Discover how to make a small living room feel larger!
Expand your living room visually and create a feeling of spaciousness with these simple and easy design tips!
Using mirrors, decor and lighting in strategic ways you can make your small family room, loft or sitting room feel bigger.
Read my Designer and True Color Expert® tips and tricks on how to get rid of that cave-like feeling and get the brightness and openness you crave!
Do you have a small living room space that feels cramped and wish you could make it feel bigger?
Maybe you have a small living room area in a condo, apartment, loft, beach house, small house or cottage and want it to feel more roomy!
How To Make A Small Living Room Feel Larger!
Small living rooms can feel tight, constricted, crowded, disjointed and uncomfortable.
As a Designer and True Color Expert® I have several design solutions to make your small living room feel bigger and look gorgeous!
1. Use Vertical Space
Use the height of your walls in your small living room to your benefit:
- hang a gallery art wall so that some pieces are close to the ceiling to draw the eye up
- hang curtain rods as high as possible
- use tall shelving units to create a stylish focal point and draw the eye up
- hang the TV above the fireplace to make best use of limited wall space
- if you have a TV hanging above a TV unit make sure the TV unit blends into the room’s color palette and is streamlined
- using a row of cabinets (in the same color as the walls) across a wall as a tv unit will create a clean lined builtin look and will make the space look bigger
2. Paint Colors That Will Make Your Living Room Feel Larger
Adding a fresh coat of a white, off-white or light neutral paint for the walls and trim will instantly brighten and open up your living room!
Get rid of dated drab, muddy wall colors that make your small living room feel pokey.
As a True Color Expert® my favorite whites are Sherwin William Pure White and Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace.
They have no undertones and so they won’t clash with the flooring color or other colors in the room!
These are my favorite go-to white trim colors.
3. Unified Color Palette
Use a color palette in your living room that’s unified throughout the room will make your living room feel larger.
Choose 3 colors for the room using the 60-30-10 color rule:
- main color
- secondary color
- accent color
These colors should blend and coordinate with:
- the flooring color
- fireplace color
- wall color
- furniture color
- rug, art, decor, curtain color
When selecting your unified color palette make sure:
- your furniture, flooring, wall art and decor colors don’t clash
- the colors are a shade lighter or darker than one another to make your living room feel bigger
source – swivel chair, similar swivel chair
4. Hang Drapery Wide And Buy Drapes In Light Materials
Let as much light in as possible by covering as little of the windows as possible.
Hang curtains wide so that most of the curtain panels cover the wall on each side of the window and just barely covers the window frames.
Pleated and ripple fold sheers are a popular, on-trend, elegant, chic look that will make a small living room feel more airy and larger.
Add curtains that are light colored and light weight such as cotton and linen.
I recommend pinch pleat linen drapes for a modern classic and timeless look.
Need help with furniture selection or furniture arrangement in your small living room or family room?
I’m a Designer and True Color Expert® – I can help!
See my design experience, portfolio and client reviews here.
Email me at [email protected] for a quote to create a room you’ll love!
5. Add a U Shaped Sectional Sofa
Adding 1 piece of furniture in the form of a U shaped sectional sofa or U shaped chaise sectional sofa can actually make the room feel larger!
It minimizes the number of furniture pieces and visual clutter.
Make sure to select a light colored upholstery (performance fabrics are durable, kid and pet friendly and stain resistant!)
Add a round ottoman or round coffee table in the middle of the sectional for drinks and decor.
source – similar sectional sofa here, here and here, similar round upholstered coffee table ottoman here
6. Add A Small Apartment Sized Sofa Or 4 Chairs
- Instead of a regular sized sofa add an apartment sofa (which is sized for smaller spaces, is narrower, less deep and not as long as a regular sofa) to add compact seating to a small room!
Buying an apartment sofa will provide you with the comfortable seating you need but won’t crowd the room.
Designer tip: Select a sofa and chairs that have slim arms like this best selling slim arm sofa to maximize space in a small living room
They will provide cozy, comfortable seating and fit a small living room space.
- Another small space furniture solution is to skip the sofa and add 4 chairs to the room!
Arrange the four chairs in a circle with a round coffee table in the middle.
