32 Styling Tricks That Will Make Your Small Living Room Feel Bigger and Better (2024)

32 Styling Tricks That Will Make Your Small Living Room Feel Bigger and Better (1)

If your living room, family room, or sitting room feels cramped and cluttered, the last thing you'll want to do is spend time in it. Let's change that! Because no matter how small a space is, there are designer strategies to make it feel much bigger than it appears to be. It's not magic; it's just smart styling and layout problem-solving. 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

Work In Twos

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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.

2

Separate Zones With Lighting

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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.

3

Orient for Visits

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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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4

Play Up Period Details

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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.”

5

Use refreshing Colors

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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.

6

Hang Plants

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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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7

Use Fewer But Brighter Pieces

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Located by the entry and kitchen in the Novogratz family home, this bonus sitting room is a crash pad for any loitering kids or guests. It's also a great design formula for anyone looking for a formal setup in a smaller space: Colorful artwork, minimal decorative objects, and streamlined furniture... Just the basics! But in bright colors.

8

Display Heirlooms In Open Shelves

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Old books and heirlooms will instantly make a room feel more personal, and exposed shelving and/or glass-enclosed cabinets will really let them shine. In this living room designed by Oliver Thornton, they add character and speak to the layered warmth of the furnishings, even though the space isn't huge.

9

Let a Room-Spanning Rug Do the Work

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If you're feeling stuck and uninspired, a room-spanning rug or piece of artwork can be a great jumping-off point for the rest of the color scheme. Everything in this small living room is inspired by the gorgeous Art Deco rug, from the plaster color-blocked paint to the masculine leather sofas. A lucite table keeps a lower visual profile while speaking to the mirrored ceiling.

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10

Use an Upholstered Ottoman

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A reupholstered ottoman will play the role of a coffee table, footrest, and even extra seating depending on what you need it for. It's also a great option for anyone with small children or pets since the edges are soft, and it allows for extra pattern plays if you choose something fun like this triangle print in a sitting room by Les Ensembliers.

11

Use Acrylic Furniture

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Call on lucite and acrylic furniture in small spaces that start to feel visually chaotic. Thanks to their transparent nature, you can count on them to disappear into the background. A waterfall coffee table in this small living room by Ashley Whittaker is a prime example.

12

Strategize With Mirrors

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Mirroring all your walls to bounce light may seem like a tall task, but what about just hanging a few separate wall-spanning mirrors and then customizing the frames with one paint color to make them cohesive? The green monochrome situation in this small living room designed by Benjamin Dhong is also inspiring use to layer various shades of one color.

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13

Upholster the Walls

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Bring on the cozy vibes with plenty of soft fabrics, and even apply them to your walls! A fabric-covered ottoman, lush blue velvet sectional, room-spanning rug, fun armchair, and upholstered walls. This polished space by Nick Olsen is all the convincing we need.

14

Be Flexible With Seating

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In a bohemian living room, pretty much anything goes—but if you need some guidance, try applying this formula: daybed plus side chair, armchair, floor pillows, and a couple of stools. In this case, Commune Design also incorporated a statement rug and task lighting.

15

Take Advantage of High Ceilings

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Eliza Crater Harris, the great great-granddaughter of Sister Parish, doesn't let limited square footage stop her from incorporating plenty of personality-packed patterns. Ceiling-high curtains elongate the room to make it feel larger and clean-lined furniture prevents the room from feeling too full.

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16

Skip the Sectional

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If you're short on space, you might have the urge to fill all usable floor space with furniture. But sometimes less is more, especially in small rooms that can quickly start to look over-crowded. Instead of a large sectional, which can sometimes look bulky, float two smaller sofas across from each other with a two-tier coffee table in between, as David Mann did here.

17

Separate Zones With Area Rugs

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Area rugs separate the different zones in this studio apartment designed by Peter Frank. There's also plenty of accent seating on deck but out of the pathways when not in use, a small space strategy that always delivers.

18

DIY a Barn Door

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City apartment dwellings give "small" a whole new meaning. But designer Shari Francis has plenty of tricks up her sleeve to outsmart limiting floorplans. Tip number one: Separate an alcoved bedroom from an adjoining living room with a sliding barn door to enhance privacy and give yourself dedicated spaces for different activities (it's a relatively DIY project and there are plenty of cool, affordable options on Etsy, like this one). Tip number two: A smaller sofa is better than a bulky one that takes up the entire room, and one armchair is better than two if it means keeping a pathway clear—plus, asymmetry is chic.

