Trying to create the Living room of your dreams? Don’t let a small space discourage you! Small living rooms can be just as beautiful, luxurious, and comfortable as larger ones. It all depends on how you design them. If you’d like your small living room to look more spacious, try these tips for maximizing the impact of a small living room.

Create a focal point in your living room.

First, choose the focal point of your living room. If you have a beautiful garden outside, arrange the Furniture so that people can enjoy it when they look out the window. If you have a stunning piece of artwork on the wall, place seating so that people can enjoy its beauty. Think about where you want to direct people’s attention before deciding where to place your couch and seating. Arrange your small living room with a purpose in mind.

Try to keep the traffic flow to one side of the room.

You may not have much space to work with, but you can control how you use the space. Keep the traffic flow to one side of the room. This will allow other areas of the space to feel more open and spacious. For example, if your living room has a dining area on one side, keep walkways on that side of the room, rather than cutting right through the middle.

Rearrange furniture so that there’s an obvious path for walking through each room. Avoid placing furniture between the doors, so people aren’t forced to walk around it every time they enter or leave a room. This can create clutter and make a small space feel smaller.

Avoid blocking the entrance or exits with furniture.

If you block the entrance or exit with furniture, the room will feel more cramped. Keep the pathways through the living room open, so there’s plenty of space to move around. This will also provide a good flow of traffic. It’s okay to have a sofa under a window, but don’t put it right against the wall at the end of a narrow hallway, for example.

Use small scale furniture

In a small living room, one of the best ways to create the illusion of space is to choose small-scale furniture. For example, an armless loveseat or sofa paired with a petite chair and ottoman won’t overcrowd your space.

What does “small scale” mean? It doesn’t mean you have to select low-quality furniture, and by no means should you think that small scale translates into child-size furniture! So, what’s considered “small” these days? The average adult person has a seat depth of about 21 inches (measuring from knee to seat edge), so go for around 18 inches in seat depth for your next sofa or chair.

If you’re choosing an armless sectional, opt for something with only two pieces instead of three. Also remember that if you want high style but not much size, consider accent chairs rather than full-sized seating. This way, you can make a style statement without taking up much real estate.

Leave breathing space between furniture.

Now that you’ve selected your small-space seating, don’t crowd the room with furniture pieces that don’t have to be there. In every room, but especially in a small living room, you need to leave plenty of room for people to move around. If people can’t get past the coffee table to reach their seat, or if they feel like they’re going to knock over decorative objects while walking by the bookcase, then you’re sacrificing function for form–and nobody wants that!

Use a neutral paint color on walls to make the space appear larger.

In a small space, it’s important to make the most of what you have. One easy way to create an illusion of more space is to use a neutral paint color on your walls. White, off-white, or pastel colors will reflect more light and make your living room feel larger than if you paint it with dark colors. Light colors on walls and floors also make rooms feel brighter, while dark colors on walls and floors can make a room feel smaller or darker. If you have low ceilings in your home, stay away from darker wall paints, as they can make the ceiling appear lower.

Consider having one large focal piece

Don’t be afraid to opt for one larger piece of furniture for comfort and functionality. Pushing smaller pieces up against the wall can make a room seem cluttered and busy, while a large upright piece in the middle of the room will give your space more breathing room. If you have only a small space, consider getting one oversized chair instead of two smaller chairs. Or, if you need more seating, opt for an ottoman that opens rather than two end tables. Don’t add more than one or two large pieces to a small living room though to avoid overpowering it and making it look smaller.

Use appropriate lighting to lighten up the space and make it feel bigger.

A well-lit small space will look and feel much more spacious than a dark one. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use multiple sources of light, instead of just an overhead fixture. Use lamps that provide softer lighting, since recessed lights or harsh ceiling fixtures can cast too much shadowy light, which will make your room seem smaller. (Your eye can only see so far in a dark area.)

Use vertical lines and light colors

Vertical lines are your friend in a small space, where they’ll help draw the eye upward and make the room seem taller and larger. Use vertical lines wherever you can think of. Use them in your furniture choices and window treatments. Even flooring patterns can include lines to draw the eye where you want focus.

Light-colored furniture will help open up your living room and make it feel more expansive and airy. Try using lots of white, beige, or other warm neutrals for your larger pieces like sofas and chairs–you’ll want those to blend into the background without taking up visual weight in the room itself.

Spend time determining the best arrangement that maximizes space. A well-arranged smaller living space will look and function better than a larger living space not arranged well.

The Bottom Line

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to make a small living room look larger. Understanding the directionality of lines and applying a few room design tricks can help create the illusion of spaciousness in any room, even if it’s not the size of two football fields!

The post 9 Ways to Make a Small Living Room Look Larger appeared first on CIH Design, LLC - Hawaii | Los Angeles | New York.