This will create plenty of seating and a cozy look.
I have used these beautiful compact, comfortable arm chairs in my design client’s small living room spaces- plus they have hidden castor wheels so they can easily be moved around and from room to room!
You can also use them as dining chairs (they also have a coordinating armless chair!) and move them to the living room when you have company and need extra seating.
These round boucle swivel chairs are gorgeous and create flow and openness! These boucle swivel chairs are similar.
source – similar boucle chairs here and here, similar coffee table here
- Seating tips for small living rooms when you need additional seating for company during the holidays, parties and family gatherings:
Buy a set of these beautiful stacking chairs to add to the living room when you need them!
These and these stacking chairs are also gorgeous.
Store these chairs, stacked, in a closet, mudroom, laundry room or basement when you’re not using them.
7. The Right Area Rug Size and Color
- Adding a rug to a room changes it completely visually and makes it look bigger!
But make sure you buy a rug that is the right size!
Make sure the front legs of the sofa and the chairs are on the rug to make the space feel bigger.
A common mistake is to buy a rug that is too small.
If the area rug is too small and the front legs are not on the rug, it makes the room look cheap, awkward, choppy, even smaller, unbalanced and like the room doesn’t flow.
- Neutral color rugs such as ivory, beige, gray and greige will make your living room appear bigger.
Or add a rug in cool blue tones.
Remember the color rule that cool colors recede and warm colors advance!
8. Coffee Table Tips
There are several design tricks you can use with the right coffee table that will make your living room feel more spacious!
Choose a glass coffee table or a rattan coffee table with an airy silhouette that won’t take up a lot of space visually.
If you love wood coffee tables skip the darker wood stains like espresso brown and black and instead choose lighter wood tones colors like this gorgeous natural wood coffee table.
If you love upholstered coffee tables, choose one that doesn’t have a busy pattern and has a color that blends into your area rug.
Or skip the coffee table entirely and use one or two small ottomans that you can put a tray on.
source – deep charcoal paint color
9. Console Table – Skip The End Tables And Coffee Table
If you have zero room for a coffee table or end tables, don’t worry!
Add a narrow console table behind the sofa or behind 2 chairs to display decor, set drinks, add a decorative box for your media remotes and display table lamps!
10. Add A Tall Mirror
Adding a tall mirror either hung on the wall or leaned up against a wall will draw the eye up and bounce light around the room to make it look larger!
I recommend a tall arch mirror like this which is on trend and a popular style.
source – mirror, floor lamp, similar floor lamp here and here
This small living room uses several of these small space design tricks to make it look bigger:
- vertical clean lined builtin storage on one wall in a color that matches the wall color to blend in and create flow
- light neutral wall color and light colored fabrics
- upholstered ottoman that blends into the carpeting
- neutral sectional and roman shade that coordinates with the white walls and beige rug
I hope you love these design tips on how to make a small living room feel larger!
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Where to Shop for Living Room Furniture and Decor
A question I get asked a lot as a Designer, is where are my favorite places to shop for small living room furniture, rugs, lighting, art and decor:
Crate & Barrel
Pottery Barn
Castlery
Style Me GHD
McGee & Co.
Ballard Designs
Amazon
Etsy
My favorite curtain and roman shade sources are here and here
My favorite rug sources are here and here and washable rugs here
My favorite lighting sources are here and here
Here’s a selection of small living room sofas, chairs, coffee tables, area rugs, lighting and decor for inspiration:
Sofa and Sectional Ideas
Accent Chairs
Coffee Tables
Console Tables
Area Rugs
Lighting
More Design and Decor Ideas:
- How To Arrange Furniture In A Small Living Room
- 5 Cozy Small Spaces And Nook Ideas
- Small Bedroom Ideas To Maximize Space & Style
- Top 50 Bestselling Paint Colors At Sherwin Williams
- How To Create An Inexpensive, Small Space Home Gym
- 20 Beautiful Backpack Storage Ideas For A Clutter-Free Home
- Top 50 Exterior Home Paint Colors From Sherwin Williams
- How To Fake An Entryway – Enter Right Into The Living Room
- 5 Design Tricks To Brighten A Dark Room
- 5 Best White Trim Paint Colors
- Design Tip: How to Choose the Perfect Area Rug
- Modern Classic Kitchen Design Ideas
- Our Dark to White Tuscan Kitchen Remodel – Before and After
- Big Impact Living Room Decorating Ideas
- Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Living Room Look Expensive!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to make a very small living room look bigger?
