Normal living room interior design

80+ Small Living Room Ideas

Are you looking for small living room ideas to maximize your space at home? Look no further because we got you covered!

The living room is one place in the house that best showcases our sense of style for everyone to see.

We accept guests in this room and there and then, these people get to know us. Simply by looking around this space, they see how much style we have in ourselves.

Living rooms need not be extravagant or huge. As long as it is able to portray who we really are and what we truly love, it is but enough. Not to mention it being a space that gives us comfort and a sense of home.

Now we know that having small living room spaces can be challenging. Especially in terms of fitting in furniture that we want inside and arranging them comfortably.

Our small living room ideas here hopes to help home-owners out there properly manage their small living room spaces.

How To Make Small Living Room Look Bigger

Oftentimes, you tend to underestimate the aptitude of the space that your living room has (also for other rooms inside your house). It happens when you are hemmed-in by insufficient expanse.

Because of this, it gives you an unenthusiastic feeling to beautify your space thinking that putting up embellishment might overcrowd the area.

Actually, decorating a small space living room is just the same what you do with medium or large living rooms. The tricky and challenging part is how to maintain the availability of the space despite of the numerous decorative things it have.

You might be asking yourself over and over again “Why does it still look crammed? I have done everything.”

Maybe you are doing these common errors in decorating a small living room:

1. Very complex layout. The functionality of your space greatly depends on how you have planned your layout. Others would just simply live with the fact of having a complicated home arrangement.

Small space living rooms must be free from any barrier. It must be free flowing, be very inviting since we know that it is one of the most used space inside our homes.

2. Dark/ Gloomy Ambiance. A dark or gloomy ambiance can be a perfect dramatic effect for large sized rooms. But for small spaced rooms it has different effect.

You must realize that dwelling inside a dark, pale room can make it even look smaller. But it’s not that hard to overcome a gloomy ambiance for a more invigorating and larger space to live.

3. Massive/ Bulky Furniture. Having a small space area can be very tricky. So you must be wise in choosing the right size of your furniture.

We are not saying that you cannot use bulky sizes of furniture at all. But it would be best when you keep a balanced look for your room.

The main goal for small spaced rooms is to have an airy space. This would not be possible when you opt to use larger size of furniture all over the area.

4. Too many useless things. We have this attitude that we tend to collect and collect some stuffs that are not that useful inside our rooms.

They may be a good piece of decor but sometimes can just overcrowd the area. We must state in mind that having a small spaced area is already a big challenge to live.

It would be much harder when you keep on adding things that has no use. It can only occupy a lot of space keeping the area crammed full.

Most of us probably spend most of our time in our living room. Therefore, it needs to have a good and well-balanced layout.

This would only happen when you get rid of doing those mistakes we have mentioned to you earlier. In turn, learn to apply the correct living room arrangement guidelines to successfully harmonise your small living room furniture and decors.

Below are some of our ways to improve a small living room and eventually make the small living room look bigger:

Manage the layout.

Wanda Ely Architect Inc.

Most apartments and condo units really have small spaces for living room for the reason that it only occupies a part of a building.

So in this case, leasers and tenants have only limited privileges in their area. They are not permitted to customize the size, however; most are allowed to customize the interior of the rented apartment according to the occupants preference.

The layout must possess a welcoming ambiance not an isolated one. Given with a small space, you can develop the size of your living room by setting it up in an elongated way.

If possible don’t block any open space that will serve as an entryway to your living room. This way you can have a flawless connection with your other rooms.

Lighten-up the flooring.

Arkee Creative

A living room usually has 5-6 walls and that includes the flooring. So if you think flooring would not bring any difference on the overall appearance, you’re absolutely wrong!

A brighter material for the flooring such as light oak or vinyl tile is a preference. You may also use rugs and carpet with cool colors to fully illuminate the flooring.

Patterned and printed rugs are examples of must used designs which makes your space look daring and bold.

Allow more height to the ceiling.

Greg Natale

In constructing your homes it is more favorable when you make your ceilings as high as possible. This allows more natural light to be inside your room which will open up your space.

But if in any case you have already been dealing with small spaces, the only solution is same as what you did for the flooring.

Painting the ceiling with bright color make the eyes draw upward which makes it appears higher or taller. Or you can even put some striking art or wallpaper that can pull attention away from the corners of the room.

Take note of the color scheme.

Foley & Cox

Color is one great factor that everyone should watch out. It has a great effect on your interior; it can either make the area look bigger or much smaller.

Bright and warm color must only be the choice. Examples of these are white, cream, or beige. These colors give an illusion of a larger room.

Make sure that your color scheme should be monochromatic.

What does it mean?

Apply one color for the wall, furniture, other accessories and fabrics. But if you wanted to have contrast, you can use different shades but of the same color only. Just like using different shades of yellow unto your drapes, throw pillow and other accessories.

Harmonize the patterns.

SchappacherWhite Architecture

To have unison in your decor avoid too many choices of prints. And also, stay away from many bold prints.

But if you really wanted to have it, one or two throw pillow or rugs with large geometric daring prints will do no harm.

In choosing wallpaper, it is much better to choose small prints with pastel colors or any vibrant shades. It is also effective to incorporate stripes into your decor. Horizontal stripes will visually widen a room while vertical stripes will make a low ceiling appear taller.

Take advantage of windows.

Kathleen Glossa Interior

Natural light is an unswerving source as space widener.

If luckily you are blessed with bigger windows take advantage of the natural light it has to offer. Leave it uncovered.

By doing so, you will open up your space and lighten up the area naturally. An airy and well-lighted room gives depth to it.

If you don’t want to have bare windows, find out what is the best window treatment you can use. You can have window treatments like blinds, curtains or drapes.

When adding drapes, choose the sheer style and make sure that the color of it unifies with the color of the wall. A drape printed with vertical stripes is a powerful trick for small room.

Brighten the room with lighting fixtures.

CWB Architects

There are varieties of lighting fixtures that you can use. But not all of it can be an ideal lighting for small rooms.

You must always identify the proper living room lighting ideas to have an effective design.

Small rooms have a propensity to be crooked and congested most especially when it’s dim. Installing proper lighting can make it appear bigger and brighter.

Using table lamps is fine but it must be with bigger shades. The perfect choices must be pendant light, floor lamp and recessed lighting. Adding lighting to the floor can also be a good plan.

Balance the furniture.

Claudia Stephenson

If you have small space, it does not automatically mean that you need only small sized furniture. And it doesn’t also mean that you cannot add beauty and convenience into your space.

Of course you can, given with some considerations and limitations. Through these considerations you’ll increase floor space and maintain a welcoming ambiance. Here are some points that you should take note:

Try to utilize a lighter and smaller type of furniture. If you don’t want to give up your bulky sofa, okay then limit the use of side tables or accent tables. And as much as possible get rid of upholstered sofas that can visually eat up the size of your room.
Choose sofa or chairs that have lightweight materials. Also, it would be much better to have furniture with exposed or raised legs and armless which creates a sense of openness. Integrating buoyant components into your design can open up things that allow your eyes to travel all throughout the space.
It is a wiser move when you practice yourself to invest on multi-functional furniture. Just like having ottomans that can already serve as a chair or coffee table. There are also coffee tables and chairs that serve as a storage for things at the same time.
Look for furniture that can just be easily stowed away when it’s not in use. Furniture that can be folded, piled, or swing away is the perfect choice for small space.

Take note of the furniture arrangement.

Claire Stevens Interior Design

Arranging your furniture in a proper way can improve the flow of connections between your spaces.

It is very much important to plan ahead on the sizes that will best go well with your space. It is not ideal to insist or to press in large furniture that doesn’t really fit in.

