Whether for lounging in leisure time or for entertaining friends, a living room becomes anything but a place for relaxation when it’s too small. But with budget constraints and other inevitable factors like distance from the workplace, you might have squared down upon a house that has splendid features except for this claustrophobic living room. No worries! We have some top ideas to decorate a small living room so that it looks spacious.
1. Light & neutral color palette
A light, neutral color scheme is easy on the eye than bold colors. Small spaces dressed in attention-seeking hues tend to look crampy. Use bold colors as accents instead to make for a chic decor. Elements that take up huge visual space such as the rug, couch, drapery, coffee table, and throws may adhere to soft and neutral tones to make the room seem bigger in size.
2. Ceiling to floor curtains
Besides being their elegant best when used on a full scale, curtains serve to elongate the room, making the room seem instantly more voluminous in perception. This is because elements that connect the ceiling to the floor subtly guide the eye to grasp the full length of the room. Thus the ceiling will seem to be higher. Use vertically striped fabrics to enhance the effect. This is a foolproof technique used by designers in homes and hotels for ages now. Get custom curtains to ensure the correct length for the drapes to suit your tiny living room.
3. Keep one color for all the walls
Painting the walls in different colors sections out the space. So, keep all the walls in the same color, preferably white or other light hues so that more light is reflected. This serves to make the room look bigger because it will look like one large unit whereas if you section it out the space gets defined borders, taking away from the meager capacity of the room for no valuable gain. Consider painting the walls and ceiling the same light colors to further build upon the continuity of the optical field. And pick the right color that enhances the size of your space.
4. More light
The brighter the room, the larger it appears. Large windows look best when dressed full scale. But if you have a moderate-sized window, consider leaving it bare since the living room is not a private zone. But if your window has a sectional couch or a radiator underneath and you want to dress it up, then use custom roman shades stitched with white sheers which will allow plenty of light to seep in. This sleek self-effacing window dressing will sink into the architecture.
5. Use more solids than patterns
Patterns make any object look more attractive but busy and bold ones should be used very cautiously in small spaces since they tend to make it look cluttered. So, if you must use patterns, then mix them thoughtfully and choose those that employ neutral colors, soft lines, and minimal contrasts. Use more solids or only solids if you can for the walls, carpets, upholstery, and drapes to make the living area look larger.
6. Custom couch
If the room is not strictly rectangular or has an awkward niche in the wall or even otherwise, investing in a custom couch that is attached to the wall is better than shopping for ready-made sofa sets. This way you can make use of that little space to its highest potential. And the area that is used to space out the furniture from the walls and other elements is also saved.
7. Transparent or upholstered coffee table
Use a transparent coffee table made of glass or lucite so that it allows the eye to travel through, without posing as a visual barrier. Eventually, the see-through quality of the table will make it seem like it doesn’t exist, making the space look roomy. Another technique is to use an upholstered ottoman which can double up as a seating arrangement and a footrest whenever needed. When it gets congested due to more members, the soft edges will cancel the risk of hurting those who are walking by.
8. Free the floors
The freer you keep the floors from carpets or coffee tables, the more commodious your room will tend to seem. So, mount to the wall whatever you can and free the ground area. Chuck out the floor lamps and invest in sconces or chandeliers. Get rid of floor-standing storage racks, no matter how much you love IKEA products, and get floating custom storage units or overhead units instead. If you have a television set, fix it to the wall, rather than dedicate a floor-mounted unit for it.
Final Note
Small living rooms are nothing to complain about but are rather great opportunities for clever design. If you’re a minimalist, be assured that it can be best practiced in small spaces. And if you’re a maximalist, use high-end materials instead of space-consuming elements to appease your taste. With the designing hacks described in this article, you’re not just going to enjoy the process but also have a satisfying end result.
