How to Make Your Small Living Room Into a Spacious Zone

If you are dealing with small living room proportions, there are some helpful and simple ways to make your space look and feel a bit bigger. Why? This can help people feel more comfortable when dealing with limited square footage. It can also, quite simply, look cool!

Expanding your space is about creating the impression that your room is lighter and loftier. Let's dive into some easy ways to achieve this.

Our eight top tips for a bigger-looking space

Here are some very simple and cost-effective ways to increase the spaciousness of your small living room:

Tip #1: Strategic furniture sizing

A small living room does not always mean small furniture. In fact, the more small pieces you have, the more cluttered the room can feel (we'll explain why this is bad a bit further down in the article). 

In some cases, going the other way is best. For example, a large sectional sofa that is well-positioned can also make a small room feel larger. Stick to a similar color as the walls, so the piece doesn't dominate the entire room. If possible, opt for a design that is sleek, lower to the floor, and armless. If the space around it is kept quite minimal, and you can actually see some floor, it will all feel a bit bigger.

Tip #2: Keep the furniture away from the walls

For some reason, by default, we all push our furniture up against the walls when having it away from the walls creates more fluidity in the space, thus appearing bigger.

The bigger pieces of your room, like the sofa, should be moved away from the wall for a bit of breathing room. It sounds strange, but it will make the space feel much less crowded. 

Tip #3: Choose your colours carefully

Dmitri Kara, an expert from Fantastic Handyman, states, "Using the power of colors and paint is among the best ways to emphasize space. A popular trick is painting your window frames the same color as the wall; thus you keep the feeling of open space. Of course, you should refrain from heavy drapery on those. If you still want window frames to have their own presence, just stay away from strong colors, as contrast takes away volume. The goal is to have the barrier between in and out fade and stay outside the focal point."

A great example of making smart choices with color is using white walls, trim and ceilings to make your room spacious. From here, introduce cool and warm tones that are the same hue in one room. If you want a small space to feel bigger, pick a light, bright palette and aim to keep the walls and ceiling in a crisp white, creating contrast with darker neutral hues for depth. 

Tip #4: Embrace the power of mirrors

Interior design 101 tells us that mirrors expand spaces, but you need to maximise the effect strategically. For example, one of our favourite tricks is hanging a mirror across from a window to magnify the natural light, which helps the area feel bigger and lighter (see next point for more on this). 

You can also use a large, leaning mirror positioned in a corner to create the impression of more floor space. It is important that no matter which option you choose, you opt for a minimalist frame (case-specific). 

Tip #5: Gathering all of the natural light possible

As mentioned above, a great compliment to the mirrors and a way to make your room feel bigger is with natural light. Focus on your windows and get rid of the drapes if it avoids any privacy issues.

If you still need a level of privacy, opt for light, semi-sheer curtains hung slightly above the window, draping all the way to the floor to create the illusion of height. 

Tip #6: The clever positioning of wall decor

We don't expect you to have blank walls because these are boring! However, a great way to create the illusion of height and width is by hanging all of your artwork above eye level. This draws the eye upwards while creating a larger feel for the space between floor and ceiling.

This same rule applies to wall-mounted storage as well. Position those floating shelves in the upper half of the wall and avoid cluttering the negative space underneath. These are all clever things you need to do when creating a minimalist look.

Tip #7: Always have a rug

Rugs are for more than just covering up a stain or cracks in need of foundation repair. There is no such thing as a rug that is too big (within reason). If you have a small living room, a small rug will emphasize it even more. Ensure that the size of the rug fits the space well. Keep in mind what we mentioned above about too many small pieces cluttering the space - rugs are included in this.

The rug should run underneath the biggest pieces of furniture in the room with around 10" over the edges with a little bit of the floor underneath. 

Tip #8: Steer clear of the clutter

Our last tip is the most important one. Keep your space clear of clutter if you really want to make your room feel bigger. No visible floor and piles of stuff everywhere is a surefire way to cramp the aesthetic. 

This becomes easier if you have the right amount of clever storage, shelving units or a freestanding bookcase. You can also include stylish wicker baskets to keep things out of sight and de-clutter by having mostly empty middle shelves. Two-in-one pieces are also great, like ottomans and coffee tables with hidden storage, saving you some extra floor space.

Make your space bigger today!

We’ve given you some tips; try some (or all) of them to boost the spaciousness of your living room today! You may be surprised how easy it is to completely overhaul the feel of your room for maximum comfort and enjoyment. Good luck!