These 35 Design Ideas Will Give Your Small Living Room a Huge Glow-Up
Oh, so you're looking at your very small living room and trying to figure out how to make it cute and liveable? I've been there, and I've felt that stress. But as a former New Yorker crammed into a studio apartment with my husband, our corgi, and maybe five pieces of small-space-friendly furniture, I can confidently say that itty-bitty home-sweet-homes aren’t the enemy. With the right tricks and a little creativity, even the tiniest of living spaces can look really freaking good.
To guide you on your personal design journey, I've rounded up a ton of visual inspo and tips to help you stay chill and get the aesthetic of your dreams while mapping out your own small room. Sure, it'll take a little out-of-the-box thinking (and, uh, maybe a hammer, sorry), but trust me, you've got this.
If you haven’t already started scrolling and screenshotting, this is your official sign to do so. These 35 ideas will take your living room from small and blah to—dare I say—iconic in no time.
Keep your floor clear.
Keeping your furniture light and minimal can make your floor look endless and your entire space look larger.
Bring the outdoors in (or fake it).
Tall plants maximize vertical space and will add major style points to your small living room. It doesn't matter if they’re real and breathing actual life into the space or faux and serving strictly visual vibes.
Soften your space with curved furniture.
Curved details will make your living room feel so much cozier. The ones in this pic have me swooning—from the rounded chairs and bench to the arched shelving unit and those adorable daisy-inspired light fixtures. Ugh, perfection.
Show off the things you love.
Trust me, you don't need to decorate with a million bits and bobs. You just need a few pieces that make you feel happy. The living room you see here is basically a masterclass in letting your personal style take the lead—it’s eclectic, but doesn't feel cluttered. No detail was overlooked (the zebra knobs!!!), and every piece feels like it belongs.
Make the most of precious vertical space.
One easy-peasy way to make your small living room look bigger? Drawing the eye up with vertical shelves, which you can decorate as you wish. They'll create the illusion of height and space, making both you and your guests feel like the room is much larger than it actually is.
Float your storage.
Another vertical option to try: open or closed floating storage. If you’re handy with tools (or have a friend who is), it’s a savvy way to squeeze in more storage and show off that decor you couldn’t quite find a home for.
Stick to one color.
Monochrome is so in right now, and this post proves it. I'm willing to bet the creative mastermind behind this vintage-inspired living room isn’t sipping red wine on the couch mid-week, but the various shades of white are so dreamy.
Kick clutter.
I know it’s not exactly realistic for your small living room to look like Marie Kondo just rolled through, but what makes this space feel so roomy is the pared-down decor and all-clean everything. No shade to your knick-knacks, but there’s something undeniably chic about keeping it minimal to maximize space.
Anchor it all with a rug.
Don’t sleep on the power of a good area rug, bestie. It can pull your furniture into one cohesive zone and trick the eye into thinking the space is way bigger.
Carve out a cozy corner.
Open floor plans can be t-r-i-ck-y, but the key is to create different sections for different purposes. This seating area does it right by using a rug, a sofa, and two accent chairs to create a comfy little nook. The mix of textures—all within the same color palette—really brings it together.
Free up space with a single-arm couch.
This creator is living the minimalist dream, combining her living and dining spaces into one modern setup. She styled her small living room like an HGTV pro, trading a bulky two-arm couch for a sleek one-arm option so it can sit flush against the wall.
Layer your lighting.
This small living room was designed by a photographer who specializes in "soft tones and warm light," and her layered lighting—see: glowy candles, a paper lantern, and natural light—add depth and dimension that make the space feel extra inviting.
Ditch bulky light fixtures.
Before you hit "add to cart" on that giant floor lamp, peep this minimalist space with sleek sconces above the couch. Consider this your sign to keep your lighting small and stylish if you want your living room to look larger than life.
Go low.
A little hack for faking more square footage? Go with low-profile furniture, like the famed Ligne Roset Togo Sofa (no judgment if you’re eyeing a dupe). Keeping furniture closer to the ground opens up vertical space, adding some airiness to the room.
Or go high!
Lifting your couch off the ground makes the floor space more visible and gives the room a chance to breathe, so to speak. Somehow, that small boost really does make things feel bigger—I swear.
Ace the furniture arrangement.
Having a small living room doesn't mean you need to ditch your sectional dreams—you just have to balance it out with the right pieces. For example, in this pic, a stylish New Yorker traded a big coffee table for two compact round ones, making room for a more spacious sofa. The result is both cozy and stunning.