In arranging your furniture you must take note with the “3 foot rule”.

In order to have a comfortable walking space you must set a 3 foot distance in between furniture. This is very useful especially for furniture with drawers and doors.

Additionally, furniture like sofa and chairs should not be placed against the wall. Give it distance of at least 12” far from the wall.

And if you have curved corners it is better to fill-in those spaces to highlight the extent of the space making it look spacious.

Utilize hanging shelves and storage.

Tim Cuppett

Never underestimate the convenience that your small space has to offer. There are certain unused vertical spaces wherein you can take advantage by adding shelves and storage cabinets.

Don’t be afraid to mount in these shelves as high as possible. But don’t fill every exposed shelf; leave some space empty giving a fantasy that it has a lot of space to offer.

If you have collection of books, however, it would be much better to set up a bookshelf. Consider fixing a bookshelf from floor-to-ceiling or wall-to-wall that can expand the size of your space and it can also be a good means of storing things.

Use larger accessories.

LLI Design

A home expert once said “Decorative accents smaller than a cantaloupe can crowd a room”.

With this statement it is clearly enough to think that larger accessories are more advisable. But of course there is always a limit.

Too many large accessories can turn your space into a junk. Incorporate only limited number of large vase or jars.

Get rid of decors and accessories that clearly have nothing to do in that space.

Find the focal point.

Touch Interiors

In some other case, in order to limit the need for an accessory you must create a focal point.

To avoid an overpowering look you must think of a feature that can draw interest or can be an eye-catching. Big pieces of wall art, paintings or picture frames can add a drama and make the room seem bigger.

Magnify space using reflected materials.

Chango & Co.

How to make your room look two times its size?

Well, simply by adding reflective materials such as mirrors or glass (may it be on tabletops or cabinet doors) and metallic materials.

Mirrors and glass intensifies and emits light much stronger creating a bright interior thus appears to be outsized. It must be placed after a source light, or can be next to or transverse to a window to surely reflect outdoor.

A gleaming lamp or light fixture has also similar effect to mirrors.

De-clutter persistently.

Arent and Pyke

No room in your house would look presentable if it is filled with clutter; even larger size of living room.

Small spaced rooms are easily predisposed by too much things. We are not depriving you of having things that you want but just make sure that it will serve a purpose. Or just at least provide an enough storage space to hide your rarely used things.

By this you keep your things organized and at the same time you give your room a neat and tidy look.

How to Arrange Small Living Rooms

Once you’ve tackled the points and making a small living room bigger, it is now time to arrange all your furnitures and accessories.

In general, when arranging small spaces, we first arrange the largest and most essential piece. In most cases, this would refer to the sofa.

Once we have identified that, we can easily arrange the rest of the smaller pieces around it to make the space look bigger.

There are several ways to effectively manage your home space. Below are some small living room layout ideas:

Seating units facing a focal point.

On our ways to make small living room look bigger, we have mentioned about using focal points.

One of the things to effectively use this type of technique is by making sure that all seating units (chairs, cushions and sofas) are facing it.

A focal point can be anything: a large bright painting, a fireplace, a bookcase or even a television.

Emphasize the conversation area.

Another tip on how to arrange small living room furniture is by grouping sofas and chairs together. This will not only allow people to walk around and to make interaction and conversations easier.

Visually balance the furniture.

By this layout, we are referring to making sure that the all things inside the room are evenly spaced out.

This means putting furnitures and others appliances on all corners of the living room.

Establish boundaries.

For most small living spaces, establishing boundaries can be tricky and may sound unnecessary for some.

But, we have found out that establishing boundaries helps people manage their space. Most especially those with kids as it makes them understand where limitations of movement end and where it begins.

For small living space, use simple partitions to delineate area, like a coffee table or a sofa.

Be mindful of the people traffic.

Who says traffic can only be found outside the home?

Well, by traffic we mean the movement of people inside the house. When arranging furniture, make sure that the space is enough to allow people to move around freely.

Before finally deciding on the small living room layout, it is important to assess repeatedly if the room arrangement works the best for you.

Small Living Room Decorating Ideas

Having the appropriate small living room decorating ideas is important particularly for home owners who are struggling with small living spaces. It is crucial to know when to properly use small living room decors to compliment the given space.

We, as homeowners are all concerned as to how we can decorate our small living rooms. Making it more prettier or more conducive not only for us, but for the people in the house.

Unlike other rooms in the house, we have to make sure that everyone who lives with us is considered. After all, most of us live with somebody at a certain point.

A bedroom can be decorated the way how the user wants it to be. But with the living room, we consider more people to feel comfortable.

Below are some small living room decorating ideas that you can also apply to your own small spaces at home!

Austin Living Room

Heather Scott

This living room looks spacious with the small living room decors that were used in this space. The frames by the mirror and the long drapes gives the room a feel of high ceilings.

California Residence

anddesigns.com

The warm lighting for this small living room is an example of using the right lighting fixtures. It also made the room more cozy and great to hang out in. The colors of the walls complement well with the furniture in the room!

Condo Living Area

WCDesignStudio

This room may be small, but with the right decoration, this room makes large living rooms out of place! The bust statues adds a rather classy look to the living room.

Condo Living Room

Gryffindor Prince

This condo looks all-modern with the appliances and lighting it has. The harmony of the colours white and greys makes it appear bigger.

Eclectic Living Room

Casey Noble

The use of prints and patterns on this room makes it appear spacious than it really is.

This eclectic space looks incredibly stunning, thanks to the striped drapes and fabulously printed area carpet. Not to mention, the center table and accent chair adds a nice fine touch to the arrangement.

Traditional Blue and Brown Sitting Room

Judi Ackerman

This lovely traditional living room sets the mood for things close to vintage. The chairs, the tables and the decors make this room one happy place to live in.

Truly, this type of small living room decor adds a nice classy touch.

Mixed Traditional and Contemporary Living Area

Roseven

The room has effectively used the red painting the focal point of the entire interior. It makes the room appear bigger than it really is.

The stunning painting which evidently brightens up almost monochromatic room! Only the reds in this room seem to bring all the things together!

Living Blue

Micoliver1226

This living room looks a little bit masculine with the colors used. By adding the printed pillows and scarf plus an interesting center table makes the look complete.

Living Room W Chaise

Fini Home Design & Staging

Using a chaise paired to your sofa can look as charming as this. This is pretty as it already is because of the cute empty frames in the wall and a printed area carpet.

Additionally, the empty wall frames add to the illusion of having more space in the area.

Traditional Modern Combo

Dawna Jones Design

Don’t you like the boat-like inspired touch this living room has? This room got tons of interesting decors that not all homes consider of getting.

The patterns and the large accessories in this small space has made it appear bigger and spacious. Totally a breath of fresh air!

Contemporary Blue Room

Norman

Do you like the color of this room? The light coming from the windows creates an ambiance of comfort and modernism.

The room’s harmony of colours make it appear spacious too with the soft touch of light coming from the window.

Small Earth-Toned Residence

Zaunbrecher Design

Cute color combination of white, grey and apple greens. The harmony of colours make the room look bigger.

The center table looks customized and the paintings look great on the walls too.

Studio Living Space

Paulrd0021

The bright color of this living room is just vibrant and refreshing! The colors chosen sure lights up the room! The unique furniture with its open design adds an illusion of making the space looks bigger.

Urban Loft

Cortney and Robert Novogratz

This loft living space makes a regular living room look blank! We love how the wall was decorated with black and white photos matched with a great set of furniture and cute area carpet!

This is another good example of creating a focal point for your decor to make the room look bigger.

