Small living rooms are notoriously tricky to get right. They need to be practical, cosy and stylish, while also working hard as places to relax, host and unwind. But when space is tight, even the tiniest design choices can make your living room look cluttered and, dare we say it, dated. Here are six of the most common small living room mistakes designers point out – and the clever fixes that will instantly make it feel more polished.
Taking minimalism too far
According to Bridget Teik, principal designer at interior design firm Teik Byday, minimalism has no place in your living room, no matter how tiny it may be. Bridget encourages everyone to embrace rich dark tones and patterned pieces for smaller spaces, noting their depth and expansive quality.
'We have designed many small living spaces and love to incorporate darker tones; they often make the space feel more expansive and larger, as if pushing the walls further back. Layering in multiple patterns and textures makes the space interesting and cosy — more is more can work in a small space,' Bridget says.
Planning too much negative space
Of course, you’ll have to consider your dimensions, but don’t focus too much attention on planning for 'white space' or empty space in your living room. Designer Abigail Horace of Casa Marcelo believes that a maximalist mindset is the key to unlocking the potential of small spaces.
'In a small living room, people often mistakenly choose furniture that is too small or fail to fill the space adequately. Instead of making the room feel larger, it makes the room feel unfinished and sparse,' Abigail says. 'Fill up the space as much as you can. Add the larger rug instead of the one that only fits under the coffee table. Fill the wall with art, add wall-to-wall drapes instead of tight to the window. It will help make the space feel intimate and warm instead of sparse and demure. Embrace your petite space and douse it in colour! It always feels more intimate and welcoming this way.'
Prioritising company over comfort
We’re all drawn to homes that reflect our personal style, but small spaces call for a little extra consideration. A tiny living room can naturally feel cosy and inviting, so rather than fighting its proportions, lean into that warmth with clever, intentional design choices.
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'Prioritise your daily comfort over that of your occasional guests. Where you sit daily should be comfortable enough for you and anyone else who lives in your home. Accent chairs used only by guests could be dining chair frames instead of large lounge chairs that take up significant space,' interior designer Johanna Lyle, head of her namesake design company, Jo Lyle & Co, says. Buy that extra plush sofa and load up on the throw pillows. In your home, it’s all about what makes you most comfortable.
Putting your furniture against the wall
Interior designer Louis Lin says you should stop pushing your furniture to the edges of the room – even in a small space. 'One of the biggest misconceptions in small spaces is that pushing all furniture to the perimeter will make the room feel larger. In reality, it often flattens the space and creates a visual openness in the centre, which kills the flow of circulation,' Louis says. Instead, you should focus on creating what he calls 'spatial dialogue'.
Think of this as your furniture placed with actual purpose to create shapes and pathways that cater to how you move and flow around them, but he’s also not saying that your sofa needs to take center stage. 'Always float a sofa off the wall, even by a few inches to reduce visual clutter,' Louis says. 'The goal isn’t to maximise emptiness, but rather to choreograph the spatial flow and create visual rhythm.'
Committing to neutrals
While a neutral colour scheme can look effortlessly chic, Louis warns against using it purely to make a small living room appear bigger.
'There’s a longstanding belief that small rooms should always be painted white or pale neutrals to feel bigger. While light colours can work beautifully, they’re not the only solution — and sometimes they actually strip a room of depth and atmosphere,' Louis says.
Like Bridget, who believes in bringing patterns and textures into design to create depth, Louis is making the case for dark, moody colors to make their living room debut, especially in smaller homes. 'Rich colours create a sense of immersion that allows the boundaries of the room to dissolve. Deep olive, mineral brown, warm clay, or muted botanical tones can make a small living room feel grounded,' says Louis.
His pro tip? Dabble in tonal layering, which uses colour saturations, tones, and textures to build visual interest and depth — painting your ceiling the same hue as your walls is a great place to start.
Messing up scale
While your room may be small, your decor shouldn’t be. Interior designer Mallory Robins of Kobel + Co isn’t a fan of dressing up already small spaces with miniature furniture.
'People often try to match a small space with small-scale items, but that usually results in too many pieces in the room and no clear focal point,' says Mallory. The best decor is planned and intentional. To achieve a curated look, Mallory suggests buying big. 'Focus on fewer, larger pieces, which will instantly make the space feel larger, calmer, and airier.'
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