Practical And Creative Ideas For Your Small Living Room
1. Sliding Or No Doors
Doors can be practical for hiding clutter, but if you have a small living space, question whether the doors are essential as they can waste useful space, block natural light and make a room feel more cluttered than they need to. If you cannot do without them, consider replacing with sliding doors.
2. Clever Use Of Tricky Spaces
Odd spaces can be filled with useful pieces of furniture. Fill alcoves, book shelves, wardrobes or work areas to make the most of the otherwise dead space. Use a room’s height with tall pieces to maximise the space.
3. Built In Storage
Bespoke furniture needn’t be expensive, but can allow you to make the most of every inch of your small living space. A window seat built into a bay not only provides seating in an otherwise dead area, but if created hollow with a lid, can also provide extra storage – essential when space is at a premium.
4. Open Plan Living
Knocking through walls to bring two living spaces together not only creates a social environment, but creates the feel of space with the extra light gained by losing an internal wall.
5. Maximise Natural Light
Take down your voiles, clean your windows and move furniture to allow the most amount of light into your room. You will be amazed by the difference a little more natural light can make.
6. Use Mirrors To Create The Illusion Of Space
It’s one of the oldest interior design tricks in the book – so simple and effective. Hang a mirror at one end of the room to make it feel twice the size.
7. Furniture With Storage
Be clever when choosing your furniture and select pieces that double up as extra storage. Sofas can open up to reveal storage space inside, coffee tables housing shelves beneath can store books, magazines and paperwork.
8. De-Clutter
Don’t wait for Spring to have a clear out. Unnecessary ornaments, piles of paperwork and odd bits of furniture shrink a space. A clear floor will instantly make a small living space feel larger.
9. Choice Of Colour And Pattern
The easiest way to make a small living room feel more spacious is to decorate and furnish it with lighter colours. It will bounce light around and give the illusion of a bigger room. If you have an unloved carpet then swapping it for white floorboards will also help the space feel larger. Keep pattern to a minimum, which can feel too fussy in a smaller space.
10. Save Space With A Snuggler
Snugglers and love seats are somewhere between a sofa and an armchair, and are designed with space for two… if you snuggle up. Opting for a love seat instead of a sofa can save you space in a small living room. Add additional seating with an armchair tucked away into an awkward corner and a comfy footstool.
11. Place Your Sofa In The Centre Of The Room
Pushing furniture back against walls is usually recommended to make a small living room feel larger. However repositioning the sofa into the centre of the room can actually act as a divider of the space, allowing you to fit in more than one role for the room. For example, the back of the sofa can provide a ‘wall’ to place a desk against, creating a home office space too.
12. Choose Simple Window Treatments
Nothing makes a small living room look more crowded than fussy curtains. Sheer, lightweight curtains, or even better blinds, work well where space is tight, as they don’t overpower the room.
