An ample living space is a dream that many of us have, but it often simply isn’t a feasible option. Urban neighbourhoods and apartments have seen an increasing number of people living in smaller and smaller spaces. However, there is no need to see a small living room as a negative.
It is easy to live happily and beautifully in small areas, and once you begin thinking about your small living room as a creative interior design challenge, you will see your home open up to a world of space-saving opportunities.
There are plenty of ways to trick your mind into thinking your room is bigger than it really is, and we are sharing our ten top design ideas to make a small living room seem bigger.
It may seem counterintuitive, but by placing a large rug in a small room, it can actually make the room feel much more spacious than it really is. Small rugs will break up the floor and make the space seem smaller, whereas a big rug will help to anchor the space. Choose a bold print or pattern and use it to design the rest of the room around.
When you have a small room, it can seem like a good idea to push all your furniture right up against the walls to make the most floor space. In actual fact, if you create some space behind by floating your furniture out from the walls, you can create the illusion that the room is wider than it really is.
A small living room can make it a challenge to fit in enough seating for everyone without using all the floor space. Opting for something different such as a hammock chair instead of an armchair will give you additional seats without using all of the precious floor space.
The darker your room is, the smaller it will feel. To create the illusion of space, let is as much natural light as you can. Avoid dark curtains that block light from windows and furnish your room in light shades. This will give your living room an open and airy feel no matter what size it is.
Just like choosing light shades to keep the natural light in, you can also go as far as to paint all the walls a bright white. By opting for white walls and flooring, you will open up the space and keep the walls from closing in on you. Add large art pieces to brighten the walls and choose colourful furniture to be the focal point for your room.
Even in a small room, having high ceilings can create a feeling of space. However, if your living room features a low ceiling, it can make the room feel even smaller. Furnishing your space with a low-down sofa can give the impression of higher ceilings. By playing around with the scales and proportions of your furniture, you can create some impressive visual effects within your living room.
When you have a small home, it can be challenging to find enough room for everything you need from your space. You can get creative and make your living room a multi-purpose space to meet all your needs. If you don’t have the capacity for a home office, then combine these elements into your living room using clever, multi-tasking furniture, such as a bookshelf that doubles as an office desk.
Instead of choosing floor lamps and space-consuming lighting fixtures, go for lights that can be fixed onto your walls and above your head. In a small living room, floor space is precious, so do your best to limit what you use the floor for.
Furniture such as your coffee table often take up a lot of space in a small living room and are usually placed in a central position. Instead of having one large coffee table, swap it for two small tables. You’ll still have the same table capacity, but it will improve traffic flow and make it easy to move them out the way if needed.
Small living rooms have the added advantage of being intimate and cosy, which is often very hard to achieve with a large open space. Embrace this cosiness and keep all your seating close together, with a soft, fluffy rug.