Vancouver Living Room

Fluff Designs and Decor

Contemporary living in a beautiful place makes life better! Just like this living room! This one sure it pretty and contemporary!

The use of larger furnitures and accessories plus harmonising the colours and using large and open windows make the room appear larger than it really is.

The above Small Living Room Decor Ideas are pretty stunning and astounding examples of living spaces that gives us ideas of how we can make these areas more spacious, pretty, and a whole better place to live in!

Small Living Room Designs

Today we will be showing several examples of the best small living room designs that we were able to look up for you. The collection showcases small living room designs that shows the best of the owner and the home itself.

These spaces that we have for you today are but examples of how one can really express and showcase much of their sense of style even when space is limited.

The design ranges from black and white rooms, colourful ones, sort of chic, traditional and contemporary.

This list will surely impress you and pretty much will inspire you – that despite the space available in a home, if we choose to – we will be able to create a lovely living room. Take a look at the photos in store for you!

Modern Design

If you are into modern designs, our samples of modern small living room designs will give you the design inspiration that you’ll need.

Union Bay Residence

The designer has used large furnitures in the Union Bay Residence living space to make it look bigger. Its rug also serves as a boundary to the living room from the dining area.

Wooden Lone Madrone Retreat

The living room at the Wooden Lone Madrone Retreat features a fireplace with a firewood storage space just under it is flanked by built-in shelving and storage.

This design has made use of large window to make it bigger and have limited the furniture in the room.

Cloy Residence

The white living room sofa at the Cloy Residence with black and white throw pillows is easy to the eyes. It is combined with wooden table and open window for light to come in.

The black fireplace is a good contrast to the living area too and serves as a great focal point to the room.

Relmar House

The open wall in this small space at the Relmar House adds an airy and comfortable feel to the interior. Its beautifully designed cabinets are also great space-savers to allow more floor space.

Hintonburg Six

The rather clean and minimal look of the living room in the Hintonburg Six is brightened by the colourful painting at the large white-painted wall. This colourful artwork helps make the room look bigger.

B95 Residence

The room’s 10-foot high ceiling at the B95 Residence rather adds a larger look to the living space. Furnitures have also been limited to the soft and squishy sofa and table.

Bowler House

Bowler House’s living room space is small, yet its open walls help make it look bigger and spacious.

Contemporary Design

Another design type that you can use for your small living spaces are contemporary designs.

Here are some pretty great examples of what you can do with your living rooms:

Yaraville House

This small and sunken living room at the Yaraville House is made to look bigger with its pen window and minimal furniture.

The combination of brown and grey to the white walls adds a comfortable ambiance to the room.

1940’s Cottage

This 1940’s Cottage living room is a fine example of a renovation made right.

The walls have been utilised with a wall niche and a large bright paint added color to the room. Its open window added a nice and comfortable touch to the room, making it look bigger.

2H House of Vietnam

The minimal and homey furnitures at the living room of the 2H House of Vietnam makes the room more spacious than it really is.

It’s earth tones are rather charming and makes it a good place to stay in and get comfy.

Villa Rocha

Villa Rocha’s living room pretty cozy with its leather sofa and brown hues.

The soft rug at the centre also adds a wider look to the room.

One 27 Grovedale

One 27 Grovedale’s makes use of fun and colour patterns to make their living room bigger. Plus of course the open wall or window at the side.

Minimalist Design

If you are into minimalism, this following collection of minimalist designs for small living room will give you ideas for your interior.

N° 1864 Greenwich

N° 1864 Greenwich’s living room is a fin example of a harmonious living space with its white themed living space.

The rooms’ open windows and fireplace makes the space look bigger and more roomy.

Kent Road Home

Kent Road Home’s living room is rather minimalist in design and looks very clean with its white interior.

The living room is located at the corner most portion of the house with access to the door and window. This allows natural light to come in and make the space look bigger.

Prince Philip Residence

The living room at the Prince Philip Residence may be small in space but the large and open windows make it appear bigger and airy.

Its black and grey furnitures add a classy and charming look to the space.

Summerhouse Lagno

Summerhouse Lagno’s high ceiling and open glass walls make the room far more spacious than it really is.

The interior seem to sport that Scandinavian look with its choice of colors, furniture and decors.

Komai Residence

This living room at the Komai Residence is actually small but the high ceiling and open walls give it a nice airy feel to it.

J House

J House in Taiwan boasts of a simple and unique living room with its minimal furniture consisting for a sofa, a lamp and two tables only.

The room is made to look bigger with its large window covered in blinds.

Industrial Design

If Industrial Designs are your thing then this next collection is for you. Easily combine this type of living room design to your home!

Broadgates Road Residence

Huge glass walls at the Broadgates Road Residence makes its living room look bigger. The pattens on bot the throw pillows and rug adds a fun look to the room.

Winona House

The living room at the Winona House has used wall niche to add more storage space.

We love the combination of black and white to this bright but small space.

Modern Bachelor’s Pad

The small living room space at this Modern Bachelor’s Pad is made to look bigger using a grey coloured rag and a dark and eye-catching wall paint.

Despite the close proximity of the fining area, the living room doesn’t look cramped at all.

Main Street House

Main Street House’s living room looks rather stylish with its Persian rug and wooden accents.

The glass door and the open window at the side gives the impression of a wider and bigger room.

La Jolla Residence

Accentuated by black furniture, the La Jolla Residence’s living room looks classy and comfortable with its soft sofa. The lovely wall painting adds a nice touch to the room.

Its glass walls also makes the room a lot more bigger than it really is.

Traditional Design

Going for the traditional design for your living room? Here’s a collection that inspires that:

Wood and Stone House

This living room at the Wood and Stone House looks very spacious with its open glass walls and views of the ocean. Its wicker room furniture also added a nice charming touch to the room.

Jones House

The living room at the Jones House is arranged in a way that emphasises the conversation area. The comfortable chairs are all grouped together facing a wall fireplace.

Bromptons

Bromptons’ living room is rather classy and elegant with its gold framed mirror and gold-framed paintings too.

Tyrol Hills Home

The high ceiling at theTyrol Hills proves to be a nice touch to the small room space of the house.

The stripe patterns of the rug and the table makes the room look more longer. Not to mention the open views to the outside from the glass walls.

Burlingame Residence

Burlingame Residence’s grey walls are accentuated by the soft glow of the lamps at the side of the sofa.

Its glass walls and glass door also adds a wider ambiance to the small space.

Mid-Century Modern Design

Mid-century modern designs are also great choice for small living room designs. Here are some fine examples:

St. Sauveur Residence

This living room at the St. Sauveur Residence looks spacious with its floor-to-ceiling windows and wall fireplace. The homey colours of brown makes the room pretty cozy.

Las Canoas Home

The large open walls and window at the Las Canoas Home rather adds a spacious feel to the small room.

We rather love the soft and plush sofa as it makes the room more comfortable and is accentuated with the homey colors.

Amalfi Residence

This small space at the Amalfi Residence does not feel cramped at all with its floor-to-ceiling window. The dark colour of the walls is equally balance by the white sofas, and tables.

Vance Lane Residence

This living room from the Vance Lane Residence is rather charming with its mid-century chairs and lovely rug pattern. The glass doors also adds more visual space to the entire room.

Other Room Designs

Sometimes we need more ideas to help us get started with arranging our living rooms to our preferred style.

Below are other set of living room designs for small spaces:

64 Varsity Park

Chantalicious

A corner living room is one perfect example of how space can really be small. The striped wall and area carpet completed the look for this one!

City Lights on Fig

Design West Inc.

Just a small black sofa, 2 small center tables, a lamp plus an accent chair – the main elements of a small living space!

