Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Small living room ideas

Small living room ideas

Create the illusion of space in a small living room by opting for multi-functional furniture, big rugs and layered lighting

These small living room ideas are big on style...

Small living rooms are often cosy but they have to work much harder than their more spacious counterparts. Layout, furniture, window dressings, flooring and accessories all carry extra weight in a smaller space and it’s more important than ever to get the scale, proportions and balance right. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to play it safe either. It’s always good to follow the rules, but breaking them can make a much bigger statement. It’s all about knowing where the limits are and when you can push them.

We’ve consulted the experts to find out their top tips for creating a small living room that is big on style. Read on to discover the small living room ideas they suggest.

1. Maximise awkward spaces


Whilst we’d like our rooms to be completely square with no awkward angles or dead spaces, this is rarely the case. But with some careful planning all those awkward places can be turned into treasure troves of storage potential. “Many homes have awkward alcoves. This is one area where it pays to invest in bespoke cabinetry to really maximise the storage,” says Andrew Dunning of London Contemporary. “Whether your interior is modern or traditional, cupboards and shelving will finish this space in the room without intruding into it.



The bespoke media unit in this open plan reception room provides essential storage with decorative floating shelves above. Designed by London Contemporary to fit the wall shape without protruding into the room too much.


2. Think multifunctional


Clever multifunctional designs are great space saving options for small spaces. Mireille Baumgart is a BoConcept Partner and says: “We recently collaborated with UNCLE Wembley rental apartments where we selected furniture that was multi-functional to the bedrooms and living spaces. In small spaces it is important to choose furniture that can be adapted easily and have multiple purposes.” She suggests opting for coffee tables that convert to a dining table or footstools that transform into a single bed.



3. Curtain Call


When it comes to small living room ideas, windows have a huge role to play and have the potential to make your small room look lighter, brighter and even larger. Debbie Leigh is Design Manager at ILIV and suggests extending the curtain pole beyond the width of the window.



“This allows more light into the room and makes a room feel larger,” she says. “Hang the curtains high for a professional-looking window treatment. This will instantly give your room an illusion of extra ceiling height which in turn feels very luxurious. Ideally the pole or track should be positioned a minimum of 4 inches and a maximum of 12 inches above the top of the window.”


4. Choose Flexible Flooring


Flooring can make or break or a room and it is often overlooked in smaller spaces. "It needs to be flexible, to transition from the daytime role to a more relaxing space in the evening,” says Rebecca McCloskey of Weave Interiors. “But it also has to be durable. I love the clean lines of a solid floor but polished concrete and real wood floors are often not an option for everyone. Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) can be a great alternative. I love the selection from Moduleo as it looks so realistic. They also have the benefit of being extremely practical and easy to maintain."



5. Go Big with Rugs


Rug size and placement seems like a relatively straightforward decision, but it is one that is easy to get wrong. Sam Norris, Design Consultant at Garden Street says “Choosing a large rug is another trick that will help make a room feel bigger. There's a reason interior designers always claim a rug ties the room together and it may be a cliché but it works.”

Alternatively, opt for a fully fitted carpet instead of a rug. “Rugs can make spaces look smaller, fully fit the carpet to draw your eye to the edges of the room,” says Camilla Clarke, Creative Director at Albion Nord.



6. Select Storage Furniture


Space is at a premium in small living rooms so furniture that can double up as storage is always a bonus. Wayfair's Resident Style Advisor, Nadia McCowan Hill says that searches for storage ottomans are up 20% in the last six months alone. “Storage ottomans are the small space designer's best friend,” she says. “Go for a beautifully upholstered version in a bold jewel hue for a style statement that works double duty as a secret storage spot.”



7. Embrace the Cosiness


The knee jerk reaction to a small space is often to paint it white or another light shade to maximise the feeling of space. But there are other options. “Don’t be afraid to embrace the small,” says Caoimhe McKenna of Yellow Brick Road Design. “Create a cosy and inviting ambience with warm tones and tactile textures but offset this with clean, clear lines in order to retain a sense of calm."



8. Layer the Lighting


With any small space the main priority is of course maximising natural light. But when that isn't easy or even possible, you may need to get creative to make the best of what you have says Simon Terry, MD and owner of Anglepoise. “To create the illusion of space you must think about layering and creating pools of light.”

Adam Wade, Technical Director of Anglepoise encourages us to get creative with lighting. “Make the lights work for you and don't be dictated by the more traditional ways of using lighting, he says. “If a pendant at the centre of the room isn't creating quite enough light, layer in light from the side (wall or floor) instead. It's easier to control, more pleasant to sit under.”



9. Blue is Best


Instead of painting a small living room white, go bold with colour choices and create the illusion of space. “Blue is the best colour for making a space feel bigger,” says colour and paint expert Annie Sloan. “It is recessive, which means it draws the eye outwards, blurs horizon lines and gives a sense of never-ending space. It’s also a calming, meditative colour which encourages us to breath-in-and-out, creating a psychological and spiritual sense of space as well as the physical illusion.”

Ceilings are traditionally painted in light colours to draw the eye up and create a feeling of space but we needn’t stick to white. “My personal favourite would be a dusky, pale pink such as Antoinette,” says Sloane.



10. Trick the Eye


When working with the confines of awkwardly shaped rooms, sometimes extra creativity is required. Karen Knox of Making Spaces pulled out all the stops when designing this cosy seating area in her client’s long, narrow room. “This striking, abstract mural design with delicate white details draws the eye up and away from the client’s existing sofa and towards the wall behind it,” says Knox.

“This causes your eye to rests on the furthest point in the room giving the illusion of greater depth and more space. By then dressing the sofa in similar tones to the wallpaper, it helps the sofa recede into the wall. A large scale pattern isn't something that would normally work for small spaces, but for this room it helped to tie all the elements together, both old and new.”



11. Go bespoke


To really achieve an efficient use of space in a small living room, you can’t beat bespoke furniture that makes use of every inch of space. “Bespoke furniture is a great option if you're looking for something that's unique to your home,” says Adam Brown, Director of The Painted Furniture Company. “You may have a certain awkward space you'd like to fill, or a particular colour scheme in mind. Whatever you're planning, going for a tailored option means your furniture fits your specifications exactly without having to compromise.”



Your small living room questions answered


How should furniture be placed in a small living room?


There really is no right or wrong answer here. There is often a debate over whether sofas should be placed against walls, but it totally depends on how much space you have to play with. As long as you are able to create an intimate area that works for social interaction that is all that counts.

What furniture works in a small living room?


Multi-functional furniture is ideal for a small living room. Look for furniture that can double up as storage. Furniture that can fold away or that is on wheels and can be moved around is also desirable. You want the furniture to work double duty where possible.

What is a small living room size?


According to LABC (Local Authority Building Control), the average UK living room is 17.09m2. That means that anything smaller than this is considered to be small. In the US, room sizes are much more generous with the average living room being almost twice as big at 330 square feet.

What colours make a room feel / look bigger?


It is generally accepted that smaller rooms need to be decorated in lighter colours in order to reflect as much light as possible. But this isn’t always the case. A lot depends on the direction and quality of the natural light in the room. You should let that be your guide.

How can you make a small living room look chic / expensive?


You can make a small living room look expensive by focusing your attention on the finer details that will elevate the look. Don’t scrimp on window dressings and make sure curtains are hung to maximise height and light. Pay special attention to lighting and aim for a layered look. Make sure that the size of the rug is proportionate to the room and remember that small rugs will make the room look smaller still.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×