Decorating a small living room: space and personality

A small living room can easily hold both space and personality, if you think it through a little before filling it up. It's not about compromising on cosiness, but about being conscious of what takes up room, and what gives it air.

In this guide, you'll get concrete tips for making a small living room feel bigger and warmer at the same time, from furniture choices to light and colour. If you want the full overview of the whole living room, you can read Decorating the living room: The complete guide. If you live in a small flat in general, Decorating a small flat: how to make room for personality is a good place to continue.

The short answer: choose a few good pieces of furniture, use the wall, and let light and colour do the work

Choose a few good pieces of furniture rather than lots of small ones, so the floor and the eye get some calm. Let the wall take some of what the floor would otherwise have to carry, with shelves, posters and wall decorations. And let several light sources, plus colour in small doses, like a throw or a vase, give the room warmth and personality without filling it up.

Calm: a calm starting point with light surfaces

Everything starts with a calm starting point. Light surfaces on walls, floor and the large pieces of furniture give the eye calm and make the room feel less cramped. When the background is calm, you also get the freedom to add colour and pattern in smaller doses, without it looking cluttered.

Also, only keep a few things out at a time. That's not the same as having to live sparsely, but rather giving each thing room to be seen, instead of everything competing for attention at the same time.

Furniture: few and movable, and something with space underneath

In a small living room, a few good pieces of furniture work better than lots of small ones. A single coffee table, a sofa and a bookcase, chosen thoughtfully, give more calm and more actual floor space than several smaller pieces of furniture placed close together.

Also look for furniture that's easy to move, and preferably with space underneath, so the floor can breathe. A table on slim legs, or a sofa with visible legs, makes the room feel more open, because the eye can follow the floor all the way round.

• Choose a few pieces of furniture rather than many
• Look for furniture with visible legs, so the floor gets air
• Prioritise furniture that can easily be moved as needed

Light: several light sources rather than one ceiling light

Several light sources rather than one ceiling light create cosiness, and this is especially true in a small living room too. A single ceiling light often casts a flat, harsh light, while several sources at different heights give the room depth and a warmer atmosphere in the evening.

Think of light in layers: something down by the coffee table, something at eye level, and preferably a couple of candles as the final soft touch. Candlesticks at different heights can easily stand together on a table or a shelf, making it easy to switch between everyday mode and cosiness.

Mirrors also play a role here, because they can cast light and create a sense of a room that continues onwards. An oval mirror with a dark blue edge from Kersten or a marble mirror from Kersten can be hung so it reflects the light from a window or a lamp, working both as a light source and as decoration on the wall. Want to know more about how to choose the right mirror for your living room, you can read How to choose the right mirror.

Colour in small doses: throws, cushions and vases

Colour can definitely fill a small living room, as long as it happens in small doses that are easy to swap out. A throw over the sofa, a couple of cushions and a vase on the table are easy ways to play with colour without tying down the rest of the room.

A throw, Quilt Ethnic in pink with tigers or a Quilt Ethnic throw in cotton, tiger and green from EJA can be draped over the back of the sofa and swapped out depending on what you're in the mood for right now. If you prefer softer shades, a throw, Quilt Ethnic in small flower, yellow and pink suits a lighter living room well.

The advantage of letting colour live in the smaller things is that you can follow the season or your mood without repainting or buying new furniture every time.

Use the wall: shelves, posters and wall decorations

When floor space is tight, the wall is the space you can really make the most of. Shelves, posters and wall decorations move both storage and decoration up into the air, so the floor stays clear and the room feels more open.

A ceramic wall hanging, like a blue moon ceramic wall hanging or a yellow moon ceramic wall hanging, gives personality without taking up space from the furniture. If you want something more playful, a lemon ceramic wall hanging from Caja Company can be a fun feature above the sofa or next to a window.

If you have a coffee table you'd like to style so it works together with the rest of the room, you can find ideas in How to style a coffee table in easy steps.

Summary

A small living room doesn't have to feel cramped. With a few good pieces of furniture, light surfaces, light in several layers and colour in small doses, you can create a room with both space and personality. Remember to use the wall when the floor is tight, and let mirrors do some of the work of opening up the room.

Read also

• Decorating the living room: The complete guide
• Decorating a small flat: how to make room for personality
• How to choose the right mirror
• How to style a coffee table: 5 easy steps