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19

Choose a Coffee Table With Storage

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The carefully collected yet laidback vibe in Elizabeth Georgantas's Nantucket living room is the perfect setup for a small space. An upcycled trunk stands in for a coffee table and provides hidden storage for extra throws and loose gadgets and a small sofa is an appropriate scale for the proportions of the room.

20

Choose A Large Rug

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Choosing a larger rug—even in a bold pattern—is a trick that makes a room feel bigger. Unlike smaller rugs, the large size doesn't visually break up the floor. This can also help anchor the space and give you a good staple piece to design the rest of the room around. Corner seating can also help you get more out of your space, as it does in this room designed by designed by Katie Ridder.

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Hadley Mendelsohn

Contributor

Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.

32 Styling Tricks That Will Make Your Small Living Room Feel Bigger and Better (2024)

FAQs

What color furniture makes a room look bigger? ›

Not far removed from white, pastel colors also help make a room look bigger. Think pink, buttery yellow, mint green/pistachio and baby blue for a trendy room. These colors add just the right amount of color but without the darker saturation, allowing rooms to look less busy.

How to add seating to a small living room? ›

'You can layer ottomans and benches under co*cktail tables or console tables to add seating in a small space,' suggests Karen Wolf of Karen B Wolf Interiors in New Jersey. 'Build in window seats if possible. And also consider dividing the room into separate areas to create a more functional use of space.

What color makes a small room look bigger? ›

Use Light Paint Colors

She says that bright, airy colors, such as a warm-off white hue, will reflect more light and make it feel more spacious without looking sterile. For subtle color, she suggests a breezy, blue-green hue to help brighten up a small space while creating a calming atmosphere.

What pattern makes a room look bigger? ›

Vertical stripes, ones that go up and down, will help to stretch a room and make it feel taller than it is. Fun fact, that's one of the tricks behind Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion pre-show. Striped wallpaper that runs horizontally, on the other hand, can make a room appear wider than it really is.

How to make a small room look bigger with furniture? ›

Coordinate Wall and Furniture Colors

Contrasting colors tend to break up a space, making it appear even smaller than it is. Pieces of furniture that match the wall color are less jarring and tend to blend with the space, giving the illusion of a bigger room.

What color rug makes a room look bigger? ›

1. Choose a light-colored rug to open up your space. “Stick to light, cool tones as much as possible, as these will trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it is,” recommends Cristina.

How to decorate a small room to make it look bigger? ›

Whether you're using paint or wallpaper, light colours work best for making a space look larger. Try using whites, creams, stone colours or even pale greys or icy blues that will make the room seem light and airy, rather than darker colours that will absorb light and close up the space.

What sofas make a living room look bigger? ›

Choose Leggy Sofas

Sofas with visible legs create an illusion of space by allowing more light to pass underneath them. This visual openness makes your living room appear less crowded and adds a touch of modern elegance to the space. Opt for sofas with slender legs or even open bases to maximize the effect.

What kind of sofa makes a room look bigger? ›

'A light-toned sofa in neutral colors, such as beige, cream, light gray, or white, can create a sense of openness in any room. These soft hues reflect the natural and artificial light that enters the room, making the space look brighter, airier, and more spacious.

How to furnish a small living room cheaply? ›

For cheap living room decor, dress up existing accents with embellished details. Small upgrades can give inexpensive throw pillows, readymade window treatments, fabric lampshades, and bargain-priced throws a more stylish, customized look.

Should furniture be darker or lighter than walls? ›

In general, lighter walls and darker sofas work best for smaller rooms. If your space is bigger or lit very well, go for darker walls and lighter furniture. Each space is individual to you, so if you're a fan of an all-over bright look, it's fine to do so, and likewise for a dark-on-dark interior palette.

Does light or dark furniture make room look bigger? ›

To make smaller spaces bigger, consider light furniture

If you're working in a small bedroom space, then you can utilise light furniture to open up the room and make it feel bigger. Opting for light pine furniture makes the space feel more airy and open, which can make small bedrooms seem much bigger.

What color wood makes a room look bigger? ›

You may be surprised to learn that dark wood flooring can help to make your room look bigger too. Darker flooring offers an inviting feel and opens up a space. Whether you choose rich colours or softer dark colours, they both have their advantages when it comes to expanding the appearance of a room.

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