Redevelopment
If the room intended for meeting guests is very small in size, consider remodeling. The living room can be expanded by adding a balcony, loggia or combining it with neighboring rooms.
By adding a balcony, you can create a decorative arched opening, a bar counter, or place a relaxation area with armchairs, a sofa or a mini-garden. In small apartments there may be an office or storage system here.
Combining it with a kitchen or hallway will deprive the living room of privacy - because now the room will be in plain sight. But you will get a living room that will be much lighter and more spacious than the previous room. Here you cannot do without zoning, which can be done using finishing materials or furniture.
Install a dining table, a bar counter or a figured plasterboard partition with a TV on the border between the kitchen and the living room - you will already save a couple of meters of usable space and delimit the boundaries of functional zones. You can “separate” from the hallway with the help of a sliding wardrobe, which will act as a partition and serve as a spacious storage system.
Use light colors
To make a small living room visually look more spacious, you should choose light colors for the main decoration. Nowadays, the white palette is very popular, used in many modern styles.
You don’t have to get carried away with a snow-white design - you can choose one of the shades, for example, milky or ivory, and use different textures.
No less popular is the gray color, which can be combined universally with any other colors, giving the interior a touch of solidity. Do you want maximum comfort? Choose light beige or cream tones, match them with bright accents from the brown range.
The color must be chosen based on personal preferences and the general concept of the chosen style of the room. Nevertheless, dark and bright colors should be present in a small living room in minimal quantities and, preferably, in a glossy design.
Classic style
White color, symmetrical arrangement of things, a lot of crystal and gilding, expensive furniture, an abundance of stucco molding, cornices and arches, heavy curtains will fill the room with elegant luxury and sophisticated chic.
A living room in a small apartment, made in a classic style, thanks to its elegance, will be a wonderful place for receiving guests.
Nobility and prosperity will fill this room and make it visually larger.
Minimalism in the interior
The most correct solution for a small living room would be to design it in a minimalist direction, preferring rigor and freedom of space. In this design, a simple and, at the same time, elegant interior will be filled with a monochrome color scheme, an abundance of light and a minimal amount of furniture and decor.
Expensive natural materials in white, beige or ash tones are used for finishing. Actively use mirror and glass surfaces - this will make the room even lighter and airier.
Choose a “squat” modular sofa, a coffee table, a small storage system with glossy facades, and decorate the windows with short roll-up sheets. Now your living room will become truly stylish, spacious and bright!
Provence
The light and casual style will be a great addition to a small living room.
We recommend reading:
Wallpaper design for the kitchen-living room in a modern style 2022Black and white apartment design - not boring interior
How to rearrange your room, principles of arranging furniture in rooms with a small area
Light lace, floral patterns, delicate tones and relaxed charm will become companions of this style, breathing into the room the spaciousness of lavender fields and the freshness of a gentle morning.
Secrets of wall decoration
There are many finishing materials for decorating the walls in the living room, so you can choose those that will best suit the design.
A universal option is wallpaper that has many interpretations. You can also use decorative plaster, stone, plastic and MDF panels, acrylic paint, etc.
With the help of finishing it is quite possible to adjust the geometry of the space. For example, in a narrow room, try decorating one of the short walls with a dark color - then it will be visually closer, and the room will take on a square shape. Also a good option would be horizontal patterns on the wall, which will “expand” a small living room.
To visually “raise” the ceiling, you will need vertical lines - this could be striped wallpaper, a diamond pattern, or decorating one of the walls with narrow high niches-portals.
Choosing the same monochromatic palette for the walls and ceiling will visually “erase” the boundaries of the planes and, accordingly, make the walls taller.
Living room interior design: features and ideas (70 photos)
Classic
Adherents of the traditional design model do not need to abandon the usual interior format. There shouldn't be any problems with finishing. You will have to try hard when choosing furniture. Large objects and dark colors are excluded.