Chic Space

Domicile Interior Design

A chic living room with a pretty wall painting. The room may be small but still at its prettiest with an ottoman that serves as the center table.

Contemporary Room in Raleigh

Heather Garrett Design

One contemporary living room design that best showcase modern furnishings go well with a classic sofa and simple chairs. The sofas are well-arranged for easy conversation.

A fireplace can do more than brighten up this room too.

Reflected Room

Erick

Having a small house doesn’t mean you’ll have to sacrifice your living space. This place may be small, but the place to welcome guests sure is simple but comfy.

The space has also used mirrors to add a more elongated illusion of the area.

Decor By Jennifer Inc

Jennifer Brouwer Design

The simplicity of this room is seen through the color palette chosen. This space may be small, but placing more chairs mean more people to sit!

Plus the owner have used a large painting and an equally larger window to amplify the space.

Red and Warm Space

Andyablo

The interior uses dark red color to add warm to the room with open windows to balance it. The big television is used as the centre or focal point of the space.

Airy Condo

Erick

Condo living sometimes takes toll in the design process. Condo’s can sometimes be small and design is compromised, but looking at this well-arranged living space, who says it’s bad?

The owner or designer has taken advantage of the wide open windows that has replaced the walls.

Minimal Living Space

Crainelee

The space may look big but the living area was just a small part of it. The pretty chandelier made the room very special.

Plus the rug at the centre added a nice touch and helped make the space bigger together with the large windows.

NYC Fashion PR Firm

Nichole Loiacono Design

Living areas are not intended just for homes, this firm in NYC proved that minimal space can actually look this great!

The designer have beautifully balanced the pieces of furnitures to the corners and sides of the room.

Ralston Courtyard Apartment Model

Borden Interiors & Associates

Don’t you just love the flooring of this room? Bamboo never looked better! The red accents that was placed in the house sure made a whole lot of difference!

The harmony of colours also went well with the over-all impression of the room. It made it look bigger and more comfortable.

Working Living Space

Zigshot82

This design is a living room and office merged into one. A small space should never be a hindrance in making sure that you need for your home is achieved thru good design planning.

The designer have used the earth-toned harmony of light colours to the room. It’s large window, soft white rug and the large paintings on the wall help make the room appear larger.

Minimal Simple Room

Davendask

This simple space seems to remind us of living alone. One chair in front of the television – one clean, private cocoon.

The designer did not use any sofa and just limited the furniture to three (3). Its walls were maximised with colourful and classy painting.

Classy Small Apartment

Tankq77

Small apartments may be the cutest place to decorate. This place looks really modern with its color palette. Classy and sophisticated.

The designer have magnified the space using a mirror and the large open window.

Warm Homey Ambiance

Jen_tol84

This is an example of a regular home with at least four members of the family. An area where they can get together and chat!

The designer have used a focal point (the television on the wall) and the window at the side to make the space look bigger and less cramped.

Small Flat

Geckly

In this picture, the living room is adjacent the bedroom. A simple white couch that allows the owner to watch television after a day’s work!

The designer have used glass walls to serve as a partition and used the soft grey to make the room feel less cramped.

Minimal Living Space

Raaab

This room may seem minimal in its decors, it still is complete with what you will need in a living area – a couch and a TV!

The walls were also taken advantage of using hanging cabinets to maximize floor space.

Minimalist Room

Flexpoint

Except maybe for the picture in the wall, this living room is cute! The details are simple, the place is clean with not much furnishings. Minimalist style.

The entry is also unblocked except for a small chair.

Gray Suite

Crainelee

This space is wonderfully designed with its sophisticated design! It is a small living room with a two-seater dining area.

The colors used are sure appealing considering it’s mostly black, white and gray.

The large window makes the room look longer and more spacious.

Veranda House Modern Living Room

Rachel Reider Interiors

Beautifully made interiors, right? The pendant light sure is pretty, but it is nothing compared to the stainless cover for the fireplace.

The lighting fixtures added a soft warm glow to the room and making it more cozy and less cramped.

When designing our small living spaces, it does not matter how big or small your living area is. What is important is that you are able to live comfortably and that you are able to express your inner designers in you!

65 Best Living Room Decorating Ideas & Designs

Enhance a Bakyard View

Gordon Beall

Working with landscape architect Lila Fendrick, designer Nestor Santa Cruz chose a wall of steel and glass windows and doors for this formal pool house living room that leads to the backyard. Though the glass decor, from the pendant light to the coffee table and doors, leaves a decidedly sleek impression, the plush rug and ethereal curtains make it extra cozy, too.

Work Around Restrictions

Karyn Millet

When designer Celerie Kemble moved into this New York City apartment, there was only one thing that prevented it from being the perfect fit: The building had a no wallpaper rule. To work around that obstacle, she applied a light shade of pink paint in a plaster-like finish that channels the texture of wallpaper.

Mix Clean Lines With Casual Materials

Nicolas Gourguechon

In the living room of designer Devin Kirk, a light shade of blue-gray along with clean-lined furniture makes for a polished backdrop while the woven chairs, light wood side table, and tree stump coffee table ensure a laidback atmosphere. It's the perfect balance of approachable and formal.

Incorporate Fun Trees and Plants

Read McKendree

Invite some nods to nature into your living room with quirky indoor plants and trees. Designer Elizabeth Cooper placed a lush citrus tree in the corner for an extra pop of life and color and then staggered topiaries on the windowsill.

Create Zones With Area Rugs

Laure Joliet

This sitting room is right off the open kitchen, so designer Regan Baker decided to visually separate it with a custom sectional and area rug. A cleek armchair is positioned at a diagonal, establishing a nice balanced whole.

Add Personality With Texture-Rich Neutrals

Stephen Kent Johnson / OTTO

A quirky indoor tree is s fun surprise in this polished and cosmopolitan living room designed by Shawn Henderson. And, instead of a classic white or warm off-white paint color, he opted for a cooler gray neutral that complements the other subtle tones throughout the room. This also allows the texture-rich accents to shine.

Extend It Outdoors

Stacy Zarin Goldberg

This vacation home in Maui, Hawaii blends indoor and outdoor living beautifully. Designed by Breeze Giannasio Interiors, the two living spaces are connected by a sliding door that simply disappears when open for total connection between the open-air terrace and the indoor living room. The materials, colors, and fabrics are all coordinated for visual flow, too.

Transform a Generic Space With Texture

Gieves Anderson

If you live in a generic rental or simply have a small space, get inspired by this living room designed by David Frazier. Not only does it prove that size isn't everything, but it's also full of tricks that bring more dimension to otherwise simple architecture. Pops of marigold speak to the warm antique wood pieces and break up the monochromatic color scheme and the large rice paper pendant keeps things casual so it can function as a more relaxed family room. A gallery wall, large indoor plant, and ceiling-high curtain rod add depth.

Check out Society6 for affordable and stylish prints and artwork to jazz up your walls.

Get Weird On the Coffee Table

Romanek Design Studio

Instead of decorating your coffee table with the classic assortment of stacked coffee table books, opt for something subtly quirky and unique. Here, Romanek Design Studio covered the surface with a collection of classic pots and planters, which both enhance and juxtapose the formal, traditional elements throughout the space as well as the more modern ones, making for a fun and eclectic yet timeless sprawl.

Check out Terrain for all your indoor and outdoor gardening needs.

Swap High Back Seating for Daybeds and Benches

Frank Frances Studio

Bring in extra seating with daybeds, settees, and window seats in smaller spaces. They have lower back profiles, which prevents interrupting the visual flow and also keeps the space feeling open. We're loving the pop of yellow in this bold living room by Courtney McLeod.

Check out Albany Park for great living room seating options.

