You can also completely change the mood of a small space by dousing it in a new paint color—you can snag a gallon for around $50, but the effect will be so much more than that. And don’t underestimate the power of accessorizing. Curating a coffee table surface or styling a bookshelf, especially if you add plants, can make a huge difference. Thrift stores and yard sales can be treasure troves for unexpected design gems.
What are some design tricks to make the most out of a small living room?
“Challenge the idea that a small space limits your ability to display art, possessions, or personal artifacts,” says Cunningham. “In fact, smaller spaces offer even greater opportunities to showcase what you love—through creative and efficient display methods like shelves, hanging pieces, or gallery walls.” To build a unified and intimate atmosphere in a small living room, embrace your personal style with collected pieces that tell a story. Sticking to a theme can give a compact living area some narrative.
When you don’t have too much floor space, custom-built-ins offer a storage solution designed for your specific area—plus, hiding not-so-pretty items is always a bonus. “Since the pandemic, people have spent significantly more time in their homes, and those spaces are now expected to do more than ever,” says Challie Stillman, vice president of creative at Resource Furniture, which offers shelving with fold-down desks and custom wall beds. “Work, wellness, entertainment, sleep, and storage all have to coexist within the same square footage. That shift has made multifunctional furniture less of a novelty and more of a requirement in modern home design.”
To create ambiance, designer and Ash creative director Xavier Donnelly, who collaborated on a lighting collection with Tulip, emphasizes the diffusion of light in his designs by opting for light bulbs with a warm color temperature. (Harsh, direct light coming from an overhead fixture is the antithesis of cozy.) Add a few eye-level lights with vintage table lamps to give the space interest and a sense that guests should feel enveloped, not interrogated, in the space.
What paint colors work for small living rooms?
When it comes to selecting paint colors for a small living room, consider your needs; choosing a warm and buttery hue—like Benjamin Moore’s Cake Batter—can make the space feel more expansive and airy. A space surrounded by dusty pink walls (like Little Greene Paint Company’s Light Peachblossom) will invite calmness while also anchoring the interiors in a statement-making shade. Though there’s nothing wrong with sticking to neutrals.
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