If your house has a small living room, you’re likely familiar with the challenges of living room furniture layout.
First, consider your furniture’s scale as you decide how to design a small living room. A single piece that’s too large for the room will make it more difficult to arrange everything else. Vintage shops are great for finding furniture that was built smaller scale than most of what’s manufactured today. Average room sizes in the middle of the 19th century were quite a bit smaller than they are today, and the furniture was built with that in mind.
Plan your room around how you move in it. Be sure to allot enough space to comfortably walk around the furniture.
Furniture that has legs—as opposed to furniture that goes all the way to the floor—can make a room appear larger. Search for a sofa that has visible legs to draw the eye beneath the furniture, making the sofa appear lighter and the room appear larger.
If your small living room has high ceilings, take advantage of them. Although high ceilings don’t add to your room’s footprint, adding interest high in the room can make the room feel larger.
Don’t be afraid of a sectional sofa as part of your small space living room furniture. Many people might think that a sectional sofa would be the last thing to consider when deciding how to design a small living room, but many brands make them in small scales—often deemed “apartment” style—that can look great in a small space. Plus, if your sectional fits snugly in a corner of the room, you open up the rest of the room for additional items in your living room furniture layout.
Use furniture that can be reconfigured to serve multiple purposes. For example, instead of a regular coffee table, a set of stools or ottomans can be used as extra seating when you need it. For additional storage, furniture items such as ottomans and shelving units can help you stay organized and uncluttered.
Now that you have an idea of how to arrange your small space living room furniture, let’s talk about walls. An accent wall or a patterned wallpaper can add dimension to the space. A flat screen or wall-mounted TV saves space in your living room furniture layout. Large art on the wall can make a space seem larger, but avoid the dated look of having an entire wall of mirrors.
