Decorating a small room can be challenging but also very rewarding. A tight space requires careful thought and planning to create a more spacious area that still packs in all the essentials for you and your family. The living room is probably the most difficult to decorate when space is at a premium, especially because an essential piece of furniture i.e. the sofa, is one of the largest items of furniture you can buy for any room in a home. Instead of enlisting the help of an expensive builder to extend your property, there is an alternative. You can make simple changes and decisions that create more visual space without breaking the bank. Luckily for you, we’ve listed them here for your convenience.
Choose An Appropriate Sofa Size
When picking a sofa for your living room design, you must choose a style that enhances your small living room. Big, chunky sofas can easily overwhelm a space, so we’re sorry to say that reclining corner sofas wouldn’t be the best choice for you. In fact, curved sofa designs in general aren’t going to work for your space. Instead, opt for a 2-seater or 2.5-seater sofa with a straight back and low profile. By doing so, there won’t be any wasted space from being unable to sit something flush against the wall and it’s one of the smallest sofa sizes available in width. Similarly, a sofa design with free space underneath and exposed legs can also give the room a bigger feel.
Don’t Forget The Armchair
So, you’ve purchased your sofa and it fits all the requirements listed above but you find that you still need additional seating. It’s unlikely that you now have enough space left for another 2-seater, so the only other option is to invest in an armchair. Unfortunately, you can’t just pick any armchair, after all, you have a small space to work with. No, you have to stick to a particular style if you want it to work the best in your space. A sleek, slim armchair with an exposed space underneath is best here. Keeping the floor visible with your design will contribute to the illusion of space.
Prioritise Details
In a small living room, every accessory and item of furniture needs to work harder. Why? Because you don’t have enough space to invest in extra pieces. Instead, you’ll have to ensure that items like your sofa or coffee table feature extra or unusual detailing. This could be a tufted button design on the back of a sofa or a three-legged coffee table.
Focus On Multi-Functional Pieces
The only surefire way to get the most out of your living room is to purchase multi-functional items where possible. For instance, a regular coffee table could be easily swapped out for one with a hidden storage compartment or shelving. If a coffee table is not something you can accommodate, perhaps a footstool would be a better choice. A footstool can be used for putting your feet up at the end of the day but also if you’re clever and opt for a design with storage, can be used for keeping everyday items out of view. You could also go one step further and invest in a sofa bed which, as the name suggests, is a regular sofa in its original form but also unfolds or drops down to reveal a bed or surface for sleeping on.
Opt For Lighter Colours
This might be fairly obvious for some, but it’s worth noting all the same. Lighter colours can reflect natural light and by doing so, make rooms appear bigger than they are. In a small living room, prioritising lighter colours is essential. So, when choosing a paint colour for your walls or indeed, a colour for your furniture, remember to stick to neutral colours such as whites, beiges, and light cocoa browns. These shades will automatically create a sense of openness and thus largen your entire living space.
Go Big With Rugs
Oftentimes, a person will choose a smaller rug so as not to consume and overwhelm a tight living area, but did you know that by doing so, you’re actually making a room feel even smaller? It’s true! A small rug can make a space feel cramped and disjointed. It instantly says to anyone visiting that you have very little free space to work with and you are trying to compensate for it - badly might we add. With rugs, it's always best to choose the larger size. It needs to be larger than the largest piece of furniture (which is usually the sofa). Big rugs will instantly make a room feel more spacious and cohesive. Just remember to sit all front legs of your furniture onto it, as this will join all of your furniture together to form a group. Grouping items of furniture and smaller accessories is instantly more appealing to the naked eye.
We hope with these tips, you can make the most out of your tight living space. To browse our large selection of modern sofas, read; 8 Contemporary Sofas For Modern Living Rooms.
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