Design Ideas for a Small Living Room

Living with a Small Room: Small Space Interior Design Ideas

Apartments and condos and small spaces… oh my! If you have small spaces in your home, you may be longing for a little more elbowroom. But are larger rooms really necessary? With a few of these decorating tips, we can help you work with what you have to turn your cramped quarters into a comfortable, lovely complement to your style.

I. Go From Claustrophobic to Cozy with Darker Hues and the Right Lighting

Dramatic Uplights Expand a Room You've probably heard the common decorating tip that you should never use dark colors in a small room. Although this is sound advice, it is not always the case. The right lighting can make a darker-hued wall color open a space up like never before.

When grouped with dramatic lighting and soft upholstery, dark colors can turn a tight space into a cozy, welcoming nook. Dramatic wall lighting is perfect for small spaces because it creates a distinctive lighting effect, visually expanding the room with ambient light. Try a wall sconce with a light colored glass, or another wall fixture that sheds light upwards for the same effect.

II. The Right Furniture Makes All the Difference in a Small Room

You've probably also heard that the eye travels more quickly through a small space, so it is important to interrupt its movement as little as possible. To achieve this, eliminate obstacles in the room. Go for larger, fewer pieces of furniture instead of many small pieces that might cause a cluttered effect. The farther the eye can see into the room, the better.

Our armless accent chairs, low benches and ottomans are ideal for opening up a small space. Choose double-duty pieces of furniture like our storage benches whenever possible. They not only look stylish, but are great for tucking away items.

Decorating a Small Living Space Avoid blocking windows and doors when arranging furniture and try to open up areas of the floor. Opt for light, airy colors and fabrics for your furniture pieces, which will appear to push walls back. Think butter yellows, soothing tone-on-tones, and pale greens and blues.

When Choosing your floor covering, look for an area rug in either a solid color or with a pattern that is not too busy. Also, be sure that the rug is small enough to be a fair distance away from each wall. The space between the edge of the rug and the edge of your floor will make the room appear larger to the eye.

When searching for custom framed art for a small space, one large print is better than many smaller prints. Another great piece of wall decor is a large wall mirror. Mirrors reflect more natural light and appear to enlarge the room.

Avoid Clutter at All Costs

Decorating Ideas for a Small Room We all have it – stuff. But we can't just get rid of our stuff to accommodate a small room – can we? The answer is to find great storage solutions.

Take a look around the room that has you feeling cornered and ask yourself one question: what makes sense in the room? The first step to tackling clutter is tucking away items that just don't make sense. Are extra throws and pillows taking over the formal living room instead of the family room? Try hiding them during the warmer months inside our stylish storage ottomans.

Let us not forget about the items that do make sense for the room. Instead of carrying your mail and keys across the home to the kitchen table, try incorporating one of our writing desks right into the entryway. It makes a great surface for writing down your grocery list or paying the bills.

The most important lesson when decorating a small living space is to visualize what works best for your home. While your room can be beautiful, make sure it is just as functional, too. One of the great things about decorating a small room is that it is a challenge. It's the perfect chance for you to delve into your creativity and try out new ideas.