Redefine "Neutrals"

Nicole Franzen

If you don't love playing with tons of patterns and bold hues but appreciate experimental pieces and tasteful pops of color, take notes on this living room. Rather than opting for all black and whites, the anchor pieces—like sofa and tables—remain neutral, while the throws, artwork and lamp offer just a splash of color (nothing too crazy: just marigold, red, navy, and green).

Check out Design Within Reach for iconic design pieces.

Carve Out a Home Bar

Stacy Zarin Goldberg

In this living room designed by Carmel Greer, the paint color (Peach Blossom by Benjamin Moore) and casual jute rug set a sweet foundation while the modern, angular artwork, right fixture, seating, and throw blanket bring an edge. One built-in niche is optimized to function as a full-on home bar station while the other stores and displays firewood. The mirrored wall within the left niche also helps bounce light and gives it a swanky nightclub vibe.

Check out Huckberry for great home barware.

Add Something Unexpected

Heather Hilliard

While the classic blue grasscloth wallpaper, floor lamp, and curtains set the stage for a traditional living room, designer Heather Hilliard added some unexpectedly edgy elements. The floral sofa and the green lucite coffee table are a welcome surprise that break up the classic elements without overshadowing them.

Check out Kartell for cool lucite furniture.

Conceal Your TV

Nicole Franzen

This neutral-toned living room by Kristin Fine is refined and grown-up, but also family-friendly. The soft and textural upholstery mixed with cream paint, rustic wood pieces, and plenty of antique accents are partially to thank, but there's also a large television mounted to the wall for family movie marathons. Fine gave it prime over-the-mantel placement but discretely tucked behind panels that double as modern art.

Check out Samsung for clever tech television designs.

Restore Existing Moldings

Jared Kuzia Photography

To complement the restored wood accents in this Boston Colonial Revival, designer Cecilia Casagrande on a deep, rich shade of blue-green paint: Farrow & Ball's Hague Blue. She then mixed contemporary elements with more traditional ones to further play with that juxtaposition between old and new design trends.

Check out Farrow & Ball for both timeless and cutting-edge paint colors.

Incorporate Indoor Trees and Plants

Space Content Studio

Spruce up your empty corners with large indoor plants and trees. Atelier ND and Carice Van Houten used a variety of species to create visual intrigue with different heights and shapes. It really freshens up the rich jewel and earth tones.

Check out The Sill for beautiful indoor plants and garden essentials.

Paint the Ceiling

Emily Followill

Designer Meredith McBrearty painted the ceiling light blue (she used the same shade in various rooms throughout the house, creating a continuous design thread), which adds an unexpected personality. The warm tones featured in the furniture contrast nicely.

Check out Benjamin Moore for endless colors of high-quality paint.

Upholster the Walls

Kevin Dumais

Though classic and timeless, this living room by interior designer Kevin Dumais is also having tons of fun. From the red-painted ceiling to the velvet floor cushions for extra seating and the bold artwork, no detail is overlooked. To make the room feel even more soft and intimate, Dumais upholstered the walls in a leather fabric.

Check out Crate & Barrel for family-friendly staples.

Go Wild With Fun Fabrics

Paul Raeside

This eclectic living room designed by Montreal-based Les Ensembliers is making a case for a unique layout and wild fabric use. The sofas are all configured at an angle to break up the monotony of a classic, symmetrical living room, and all the fun, luxe fabrics warm up the open and airy space. Aesthetically, it's refreshing and unique, which in turn, gives the formal sitting room unpretentious, fun energy that inspires creativity and puts guests at ease.

Check out Kravet for tons of fabulous designer fabrics perfect for your upholstery projects.

Keep It Classic and Crisp

Heather Hilliard Design

A crisp, matte white living room is pristine, elegant, and timeless. Adding glass and metallic features sharpens up the white pieces. Sherwin-Williams Pure White is there for you when you don't just want to experiment with trends anymore.

Check out Wayfair for all your home decor needs, from staples to accents.

Make It Cheerful

Anna Spiro Design

From the playful pillows and ottoman to the elegant gilt mirror and bright blue walls, this space by Anna Spiro Design is perfect for low-key nights in, or more formal gatherings. And the pleated yellow lamp is what really makes the living room feel cheerful and cozy.

Check out 45 Three Modern Vintage Home for fun, one-of-a-kind vintage lighting options.

Use an Off-White

Heidi Caillier Design

In this eclectic living room designed by Heidi Caillier, the jute rug, wood finishes, and brass accents bring plenty of warmth to ensure a cozy, inviting space. The colorful contrasting prints throughout contribute to the playful yet formal spirit of the room, too. And though it doesn't necessarily stand out, the cream paint color makes a transformative difference. White would be much starker.

Check out Serena & Lily for fun yet classic throw pillows.

Know Your Place

PHOTO: Felix Forest; DESIGN: Arent & Pyke

Before you even start decorating your living room, remember where you are. (If you live in a casual beach house, your design scheme is going to look very different from that of an urban industrial loft space, for instance.) In this beach house by Arent & Pyke, the design team focused on channeling the tropical vibe of a coastal home through fun motifs and casual materials. Yet, they still maintained a look of sophistication through fresh upholstery, beautiful artwork, and a thoughtful layout. That being said, if you're a sucker for kitsch and wish you were always on island time, add a hint of it with one statement piece, like a vintage Hawaiian-print rattan chair.

Check out Serena & Lily for coastal-inspired pieces.

Hang a Chair

Romanek Design Studio

Nothing ramps up the fun like a playful touch in the family room. This hanging chair in a living room designed by Romanek Design Studio proves our point—but the handsome leather upholstery also ensures a more sophisticated look. It's the perfect blend of cozy and cool.

Check out Modshop for groovy retro-inspired pieces.

Have Fun With Throw Pillows

Studio Razavi

Here's a lesson in monochromatic decorating with soul. Designed by Studio Razavi, this Parisian apartment is a beautiful blend of modern and Neoclassical style. While the bones of the room evoke a grand sort of opulence, the plush Moroccan rug and spacious white sofa make the space feel more approachable.

Check out Wayfair for endless options of decorative pillows.

Choose A Bold Wallpaper

Roland Bello

Wallpaper is one of those trends that just keeps on giving and giving. If you go with a classic chinoiserie wallpaper, you can do just about anything with it as your style changes over the year. This modern self portrait by Chuck Close is a bold contrast to the chinoiserie wallpaper (Iksel's Eastern Eden) behind it in this Miles Redd–designed home. The contrast doesn't stop there: Redd continued to venture beyond design convention by incorporating contrasting jewel tones and mixing modern furniture styles with antique pieces. Oh—and believe it or not, the lime green chair is from Ikea! Proof even the best designers love a good deal.

Check out Anthropologie for bold wallpaper prints.

Bring the Fun to the Floor

PHOTO: Reid Rolls; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

When you have crisp white walls and neutral staples, like a sofa and coffee table, choose one statement item that brings in a surge of colorful energy. It can be anything from a vibrant piece of art on the walls to a bright carpet like this one in a living room designed by Leanne Ford Interiors.

Check out Homestead Seattle for colorful, one-of-a-kind rugs.

Bring Some Texture to the Walls

Gail Davis Design

If you love the soft look and feel of upholstered walls but don't want to embark on that major of a project (you'll need to install padding, etc.), then try a fabric-effect wallpaper or a grasscloth. In this living room by Gail Davis Design, it suits the warm leather and brass pieces wonderfully, while the blue painted accents cool things off.

Check out Gooddee for tons of modern and unique living room items.

