Our Top 10 Small Living Room Ideas
Decorating is so much easier than you'd think.
There's nothing better than browsing through living room furniture and decor ideas when you're gearing up for a move – or you're just sprucing up a little bit. If you're hitting a roadblock because your living room is on the smaller side, we've got you covered. Check out our favorite modern small living room ideas and decorating tips before inviting everyone over for drinks.
1. Use Your Legs
Leggy furniture is one of the most easily recognizable modern small living room ideas. If your living room is barely more than a nook, opt for a couple of comfy accent chairs with tapered legs. Furniture with thin legs creates a clean, modern aesthetic and gives off a simple (but still welcoming) vibe. Pair accent chairs with a side table instead of taking up space with a coffee table.
When looking into small living room ideas, it's okay to choose a sectional sofa. It's important to choose the largest sofa you can fit into your living room since it's where you'll probably be spending the most time. Sectional sofas can maximize corners by creating as much cozy seating as possible. Because of the L shape, sectionals can also help zone off a small living room from an entryway, dining room, or home office. Choose a tufted but not overstuffed sectional; if the sofa is too plump, it can make the room feel smaller.
Pro Tip:
Check out our How to Measure for a Sectional Sofa in 3 Steps guide for easy tips for finding the right size sectional for your small living room space.
3. Center Yourself (+ Your Living Room Furniture)
One of the quickest ways to infuse modern ideas into your small living room design is to refigure your seating. Push all the furniture into the center of the living room to create a floating seating arrangement. This setup is reminiscent of the conversation pits of the ʼ70s and is ideal for creating a cozy Friday night in. Choose a rug that is large enough to fit under every piece of furniture to anchor the seating area – that could even mean just the front legs of your sofa and chairs.
Pro Tip:
Need a little help figuring out what size rug is right for your living room? We've got you. Check out our How to Choose the Right Rug Sizes guide.
4. Play with Scale
A bold piece of modern art or a quirky mirror can make a dramatic statement in a small living room. A big mirror can instantly make even the smallest living rooms feel bigger by reflecting sunlight. If you have large art, you can hang it high up on the walls to draw the eye upward and make the room seem taller. One of our favorite modern small living room ideas is using a retro credenza or sideboard to display art or decor and store clutter. Cleaner living room in a snap? Yes, please.
Pro Tip:
If you rent your apartment or condo and don't want to nail artwork onto the walls, take a hint from this living room and prop the pieces up along the credenza instead. Bonus: You can move or swap items around whenever you want.
5. Brighten Up
Instead of taking up floor space with a floor lamp, optimize your square footage with wall sconces in your living room. We're loving these swinging wall lamps – the arms let you adjust the light to see your book no matter where you're lounging.
Glass furniture can create an illusion that there's more open space in your living room than there really is. We love how understated this coffee table is – its transparency makes the floor area seem bigger. If you don't have the space for a coffee table, try out a glass console table for your TV instead.
Pro Tip:
Since glass furniture can eliminate storage space, make sure to keep baskets on hand for extra throw blankets and books.
If you're looking for ideas for your small living room, you're going to love this tip. We're all about finding furniture that can serve more than one purpose. This ottoman can be used as a footrest, as extra seating, or as surface area for a bowl of popcorn. If you need hidden nooks and crannies, choose an ottoman with built-in storage for chargers and remotes. Alternatively, consider nesting coffee tables for your small apartment. You can tuck the smaller tables underneath when not in use and then pull them out when you have guests over for a makeshift dining area. Takeout containers and wine bottles definitely deserve the extra space.
Natural light makes everything better and it makes small living rooms feel bigger. If you're able to, try not to block windows and glass doors. If you need curtains, choose something light and breezy so that you still get a light-filled look for your living room. Hang curtains a few inches from the ceiling and let them run all the way to the floor instead of hovering a foot above it – they will instantly make the ceilings appear higher.
Pro Tip:
Add a hanging houseplant to utilize more vertical space and provide a touch of decor to your living room design.
9. Drop It Down Low
A low-profile sofa, accent chair, armchair, or chaise can create the visual effect of a higher ceiling in your living room space. Add a throw pillow or three to ensure coziness. The low bookcase in this living room is just the thing for keeping things clutter-free and well-curated while leaving room for your must-have decor items. You can also place the bookcase along one side of the living room if it needs to be visually separated from another room.
If you work from home and live in a studio or small apartment, a home office and living room combo isn't out of the question. Place a leggy wood desk and minimalist-inspired chair along one wall or corner of the living room. Set a desk lamp on top to light up your WFH setup. Visually separate the space from the rest of your living room by hanging a wall-mounted mirror or decorating with wall art.
Bring one of these modern small living room ideas home with you.
