When staring out at your small, boxy living room, it might be tough to come up with creative, chic furniture and decor ideas to make the most of the limited space.
But just because you’re compromised for space doesn’t mean you have to compromise on style!
With that being said, here are four small space living room furniture ideas to make the absolute most of your main room.
Hidden Storage
One way to maximize your space, at least in appearance, is to keep the clutter to a minimum.
However, storage cabinets and shelving units can take up a lot of space!
As such, finding clever and chic ways to store blankets, electronics, books, or other small items is an excellent method to open up a cramped room.
One way to do so is by utilizing small space living room furniture solutions like a storage ottoman or swivel chair.
Then, you can easily store things you want to keep within reach but not necessarily out, taking up room.
Using Vertical Space
Your decorating potential doesn’t have to be limited to the square footage of your floor space.
Small-footprint items are great, but no-footprint items are even better!
You can use your walls for all types of different space-saving, room-maximizing hacks.
Shelving
You can’t deny that a big, vintage bookcase full of trinkets and books looks amazing in any space.
But for small living rooms, that kind of furniture is a pretty big commitment.
Instead, swap your bookcase for a wall shelf unit or some floating shelves!
This way, your knick-knacks stay organized and on display while leaving your floor space free of large, bulky furniture.
Wall decor draws the eye upward and away from the ground, opening up the room as soon as you step into it!
Mirrors
Sometimes, feeling comfortable in your smaller rooms is just a state of mind.
For rooms that feel cramped no matter what you do, hanging large mirrors on the walls can give the illusion of open space by reflecting the light and the room back at you.
Visually, this can expand or even double the space.
Plus, they’re a cool decor item that doesn’t take up any floor space!
Wall Lighting
Finding ways to squeeze good lighting into a small living space can be challenging when you’re short on floor room.
And installing ceiling fixtures and pendant lights can be a huge hassle.
Wall-mounted lights or sconces are excellent and stylish solutions that allow you to utilize your wall space and free up your floors.
They can also bring light to darker alcoves or corners that other lights can’t reach, opening up your room even more.
Modular and Multi-use Small Space Living Room Furniture
When exploring your small space living room furniture options, you’ll want to seek out some pieces that can serve many purposes, especially for bigger furniture items.
Furniture that can easily move and change shape depending on the occasion is also a good choice when furnishing small spaces.
Sofas
The biggest obstacle you’ll face when choosing your small space living room furniture will likely be the couch.
You want the sofa to be spacious but not too big that it totally obstructs the space and high quality but not break the bank.
As such, a modular storage sofa will be your best bet!
You can shift and adjust the shape of the sofa as needed, even turning it into a guest bed.
Better yet are the sofas with built-in storage under the cushions.
These types of versatile pieces are ideal when considering your options for small space living room furniture.
Nesting Tables
Coffee tables and side tables are necessary to have in the living room but are often cumbersome.
Nesting tables are great and can provide more surface area when needed if you have company or are enjoying a movie night with the family.
But when you’re done using the expanded tabletop space, they tuck away neatly and out of the way, giving you some floor space back.
Using Color and Texture
If you’re still struggling to furnish your small space living room, you can utilize different colors and textures in your furniture and decor pieces to play tricks on the mind.
While this technique won’t actually change the space, it can certainly change the atmosphere to make your living room feel more open and airy than it actually is.
Rugs
Carefully choosing the area rug in your living room is the first step to opening up your floor plan from the ground up.
However, a rug with too many patterns and colors can have the opposite effect, making things feel cluttered.
It will also draw the eye downward, which will give the illusion of a smaller, more cramped room.
Your best bet is to stick to a large, light, neutral area rug, which will make the room feel more spacious.
Color Palettes
Picking your colors with intention can do a lot for small spaces.
Creating contrast between your wall color and flooring color will create nice, clean lines and an open, more spacious feel.
Keep the flooring dark and the walls light for best results!
Accent Small Space Living Room Furniture
Amongst the neutral colorway of the room, you can certainly introduce a few accent pieces to bring personality to the room without overcrowding the space.
A small bar cart, funky table lamp, compact corner unit, or unique sideboard are all great ways to add some life and color back into your small space living room furniture.
The temptation to fill your living room with color and trinkets that are meaningful to you can be very strong.
But if you don’t have a lot of room to work with, this can lead to clutter.
If you’re fine with leaning into maximalism, then great! There’s nothing wrong with a bit of intentional, charismatic chaos.
However, if your goal is to make the most of your small space, then investing in a few fun pieces as opposed to a lot of little things could be a better choice.
Final Thoughts on Small Space Living Room Furniture Ideas
We hope these ideas inspired you to make the most of the space you have in some fun, stylish ways!
There are plenty of small space living room furniture options for you to explore and choose from, no matter your preference or taste.
For more home decorating ideas, check out our guide to How to Decorate Your Home on a Budget.
Leah is a writer for That Sweet Tea Life and is passionate about learning and trying new things.
She has a master’s degree in English and loves to write about and share her colorful & crafty DIY experiences!
Leah can be reached at leah@applepiemedia.net