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Room Ideas
When it comes to small rooms, it's easy to throw in the towel before even starting. After all, once you get all the essential furniture into a tiny room, it can easily look cluttered and feel impossible to get right. Well, it's time to throw away those negative thoughts, because you can have a small room be both beautiful and practical. Small living rooms can be especially difficult since they fit so many purposes and functions, but following our tips and tricks, you can see how to decorate your small living room to fit your style and needs.
Many people find themselves intimidated by patterns, since they can quickly dominate the room's design and can be difficult to pair with other patterns/designs. Allow this living room to serve as an example of how to blend different patterns. The designs of the chairs, pillows, rug, and wall art all use lines and shapes as main components of the patterns. Those running shapes/lines help unify the room while also diversifying it and making it more interesting.
Perhaps when you picture entertainment systems, you think of the large, bulky units from previous decades. Allow this room to serve as inspiration of how a central modern entertainment center can serve as the main focal point and keep your room organized. Plus, with a system like this that has both open and closed shelves, you can choose what is visible decorating the shelves and what can stay hidden behind closed doors.
This living room displays three ways to make your small living room look larger than it actually is. The first piece is more architectural than anything, and that's having a raised ceiling. If you're not in the market to completely change the ceiling height, then you can easily incorporate the other two techniques: light colors and natural light. Light colors always brighten a space up, and you can do that through the wall color, furniture, and flooring. That doesn't mean you can't add in any color though--like this room, you can add color in through the rug and pillows. As for natural light, let those windows open and let the light shine in.
Layering rugs in your small living room can help make the space feel larger as well. To keep the small room from feeling cluttered, choose two rugs that are the same shape as one another and center one atop the other. Choose complementary textures and colors so that they feel compatible and intentionally paired. Lighter, neutral colors also work well to brighten up the space.
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When you place items in a small room, you need to do it intentionally. This means that not only is their physical placement important, but so is what you actually include in the space. Because this space has so little in it, it makes the textures and colors pop more vibrantly than they would in a cluttered space. One idea to guide you is to choose an element and carry it throughout the space. This room uses natural textures throughout the space in the rug, pouf, seat, and plant basket. You can do that same theme, or you can choose another element to unify the space.
When you're coming up with a small living room design, you may find inspiration in a certain color palette, pattern, or theme. In this cozy farmhouse living room, plants and nature are clearly a key theme running throughout the room's wall decor and all the greenery. Even if you do not use this specific theme, you can see how impactful it is in unifying a small living room's design.
The square footage on the floor may be small, but there's still plenty of wall space to work with in small spaces. You can choose one big piece on the wall, or you can adorn it with a custom collage. When creating a collage, use elements that have some connecting factors and some differences. For example, this wall can all connect to African design. A difference however is in the shapes and sizes of each piece. Varying the sizes and shapes is just one way to do a gallery wall; the best way to create your own gallery wall is to collect pieces you love and test it out, whether you're brave enough to hang them on the wall on your first try or lay them on the floor to space them out and rearrange things.
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Boho style is sometimes eclectic and busy, but in a small space, you need to narrow down what you put in the space. To achieve a Boho vibe, bring in those natural textures and materials. This room uses rattan in the lighting and chair, leather in the sofa, and wood for the side table. Greens are also a good fit for a Boho living room. Finally, don't forget a rug that matches the other tones in the room and has a geometric or aztec pattern to it so you have some welcome detail in the space.
Using a big rug to set up your seating area is another way to take advantage of the space you have. By placing it under nearly all the furniture legs, you've established a seating area and made the area a bit bigger than it actually is by extending it past the furniture. Just be sure the rug doesn't run directly up to the walls; not only will the rug look a big jammed in there, but it also takes away from the nice flooring underneath the rug that nobody will be able to enjoy.