Branch Away From Neutrals

Laure Joliet

Designed by Redmond Aldrich Design, this living room manages to be unique and versatile, colorful and understated, approachable and impressive, all at once. That's thanks to the quirky, eclectic mix of frames, a light wood-paneled wall, a classic carpet, and an unexpectedly colorful sofa. If you typically like to stick to more neutral tones at home but find yourself generally drawn to color, consider venturing out with a dusty rose, forest green, or navy piece—they're the new neutrals.

Check out Article for sofas that feature classic silhouettes and moderately experimental colors.

Install Statement Lighting Overhead

Jaokim Johansson for Fantastic Frank

Want to go a little glam without looking too showy? Add in minimal brass accents, like a metal-frame coffee table and eye-catching metallic lighting. This living room is also a good blueprint for small space decorating. While the only three furniture items are two seats and a small coffee table, the ceiling light is all it takes to make the entire room feel special.

Check out CB2 for on-trend and affordable lighting options.

Hang Modern Art

Nicole Franzen

Wall art is a great way to add a big statement in a minimalist living room. It doesn't take up any surface space, but it can really transform the aesthetic. Use an abstract photograph like this one to dictate the colors of your throw pillows for cohesion.

Check out Tappan Collective for cutting-edge art.

Consider Your Surroundings

Studio Razavi

In this modern mountain home designed by architecture firm Studio Razavi, the classic cabin aesthetic gets an upgrade. The plush carpeting and sheepskin throw warm things up while the modern light fixture, streamlined furniture, and neutral colors ensure a calming, laidback, and stylish environment.

Check out IKEA for plush and affordable accessories.

Spruce Up Your Fireplace

PHOTO: Reid Rolls; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

Who says backsplashes are just for your kitchen? Try tiling your fireplace. It adds an artful, customized touch to the living room without being overpowering. This is especially true if you opt for neutral or black and white geometric tiles, as in this Leanne Ford–designed space.

Check out Lowes for tons of mosaic tiles.

Mix and Match Patterns

Björn Wallander

The sofa in Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan's living room is a prime example of perfectly mismatched patterns. The couch maintains a tonal blue scheme, and the blue rug beneath it ties the whole look together. It's a great way to practice your pattern mixing if you're not ready to work with the entire rainbow yet.

Check out ABC Carpet & Home for beautiful textiles and throws.

Take Advantage of All Useable Space

Werner Straube

A formal living room can be full of fun and personality, too. Interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins sets the bar with a glam pendant light, marble fireplace, and plenty of luxe touches, like the emerald green velvet sofa. And it optimizes all useable space, thanks to a built-in bench between the fireplace and window niche.

Check out Etsy for handmade cushions, custom throw pillows, and art supplies to rework at home.

Pick Comfy Seating

Studio Razavi

Designed by Studio Razavi, this eclectic Parisian apartment is a breath of fresh air. Not only does it prove that you can use a wallpaper mural in a minimalist environment (the grayscale color palette helps), but it's also the perfect example of how to design a living room that's both fun and relaxed, sophisticated and formal. The key? Seating needs to be comfortable, and materials need to be casual but clean.

Check out RH for high-quality, comfortable, and timeless seating.

Display Books in Style

Lisa Romerein

"The room doesn't get a lot of light, so I decided to make it cozy and turned it into an English-style portrait room, which is ridiculous, but fun," says celebrity chef Alex Hitz. Taking the cozy route in a living room without a ton of natural light is a great solution. And what's cozier than a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with seating beckoning you to curl up on it? To display your books more creatively, offset them with artwork. In this room, a Peter Rogers portrait of Alex Hitz's close friend, the late Nan Kempner, hangs over the bookshelves to create some contrast.

Check out Design Within Reach for stylish and modern wall storage options.

Encourage Conversation

PHOTO: Alexandra Ribar; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

If you frequently entertain guests at your home, choose a strategic living room layout that promotes conversation and comfort. For example, this living room designed by Leanne Ford Interiors incorporates semi-circle seating that's both spacious and inviting. Sectionals are also a good option when a circular sofa isn't. And if you love the all-white aesthetic, take note: Ford brush-painted the natural Ikea rug and custom-made rope light.

Check out Crate & Barrel for spacious, family-friendly sectionals.

Go All Out With a Gallery Wall

ANNIE SCHLECHTER

Aside from the adorable dogs (Jacob and Wylo) cuddled up on the armchair-meets-dog-bed, that gallery wall is the clear statement-maker in this living room designed by Philip Mitchell. Mix and match frames for a subtle nod of personality. And speaking of personal touches, consider hanging art that means something to you—whether it's your children's artwork, your own, or a portrait of your pets.

Check out Framebridge for custom framing with tons of stylish options.

Double It's Function

David Tsay

Double your living room's function by investing in practical, multi-purpose furniture. Here, in a space by Justina Blakeney, the console table also functions as a fold-out desk. But it's not all work—there's definitely room for play, from the lush plants to the fun details, and colorful patterns throughout.

Check out Jungalow for beautiful bohemian accents and essentials.

Choose Timeless Anchors

PHOTO: Felix Forest; DESIGN: Arent & Pyke

A black marble fireplace strikes the perfect balance between edgy and timeless. It anchors this living room designed by Arent & Pyke, which get a contemporary lift from the jute rug, modern and bright artwork, and shapely table lamp. And because the armchairs are a classic silhouette, they'll last forever—you can reupholster them with different colors and prints throughout the years as your taste and style change.

Check out Chairish for vintage and timeless investment chairs.

Be Playful

Christopher Delaney

This hot-pink fireplace was inspired by the homeowners' grandmother's favorite shade of lipstick, interior designer Kristen McCory tells us. Have fun with little details like that and look for inspiration everywhere! If painting your entire living room a bold color sounds intimidating, opt for a statement wall or mantle.

Check out Home Depot for a range of fresh color options.

Make Things Easy On Yourself

PHOTO: Reid Rolls; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

Make it easy on yourself by sticking to a very consistent, very simple color scheme. In this space by Leanne Ford Interiors, the designer worked within a strictly all-white color story. Even the firewood is painted white! We'll let that be a lesson in attention to detail. Then choose one item to really pop in a bright color. In this case, Ford went with a bright-red Pierre Paulin Ribbon chair.

Check out Farrow & Ball for beautiful high-quality interior paints.

Use Your Favorite Color

FRANCESCO LAGNESE

Color stretches all the way up to the high rafters in this living room designed by Thomas Jayne and William Cullum. As you can see in the mirror, the hue of the wall changes depending on the way the light hits it, shifting between sharp mint green and soft sea-foam green. The red and blue work nicely, too, as the red is featured in the carpet, coffee table, and sofas, blending everything together beautifully. All together, the room feels traditional and formal, country chic and casual. To elongate your already tall ceilings, hang a pendant light high above the sitting area.

Check out Target for tons of contemporary light fixtures.

Make It Gallery-Worthy

Nicole Franzen

Everything in this living room is playing with shape. While the marble mantle and glossy floating shelves are angular and sharp, the coffee table and ottoman are soft and rounded. The use of natural materials makes the room feel rich even though there's not much in it.

Check out Amara for tons of modern and unique living room items.

Take Advantage of High Ceilings

Romanek Design Group

In this stylish, comfortable, and elevated living room by Romanek Design Studio, the off-white feels bright and airy while also warming things up and bringing it to a human scale (a cool white might be too stark, especially in a large, open room with high ceilings). Accent with soft textures and a few pops of color plus a tall plant or tree for an energizing contrast.

Check out Gooddee for tons of modern and unique living room items.

Set Up a Library Ladder

Victoria Pearson

The bookshelves in photographer Victoria Pearson's own Ojai living room allow all kinds of opportunities for displaying different items, and also for storage. Adding a ladder for high shelves adds another decorative touch.