Edit, declutter and use a light wall paint color to visually open up the space.
Get rid of bulky furniture pieces. Add a sofa and chairs that are clean lined and in light colored fabrics.
Which of the following helps to make a small room feel bigger?
Hang curtain rods as high as possible to make a small room feel bigger and more spacious.
Add an area rug that fits the room and is big enough so that the front feet of the furniture are on the area rug.
Use 2 small nesting coffee tables or a narrow coffee table to provide a spot to set drinks.
How can I enlarge my living room?
Adding a white coffered ceiling will draw the eye up and create an elegant cozy look!
Add lots of layered lighting:
- a chic ceiling light chandelier or pendant
- a table lamp or two
- a floor lamp for a corner
- picture lights above wall art and builtins
What patterns keep a small room look bigger?
Keep the number of patterns minimal to make a space look bigger.
Too many patterns will make a living room look busy and cluttered.
Use patterns in thin stripes and solids.
What Colors make a small room feel bigger?
Use light colors in shades of white, beige and cream.
Light tan, caramel and taupes will layer in depth and interest.
Light blues will also make a space feel bigger.
Minimize dark colors.
How do interior designers make small rooms look bigger?
As a Designer I love helping my design clients with their small living room challenges!
I recommend creating flow with color.
Get rid of dated, bulky furniture and add furniture pieces with minimalist clean lines.
Accent windows with beautiful drapes hung high and wide.
Add arch accent mirrors above the fireplace or a large arch wall mirror to bounce the light around the room making it look airier and bigger.
I also highly recommend a gorgeous rug that is large enough so that the front legs of the furniture are on the rug.
What art makes a room feel bigger?
Add framed black and white landscape photography above the sofa or a black and white framed family photograph gallery wall on a blank wall.
Art in light tones and light blues and greens will also make the room feel more spacious!
How to make a small living room look bigger with mirrors?
- Use tall mirrors
- Add a large arch wall mirror
- Add a beautiful arch mirror above the fireplace
How to make a small living room look bigger with flooring?
- Use wide plank LVP or hardwood flooring
- Add area rugs that coordinate with the flooring and furniture for flow
Do rugs make rooms look bigger or smaller?
Most people buy rugs that are too small for their living room.
A rug that’s too small creates an unsightly postage stamp, unpolished look.
Small rugs that do not fit the furniture layout where the front furniture legs do not sit on the area rug make a living room look smaller.
Area rugs in beautiful neutrals and with subtle patterns will definitely make a room look bigger!
But the right size of rug: the front feet of all of the sofas and chairs in the living room should sit on the area rug.
Rugs are so inexpensive today!
So make your living room look elegant, timeless and gorgeous and buy an area rug that fits your living room!
Do round rugs make a room look bigger?
Yes, round rugs make a room look bigger if you have 4 chairs arranged in a circle with a round area rug underneath.
However the size of the area rug in this case must be large enough so that the front and back legs of the chairs are on the rug.
Otherwise the round rug will look too small, making the room look smaller.
What lines make a room look bigger?
Vertical lines definitely make a room look bigger:
- use vertical stripes in pillows
- hang the curtain rod high and add drapes that kiss the floor to emphasize vertical lines
- add tall cabinets/bookshelves to draw the eye up and repeat vertical lines
What color carpet makes a room look bigger?
Wall to wall carpeting in light beige will make a room look bigger.
Opt for carpet patterns that are subtle geometrics and are not busy.
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Heather is a Designer, True Color Expert® and proud military wife at 
Thanks for the tips! Our living room is very small so these ideas will help!
This was a very timely post. Just now trying to figure out a layout for our small narrow living room. Great advise here!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you received some useful layout tips here!
Great tips!! I love plants and I will incorporate the snake plant into my space, presently I have tall palm like plants and I never thought of replacing them with the snake plant, this minor change will have a great impact on the space looking bigger. 😊 Thank you