spaces actually allow for bolder color and pattern experiments. Here, Katie Rosenfeld worked in pairs. She used the same floral pattern for the sofa and drapes, corresponding (and wilder!) cheetah prints on the carpet and throw pillow, and then coupled the springy green paint with the striped ottoman. If you love this look but prefer something a touch more modern, try this formula but then swap in the traditional prints for edgy, modern photography or an abstract painting.
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16
Separate Zones With Lighting
David Frazier carved out both a formal sitting and dining room within the same small space. A statement pendant over the pedestal table helps separate the dining zone, and stackable dining chairs can also double as extra sitting in the living room. Pops of dark yellow speak to the warm antique wood pieces and break up the monochromatic color scheme, and a ceiling-high curtain rod adds depth.
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17
Orient for Visits
Ditch the sofa altogether if you'd rather use the living room as a place to catch up and chat with others as opposed to lounging horizontally. Four blue-painted rattan chairs are oriented towards each other for visits, but they're comfy enough to recline and stretch out on during life's quieter moments in this fun small living room designed by Avery Cox.
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18
Play Up Period Details
In a Parisian apartment designed by Lichelle Silvestry, luxe, warm, and texture-rich velvet seating further enhances the elaborate period elements. “I adore using materials that add character and authenticity to my interiors,” Silvestry says. “It’s a sensory feast.”
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19
Use refreshing Colors
In this small bungalow living room designed by Another Human, the contemporary linen-covered loveseat gets a bohemian treatment surrounded by a mix of granny-chic accents and '70s details. A surprising and rejuvenating shade of purple keeps things fresh and exciting.
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20
Hang Plants
Amber El-Amin worked around an odd overhang above the sofa area by hanging a plant from it. It enlivens the nook and brings a touch of unexpected whimsy without forgoing light—the two vintage lamps are strategically placed to brighten the tonal and laid-back yet upscale living room.
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