Check out AllModern for leaning bookshelves and ladders.

Play With Shape and Color

Studio DB

The more distinct, the bigger the statement when it comes to wall decor and art. A good way to switch things up is by choosing artwork that doesn't live within the confines of a rectangular or square frame. We're also loving the colorful nesting coffee tables and ombre carpet, which add a little fun to this living room designed by Studio DB.

Check out Minted for accessible and fun artwork.

Work With What You Have

PHOTO: Reid Rolls; DESIGN: Leanne Ford Interiors

This floor-to-ceiling fireplace in a living room designed by Leanne Ford takes style notes from the best of both worlds: a classic mountain chalet and the Malibu coast. Whether there's snow falling or waves crashing right outside that window, we want to be curled up on that linen slip-covered chair. This living room is also a testament to the perks of working with what you have. The fireplace was given a new life with a makeshift mantle comprised of reclaimed wood and a fresh coat of white paint.

Check out Etsy for found objects and art supplies to rework at home.

Paint Your Walls a New Color

2LG Studio

"Soft pink was used here as a neutral base, which connects all the other elements throughout the space," say the design duo behind 2LG Studio. "We designed bespoke plywood joinery throughout to unite the spaces and create much needed storage," they add. If you're bored of looking at stark white walls, try a soft color that can function as a neutral but exciting backdrop.

Check out Portola Paints for one-of-a-kind paint colors.

Make It Double-Duty

Studio DB

If your formal living room is also your family room, you want to make sure it strikes a balance between super comfortable and presentable—a cozy family room that cleans up nicely, if you will. A super soft sectional with plenty of space to spread out on movie night is a must, but choose one that also looks elegant. Then add fun, eye-catching lighting for an extra punch of fun, like the one in this Studio DB-designed room.

Check out HD Buttercup for unique and practical living room furniture.

Pair Unexpected Colors

Paul Raeside

Who says everything has to be matchy-matchy? Contrast your couch and chairs to make things a bit more interesting. In this refreshingly quirky living room designed by Andrew Flesher, there's a little bit of everything—from jewel tones and tropical prints to classic prep school patterns, rustic accents, and traditional touches.

Check out Burke Decor for fun, on-trend patterns.

Shrink It Down

Jaokim Johansson for Fantastic Frank

Live in a super tiny space? Opt for a settee instead of a sofa or sectional and stack nesting tables instead of getting a bulky coffee table. You'll be surprised at much space this can save. And instead of spending a fortune on framing, simply pin up your favorite artwork as is. The easy elegance can be just as beautiful.

Check out West Elm for great apartment-friendly furniture.

Make It Relaxing

PHOTO: Lauren Bamford; DESIGN: Robson Rak

The clean lines throughout this living room designed by Robson Rak are making a small but mighty difference. From the white paneled walls to the black-trimmed window and modern angular yet plush sofa, the linear motif is super easy on the eyes. And we love how the green nesting tables bring in some round contrast without clashing. For a similarly calming aesthetic, choose light colors and modern, low-to-the-ground furniture. Then splice in contemporary decorative objects to add personality. And bonus points if your living room has a lot of access to natural light.

Check out Finnish Design Shop for contemporary and tasteful accent pieces.

Paint the Ceiling

David A. Land

Why only have fun on the walls when you can have even more fun with a statement ceiling? We're loving the romantic yet surprisingly fresh color combination of fire-engine red and violet in this space by Katie Brown. The bohemian embroidered throw pillows tie everything together nicely. That's another great way to approach the living room design process: Start with a fun pair of throw pillows, and then pull out your two favorite colors to highlight on the walls and ceiling.

Check out H&M Home for fun and affordable throw pillows.

Take a Risk

Catherine Kwong Design

Rather than focusing exclusively on the walls in this grand San Francisco living room, designer Catherine Kwong brought the abstract art onto the floors. With broad white brushstrokes on the black-stained hardwood, these floors are a gorgeous juxtaposition against the Neoclassical ceiling and antique mirror above the fireplace. The key to mixing all these divergent design aesthetics is to remain in the same grayscale color scheme. Pro tip: wall sconces always add a subtle but transformative finishing touch.

Check out Frances & Son for hip and classic lighting options.

Add a Rocking Chair

Trevor Tondro

Chairs that look good but are totally uncomfortable? Not worth the cute factor. Besides, here's definitive proof that rocking chairs can actually be super chic. The camel leather contrasts perfectly with the cream wall and plays up the old-time-y rustic feel of the reclaimed wood mantle.

Check our Urban Outfitters for hip, fun, and affordable staples.

Remember That Less Is More

PHOTO: Shannon McGrath; DESIGN: Robson Rak

An understated palette means you can focus on incredible interior architecture and dramatic statement pieces. Who says minimalists are afraid of color? Just pick one hue and a few select essentials, like in this modern blue living room designed by Robson Rak. The soothing tones and bulbous shapes throughout, from the marble side table to the bubble pendant light and rounded sofa, make it feel like a hug in the form of a living room.

Check out Moda Operandi for designer-approved accents.

Add Candles

Francesco Lagnese

Can you imagine how beautiful this room looks glowing in the candlelight? Opt for a chandelier with candles instead of lightbulbs for a rustic vibe. Or, if that's not an option, display them on your mantel and light them up when you need to strike a romantic mood. (Use flameless candles to play it safe).

Check out Amazon for reliable and pretty basics.

Set Up a Few Sitting Areas

Annie Schlechter

This rustic great room was built to resemble a converted barn. If you're blessed with a large enough open plan living room, set up multiple sitting areas: one for hanging and snacking (a bistro table can break up the lower height of the other sitting areas), one for cuddling up with a good book, and one for formal entertaining.

Check out YLighting for great staple items in a variety of styles.

Choose An Oversized Pendant

Nicole Franzen

If your room has a more minimalist vibe, try an oversized, Noguchi-inspired paper pendant. But take note: If your furniture is large and clunky, or you have a lot of busy decor, it could overwhelm it. The best part? Rice lantern pendant lights like the one in this living room designed by Space Exploration Design are super affordable.

Check out Paper Lantern Store for all your rice paper lighting needs.

Consider Black and Add Flowers

Maura McEvoy

Designer Kristin Kong hid a door to the basement behind millwork painted in Sherwin-Williams Black Fox in her home near Atlanta. The trick "makes the room look less choppy,” she says, since the dark color helps everything blend together. And never underestimate the power of a beautiful flower arrangement on the coffee table!

Check out Cost Plus World Market for fun and affordable accessories.

Elongate the Ceiling

Courtesy of Nicole Franzen

Blend neutral gray walls with sleek, modern furniture and lighting. It'll look chic rather than dated. A velvet throw pillow will add a nice iridescent flare, too. Also, pro tip: hang your curtains at the tippy-top of your walls to make the ceilings seem higher.

Check out CB2 for contemporary and versatile hardware.

Go Shiplap Crazy

Trevor Tondro

To up the farmhouse vibes, install shiplap. Joanna Gaines would totally approve. Then add something metallic, like a coffee table, for some unexpected bling.

Check out Joss & Main for fun and bold pieces.

Keep It Simple

Christopher Baker

This living room is simple, clean-lined, and inviting, with a little bit of glamour and a lot of comfort. To highlight the architectural details, the moldings are painted in high-gloss white.

Check out Apartment 2B for clean and classic furniture.

Hadley Mendelsohn Senior Editor Hadley Mendelsohn is House Beautiful's senior design editor and the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House.