Yes, light colors do make a small space seem bigger. But if your goal is to make your small space a statement, then going for a dark black accent wall is one way to go. Making one wall black or just dark in general definitely adds contrast and flair to the space, and because it's used sparingly, it doesn't make the room feel like a cave. It helps too to place lighter items against that wall or on the wall's shelving, just like this room does with its light accents, artwork, and sofa. Build in shelving is also a great space-saving technique since it isn't another clunky piece of furniture.
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Living room rugs come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Earlier you saw how layering two rugs can help create a larger space, but choosing a unique rug like this one has the same effect. By having a smaller area in front of the sofa and then having the outer portion of the rug extend into the rest of the living room, it creates the illusion that the space is larger than it is. Plus, incorporating different textures adds life to the space, so this rug functions multiple way to decorate the space. Of course this specific rug is an option, but you can also find similar rugs with varying textures and colors to fit whatever style you're going for.
When working with a small living room, it's a great idea to make the space as multi-functional as possible. One way to do that is to include seating and chairs that can easily be rearranged depending on what you need the room to do. Having a lightweight chair like the one displayed here is good, because if you need more floor space or need to rearrange, that chair can easily be moved. In your small living room decor, you can also include a pouf or two as a footrest or seat depending on what you need at that moment.
Your small living room may open up to other spaces. Even though the room as a whole may be large, the living area could be quite small. To set it apart from the other areas, place a medium or large area rug in the center of the living space.
Some pieces, like a grand piano, are large and cannot be downsized. In these cases, allow that large piece to become a central design point in the room. In this case, the entire room matches the elevated tone of the grand piano with its clean colors, paneled walls, and overall minimalist design.
Modern style works well in small spaces, since it focuses on minimalism so often. You can incorporate modern design into your small living room by using furniture with clean cut lines and light wood tones. Light wood accent walls, furniture, or fireplace accents are a few ways to incorporate those light wood tones. If you like both modern and traditional interior design, mix the two with a traditional rug to create a perfect blend of styles.
Muted, subdued colors can help create a soothing living room, no matter what size it is. When you're working with muted tones, though, be sure to include darker tones too. If you work only in the light tones, the room can appear washed out instead of relaxing. You have a few options on where to include those dark elements, but like this picture, you can Include dark elements in your main seating and in accents around the room to add layers to the room. Adding in a plant is another smart idea to include at least one different color outside of the grays and whites the room focuses on.
While it may be tempting to go to a large box store and purchase artwork, having custom artwork made for your room or choosing a more luxurious piece can help set your small living room apart. Plus, if you use a large piece of art like the one shown here, then it will be especially impactful in your small living room's design.
You can go dark in your small spaces, but it's important to add some brightness so it doesn't feel suffocating. Use dark as the main colors of the room in your walls and rug, but add in whites in the furniture and accessories to break up the darkness. Make sure that you do draw the two together somehow, like this room does with its blue pillows and blanket, and how the silver side table connects back to the gray walls. It's the small details that often bring a room together, so don't forget those small pieces when working on your small living room decor.
Terracotta red and other natural tones work well in any space, but especially small spaces. If your living room walls are neutral, incorporating warm reds in the wood and accessories is perfect to add in a warm, welcoming feeling to the room, but also create a natural vibe. These warm woods often work with bohemian design and fit well with moderns as well. When working with reds and warm woods, add in a rug that compliments those colors. Even if the colors of the rug aren't as vibrant as the bright red tones, it serves as a good connection and can define the mood of the space.
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Formal living rooms often feel more rigid because the furniture is placed at 90 degree angles in relation to one another. To achieve a more relaxed feel and take advantage of your space, think about placing smaller furniture at an angle. This side chair is placed at an angle and is further away from the sofa than it could be, and this helps expand the seating area out into the rest of the room and set the tone for the room. While we don't know what the sofa is facing in this room, we do see the chair is facing that sofa, which encourages people to use that space to socialize instead of watch TV. The way you place your furniture sets the purpose and tone of the entire room, so think about what you want people to do in your living room and set it up accordingly.
