Keep the look curated and uncluttered.
With open-concept homes becoming less popular among homeowners and broken floor plans moving into the spotlight, living spaces are shrinking—or at least their layouts feel that way. While a small living room is certainly not a design drawback, you’ll need to keep a handle on the amount of stuff you have out at any given time. Whether you love the curated clutter look or you’re more a follower of the “two-foot rule,” these small living room decorating ideas below are sure to strike your fancy.
If your main living space has tight square footage, keep in mind that scale is an important factor to consider. An oversized sofa or flat-screen TV can quickly make a small room feel crowded and cramped. Too-small furniture, on the other hand, can look and feel uncomfortable. So, you'll want to find the happy medium that is right for your home.
No matter your design style, we’ve gathered 62 small living room decorating ideas, straight from the professionals. From multipurpose family spaces to serene havens, read on for smart, inspirational ideas for building your dream living room.
Additional copy by Meghan Shouse and Kelly Allen.
Bring softness to the space by filling it with curved furniture. In this living area, designer Sarah Stacey created a welcoming corner with a curved sofa reminiscent of a fainting couch, nesting coffee tables with rounded edges, and a stone side table. A wall mural and patterned rug complete the charming corner.
Let a standout window in the room become the focal point, where natural light floods in and the views beyond double as art. Keep the color palette neutral and introduce various textures, like faux fur throws and a lantern pendant, as designer Sam Sacks did in this living room for enduring comfort.
If you've been eager to add mural wallpaper to your home, a small living room is the perfect place to do it. Not only is doing so less of a commitment, but small murals are more cost-effective. In this living room, designer Sarah Stacey used a mural featuring cranes and layered the look with tall curtains over the windows.
Sometimes adding multiple seating options to a small living room can feel awkward, so opt for an oversize sectional instead. While designer Alexander Reid had the help of high vaulted ceilings to make this small space feel roomier, the giant sectional takes up the majority of space, offers up plenty of seating, and doesn’t make the room feel cramped.
We understand the appeal of painting a small living room in a neutral tone to make the space feel a bit larger and more open, but we're begging you not to leave out color altogether. Follow in designer Alexander Reid’s footsteps and choose a bold paint color for the trim around the room to bring in some personality.
Don’t be afraid to go a little crazy with pattern in your small living room—it makes for a much more interesting jewel box space. The design duo at French & French Interiors bathed this room in blues using multiple busy patterns and rich solid hues, creating a small and gorgeous space.
If you’re looking for ways to make your small living room feel less cramped, choose neutral decor to bring some light to the space. However, don’t think this means you need an all-white living room. Designer Hannah Ozburn displayed this idea perfectly in a colorful space by using neutral but patterned, Roman shades. This decision helps the room feel less cave-like and more cozy.
When you’re short on space, decorate your small living room by hanging shelves above the windows. This area is often empty, but in this living room by designer Serena Dugan, the designer hung handy bookshelves to display a welcoming collection of paperbacks without making the space feel crowded.
Since much of this house by Suzanne Kasler is an open floor plan, she made sure to differentiate this smaller living area by painting the ceiling to section off the space. The deep blue is relaxing and elegant, and the slight glossy shine helps to make the room feel larger.
This charming TV room by Amber Lewis is swathed in a dark sage green that feels unexpectedly cozy. In small living rooms like this one, some color experimentation can make for a huge design payoff.
Sometimes, living rooms can feel—dare we say—too big to create the dream space you're looking for. If you want a cozy living room, especially as we enter fall, you might want to embrace one that's a smaller size so you can create the vibe you desire. The team at White Space Design Group put in a little gas fireplace and stove to keep things homey—something that would be harder to achieve if the room were larger.
In small living rooms, it's essential to find creative storage solutions and arrange furniture to avoid a cramped feel. In Liz Dutton's Ohio home, this is achieved by storing a stack of books neatly under the antique, low-to-the-ground coffee table and using a small side table for drinks. In a space with limited square footage, it's crucial not to overcrowd the walls or block walking paths. Unique solutions like these ensure a balanced and open layout.
With a small living room, you'll want to save as much floor space as you can to reduce clutter, and wall-mounting your TV might be a solution. Designer Rasheeda Gray mounted this large television flush to the wall, allowing her clients to have a screen as big as they wanted without forcing the room to feel tight.
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In this small living room idea, designer Amanda Jacobs focused the design on human connection rather than the TV. She turned the two chairs on one side of the room toward the couch on the other so the client's family could all comfortably sit and converse.
When Ashley Gilbreath was designing this sun-drenched living room, she opted for furniture she knew would age gracefully. Investing in pieces that you know will get better with time can help make your small living room feel like the crown jewel of your home instead of a smaller-than-desired afterthought.
Minimalist design doesn't have to feel stark and sterile. Designer Brian Paquette created this elegant, Nordic-style living room for his clients, making sure it still felt warm without having too much unnecessary decor.
Rather than choosing a sofa with a traditional back, designer Lichelle Silvestry went for a daybed-style piece that wouldn't block half of this small Parisian living room from the other. Now, no matter where your guests are, you can turn to face them.
Rather than overwhelm the space with a large side table or console, Jayson Home's Devin Kirk kept a low profile in his family's Chicago apartment with a short wooden stool. Because the emphasis is on the marbled sectional, he needed to balance the proportions of the other items in the room. Mission stylishly accomplished.
Designer Sarah Solis wanted this Los Angeles family's den to feel restful but still be functional for homework time. Cue: a floating desk. Because the thin surface seemingly levitates, it takes up much less visual square footage than a clunky desk with legs might, making it perfect for this small space. The backless stool also keeps things looking streamlined.
Low, curved, or angled ceilings can make a living room seem smaller than it actually is. Working with it rather than against it, as designer Patrick Gallagher did here in his apartment in Rome's Palazzo Taverna, can have the opposite effect. He used subtle, diamond-patterned wallpaper to visually heighten the barrel-vaulted ceiling and create the illusion of more space.
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