Consider a neutral color palette.
This small living room is basically a deep breath in design form, thanks to the soothing neutral color palette and clean, modern lines. The minimalist vibes plus plenty of free floor and wall space keep the whole room light, airy, and calming.
...or take the opposite route and embrace boldness.
If neutrals make you yawn, go ahead and unleash your inner maximalist, like the designer did in this colorful dream of a room. If you click through the gallery (you should) you’ll spot a floor-to-ceiling bookcase that makes this small space feel even more intentional.
Clear things up with glass furniture.
The glass coffee table here is sooo much lighter on the eyes than a chunky one, making the whole space feel far from cramped.
...or its shatter-resistant cousin: lucite.
Like glass, lucite furniture basically disappears into the background, so it's functional but lets the rest of the room shine through (literally).
Let the light in.
If your living room gets a ton of natural light, (a) I'm jealous, and (b) you need to show that off to brighten every inch of the space. You can do so by ensuring nothing is blocking your windows—steer clear of tall furniture, bulky curtains, spindly plants, and anything else that could take away from your precious sunlight.
Symmetry, for the win.
Symmetry just hits different when it comes to design, amirite? I’m obsessed with the way this creator styled these matching armchairs around the coffee table, pulling your eyes to the center. And the fact that the table is glass and two-tiered for extra storage? Perfection.
Add depth (and drama!) with mirrors.
Mirrors don’t just add personality to this room—they also bounce light around and create the illusion of extra square footage. The fact that this designer layered two floor mirrors doubles the impact, nailing the "quirky-meets-modern-meets-vintage" aesthetic.
...or maybe let a chandelier do the work?
No room for a mirror? No problem. Let a chandelier steal the show instead. It draws the eye upward (yeah, you guessed it!) and scatters the light just as nicely.
Bring in custom built-ins.
The beauty of built-ins is that they squeeze every last inch out of a room. Case in point: the alcove-turned-built-in situation in this casual-cool living room. It’s doing double duty as a TV hub and a storage solution with both open and closed shelving. Chef's kiss.
Mount your TV.
Whether you hire someone to do it on TaskRabbit or tackle it yourself, mounting your TV packs a huge punch in a teeny living room. Not only will it free up room space on your entertainment console, but it also gets rid of those annoying wires that can make small spaces feel cluttered.
Go all out with bold artwork.
The oversized artwork in the space you see here doesn’t just draw the eye up—it makes the high ceilings look even freakin' higher. The bold standalone piece perfectly fuses personality and simplicity, and I, for one, can't get enough.
Or, go all in on a gallery wall.
Not about a solo art moment? A little gallery wall never killed nobody. The living room here is decked out with mismatched frames in a variety of sizes and styles that crank up the quirky vibes and keep your eyes moving.
Double (or triple?) your furniture's purpose.
Multifunctional furniture = your best friend in small rooms, and the multipurpose coffee table/storage space/game area you see here is a perfect example.
Trick out your coffee table.
It's my great honor to introduce you to the lift-up coffee table. It’s a legit godsend for tiny studio apartments because it serves as a place to eat, work, online shop, kick your feet up—you name it. And! It has hidden storage perfect for stashing all the stuff you don’t want guests to see. (Clutter? What clutter?)
Add color to the ceiling.
Painting your ceiling can make your room feel so much taller, it can be hard to believe it’s the same space. The soft pink ceiling here paired with the quirky floral light fixtures...I can't stop staring.
Transform your space with wallpaper.
PSA: Just because you're renting doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate wallpaper! Removable wallpaper is the interior design GOAT. That said, here’s proof that even the simplest furniture combo in a small living room can look a million times more exciting with a patterned wall and color galore.
Reimagine empty alcoves.
When it comes to small living rooms, you need to take advantage of every inch of space and get creative. For example, this content creator turned her once-empty alcove into a cozy nook with funky seating, an eye-catching ottoman, and recessed vertical shelving that’s as functional as it is fabulous.
Create visual contrast.
This gorgeous built-in situation is a testament to how light and dark contrasts can work magic to create depth—even in the tiniest spaces.
Stash stylish ottomans under a console.
This is brilliant apartment styling, in my humble opinion. The patterned ottomans bring personality to the room without hogging any floor space. And when you need extra seating for guests, pull 'em out, and voilà—functional-chic goals.
You Might Also Like