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Including a matching set of furniture in your room is a good way to create a cohesive design and avoid making the room feel too busy. With that being said, you do not want all the elements to be in the same collection, or else it will feel more like a showroom than a living room. Therefore, balance your room with one matching set, such as a coffee table and side table, and play with chairs and decor.
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It can be daunting to figure out how to decorate a small living room. However, be encouraged that all the photos in this guide are widely different from one another with different furniture styles, architectural features, patterns, and colors. Because of that, you can take this room's approach and confidently infuse bright colors, or you can take a more neutral approach. The best way to decorate a small living room is to showcase your personal tastes and create a space comfortable for your room's footprint and lifestyle.
Wall art is often seen...well, on the wall. But a fun way to decorate with art is to also prop it against the wall and layer it with other pieces of art. You can see a dark blue painting serves as the backdrop of this display, and then the lighter feathered artwork is in the forefront. It still connects because of the blue tones, and then the white of the feather artwork connects to the books next to it and to the white accents throughout the room. When you set up art like this, make it intentional like this one, so that your guests recognize it as style and not laziness.
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Grand, elegant design is often seen in huge rooms and mansions, but that feeling can carry into small spaces too. Choose furniture that fits the space size wise, and then add in those elegant details in ways that don't take up a lot of room. For example, instead of having a large display cabinet that takes up floor space, hang an elegant mirror on the wall. Mirrors and metallic surfaces that reflect light brighten up the space and make it seem larger too, so it not only fits into the elegant style, but it also makes the room bigger. Win-win!
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You can take full advantage of your space by not setting up the room traditionally where everything is completely symmetrical. This living room is effective because instead of feeling pressure to center the sofa, it moves the sofa off to the side, which makes more room for the bookshelf, pouf, and other accents. When offsetting a room like this, it can be helpful to center the rug in the room to establish the space, and then place your large furniture where it works best with the rug taking the job of being symmetrical/centered. If you use a tall bookshelf like this, be sure to have other decor and wall art around that same height so that there's visual interest at that height throughout the room.
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Teal is such a versatile color that it can work with just about any design style, including traditional. The traditional style of this room is really set by the ornate rug and panelling on the walls, but it's also brought into the modern day with sleek furniture and minimal decoration. Regardless, when you incorporate one color as the focal point of a neutral space, don't just leave that color in one area of the room; spread it out in areas like the rug, pillows, blankets, vases, books, artwork, etc. By spreading it out, you highlight that as the main accent of the room and direct the eye to look at the entire space.
Even if your living room footprint is small, a raised or vaulted ceiling can help the room feel larger than it actually is. If you're fortunate enough to have an architectural feature like a tall or sloped ceiling, allow that to positively impact the room's tone and create the illusion of more space.
Mid century modern style has risen in popularity in the last few years thanks to its modern interpretation of furniture, unique artistry, and its versatility. When it comes to designing a small mid century modern living room, you will likely use popular modern colors like neutral tones with uniquely rounded furniture/accents to seamlessly balance the two aesthetics.
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Colored furniture isn't as popular as it used to be, but that doesn't mean it can't be used with style! Adding in a colored sofa like this one adds vibrance to a neutral living room and invites you to have fun with accent colors. Blues and pinks often go well together and can create a boho vibe, modern elegance, or even traditional style depending on the shades and shapes of the furniture. Don't look at colored furniture as a thing of the past--look at it as a contemporary opportunity for unique design.
Behind a sofa, there's often room for a large piece of art to be on display. That's perfectly valid, but sometimes it's more effective to use a set of paintings like this living room does. The three frames extend out further than one piece of art would, but it doesn't feel too big for the wall since there's wall space between the three. As a bonus, this artwork connects back to the greenery throughout the room and creates a subtle motif. You can do the same or just choose a series of art that you love and tie it into your own theme.
There are so many ideas out there for small living room decor and space saving options, but now you see that you can have both form and function in your small living rooms. Be sure to choose your furniture intentionally, work with colors that brighten the space or add in drama, and at the end of the day, add in your personal style. The living room is a space to live and exist in, and it should work both practically and aesthetically for you and the ones you love.
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