15 options with photos, designers' comments

RBC-Nedvizhimost talks about the main rules and mistakes in arranging a room for rest and reception of guests

Photo: JRP Studio\shutterstock

just a place to receive friends. Here they dine, work, read books and watch movies. To create a welcoming environment for any type of activity, you need to take into account many design nuances.

We tell you how to equip a cozy and stylish living room.

Style

www.adv.rbc.ru

The design of the living room can be done in a variety of styles. The most common are classic, modern, Scandinavian, minimalism, country and Provence.

Design of a living room in a classic style

“In the interior of a living room, the type of furniture, decor, details, and overall color scheme are important. Often, a person may like elements from completely different styles - for example, classic decor and modern furniture. In such cases, there is a risk of making the interior absurd, even though today few people follow exclusively one design style,” said Anna Budnikova, architect-designer, co-founder of the M-A SPACE studio.

Hi-tech living room design

There are also visually similar styles that combine with each other. For example, modern, Scandinavian, minimalism. “Our customers prefer modern style in living room design or Provence style. The first one is multifunctional, universal, practical. It is characterized by color contrasts, the principle of "nothing more" applies. For Provence, details that are usually characteristic of country houses play a key role. Due to them, the overall comfort and “warmth” of the space is created, ”summed up Budnikova.

Minimal living room design

Tips

Zones

Zoning plays one of the most important roles in living room design. “You can separate the zones with glass sliding partitions or low pieces of furniture so as not to overload or reduce the space. Furniture should not be dark in color. Bright colors are acceptable - for example, for a children's area, but only if they support the overall gamut of the living room and do not hurt the eyes, - said Anna Budnikova.

“You can create a themed living room with places of interest - for board games, a musical group (piano is better than a piano) with a place for singing; large table for activities with children and work. In a separate area, you can place a fireplace group with firewood around. The dining area will be decorated with a transparent glass cabinet with porcelain and faience,” advised Irina Dymova, interior designer, board member of the Association of Interior Designers and Decorators (ADDI).

Divide your living room into themed areas

Light

Ambient Light

The living room is the perfect place to watch movies and series in the evening. “With the help of a background lighting system that synchronizes with music or the image on the TV so that the viewer is completely immersed in what is happening on the screen, you can enhance the experience of your favorite films,” said Natalia Neverskaya, head of corporate communications at Signify in Russia and the CIS.

Don't forget about background lighting

Local lighting

We all love to read comfortably on the sofa, so the seating area should be equipped with local lighting. “Floor lamps are suitable for this, as well as table or portable lamps that do not require connection to an outlet - thanks to the built-in battery, they can be placed anywhere in the room. By the way, the presence of a variety of lighting effects will allow you to choose the right shade for your mood,” Neverskaya advises.

Portable lights can be placed anywhere in the room

LED strip

An excellent lighting design tool is also the LED strip, which can emphasize the graphic character of individual elements of the living room. It can be placed along the contour of the ceiling, along the shelves with books or around the TV, creating the effect of floating in the air, advises an expert from Signify. According to Neverska, so that your original design details of the living room do not go unnoticed, you should use the accent lighting technique.

LED strip highlights individual living room elements

Furniture

Easy chair

Easy chairs are a fundamental part of the interior, they look good as a pair, side by side, at an angle or straight, it’s good to place a small coffee table between the chairs — it’s convenient to put a glass or a mug on it, the manager noted “ Design Bureau No. 1" Sergey Petrov. According to him, the chair should be as comfortable, cozy and spacious as possible. In the living room, chairs with a tilted back or even with a recliner look great - a footrest that comes out from under the bottom, which makes the chair a couch, the designer believes.

Upholstered armchairs look cozy side by side (Photo: jafara)

Straight-back hard chair

Older people and guests with mobility issues love hard chairs because they are easier to get up from. “Yes, and often you need to sit down for a short time - not to fall into a chair, but to sit up straight. In addition, the suit wrinkles less on hard chairs. Such armchairs bring great variety to the interior,” Petrov explained.

Hard chairs suitable for older family members (Photo: Hofpils)

Sofa

Probably the most influential and significant element of the living room interior is the sofa. “Do not be stingy, carefully choose soft filling and upholstery, try to sit on it when choosing,” advises Petrov. “The sofa should give you incredible pleasure and comfort, wrap you up and look perfect.”

Choose a quality sofa - it is the main element in the design of the living room (Photo: Hofpils)

Small sofa, canape

The small sofa has an aesthetic function. It brings even more variety and layering to the interior of the living room, creates additional comfort, the head of Design Bureau No. 1 believes. According to him, this is a good way to fill the voids of a large living room.

Canape will help fill the gaps (Photo: jafara)

Stools and banquettes

Stools, banquettes and armchairs are good to use in pairs near a sofa or coffee table, Petrov noted. According to him, you can put them under a table, a console or a shelf on the wall. Banquets are easily used as tables, they are mobile, multifunctional and perfect for a party.

Banquettes can be used as party tables (Photo: Followtheflow)

Spare chair

Spare chair is usually waiting in the wings away from the main furniture or in the back of the living room. “The main thing in it is its light weight and ease of movement. Such chairs are needed when you suddenly have a lot of guests, and you do not want your dining group to look like a densely stocked collection of chairs every day. Spare chairs can often be in the image as an interesting object or artifact - that is, even defiant and contrasting, ”Petrov summed up.

Make sure you have a spare chair (Photo: Photographee.eu Related)

Mistakes

Illiterate zoning

Incorrect zoning is one of the most common mistakes in living room design. When it is inevitable to fit an office or a nursery into the living room, it is important not to block the passages and not allow “transit” zones, said Anna Budnikova from the M-A SPACE studio. According to her, the zones - recreation, kitchen, work, children - need to be isolated, but there should be a direct connection between them.

Do not block passages in the living room (Photo: New Africa)

TV against the light

A common mistake is placing the TV screen in front of a window or against the light. “You need to place it perpendicular to the window to avoid glare. For example, it is placed along the long wall of the living room, opposite the sofa. In the combined kitchen-living room, you can provide a monitor with a swivel screen so that it can be viewed from the kitchen. In rooms with elongated proportions, we sometimes recommend placing a cabinet with a TV in the middle of the room, thereby zoning the “long” space,” Budnikova specified.

However, in this case, you need to think about the direction of people's movement, so as not to block it, the designer emphasized. According to her, one-room apartments and studios are quite popular today, so the issue of proper space zoning is important.

The TV should be placed perpendicular to the window (Photo: MAX 3D Design)

Wrong climate

Another global mistake in the design of the living room is the incompatibility of interior design with the climate, Sergey Petrov is convinced. “In cold climates, for example in our latitude, wood, wool, velvet and suede have historically been used. In a warm climate, for example, in Sochi, wicker furniture, stone flooring, and cotton look more appropriate,” the designer believes.

It is better to give up wicker furniture if the climate is cold

Monotonous furniture

The mistake that most living room interiors have is the lack of variety of seating furniture and its dull arrangement, Petrov clarified. According to him, upholstered furniture, chairs, banquettes and a bar area should be selected and arranged in such a way as to contribute to the maximum and varied pastime - from intimate conversations to lively conversations at a noisy party.

“The secret is to have furniture with different ergonomic properties and functions in the interior, it is not necessary to give the interior an ideal, fundamental and finished look, which brings cloying, stiffness and suppresses the motivation for spontaneity and dynamic communication. You can hardly call a good interior where your guests, instead of sitting down or sitting comfortably for a conversation with a new acquaintance, are embarrassed, not daring to move a chair to the sofa, afraid to disturb the perfectly adjusted composition of the dining group,” the designer summed up.

Furniture should encourage a varied pastime (Photo: visualstock)

Living Room Design - articles, tips, ideas and photos about living room interiors

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