The calm and noble atmosphere will give the impression of comfort. Pretentiousness and pomp are excluded. This option is ideal for fans of conventions.
Beautiful floor in a small living room
Although the floor does not play a leading role in the design of a small living room, it still adequately complements the interior. In addition, some materials are also capable of making adjustments to the perception of space. For example, a diagonal pattern on linoleum will visually expand the room.
If your living room is long and narrow, use laminate or parquet boards, laying the material perpendicular to the long walls - the room will take on a more regular shape.
An excellent option for modern minimalism would be tiles. But since the material itself is quite cold, the floor should be heated.
Cork flooring is rightfully considered the most durable and aesthetically attractive. It fits perfectly into all interior styles and gives the living room a cozy, respectable look.
Loft
Industrial style helps to use space as efficiently as possible. Externally, the interior looks rough and alienated. The setting is ideal for unconventional natures.
This option is often used to decorate studios. The direction is suitable for young, creative people.
Original ceiling design
With the help of plasterboard, you can not only create the perfect ceiling in a short time, but also make various decorative designs.
The decoration of the perimeter of the living room with a plasterboard rim with built-in spotlights and hidden LED lighting looks beautiful. This is often how a room is zoned, highlighting a certain area with ceiling structures.
Stretch fabrics look no less impressive. They can be matte or glossy, plain or have a pattern with photo printing.
For a small living room, the best option would be a plain glossy canvas, the mirror effect of which will visually enlarge the room.
Mirror or glass
Glass or mirror inserts in the ceiling make the design of the room elegant. They visually expand the room and make it brighter.
The use of glass creates a weightless effect in the room and adds unusual light reflections.
Divide the living room into zones
Determine the functional areas and place them wisely! In small apartments, the living room often plays the role of a bedroom, an office, or is combined with a kitchen. Since you probably won’t be able to install a partition due to the small area, use furniture and finishing materials for zoning.
You can define a relaxation area using a sofa, placing its back or side to the surrounding environment. The kitchen work area will be separated by a bar counter, and the sleeping area can be hidden behind a shelf with books, magazines or accessories.
Zoning a small living room with the help of lighting and finishing materials that differ in color and texture looks impressive. For example, a wall with a TV can be decorated with a contrasting color, photo wallpaper, or decorative stone.
80 living room design ideas in Khrushchev (photo)
Correct lighting
For a small room it is very important to be illuminated in a variety of ways. Try to free the windows from massive curtains - let them be short structures such as Roman or roller blinds. To “domesticate” the interior, add light or transparent fabrics and light tulle.
Select small lighting fixtures for the living room and place them at different levels so that every corner of the room does not go unnoticed.
You can install a ceiling chandelier and add spotlights around the perimeter. Install a floor lamp or sconce in the recreation area; pendant lamps look beautiful above the bar counter.
Techniques for visually increasing area
It is possible to truly increase the area of a room in rare cases. This should not stop you from trying to work with space. Techniques that allow you to achieve results visually will come to the rescue.
Note!
Tulle design for the living room: tips on choosing fabric materials, colors, types of tulle. Decor and accessories for tulle in the living room (photo + video)Living room design - current ideas and the best interior design combinations. Tips for choosing furniture styles and models
Partition in the living room - 180 photos and video master class on how to correctly install different types of partitions
Choose compact furniture
A small living room should not be “loaded” with furniture - you need to leave enough space to move it. A spacious modular sofa and a pair of armchairs will be enough for seating.
Install a folding coffee table in the recreation area, which, if necessary, can be transformed into a spacious dining platform. Along the perimeter of the living room, install compact modular systems with glossy facades and glass shelving.
More mirrors
Mirror surfaces have the ability to expand space and provide it with additional light - use this in the design of your small living room. A large frameless mirror or panel can be placed above the sofa, as well as on the wall with the TV.
If you plan to install a wardrobe, let its doors be mirrored. Then the closet will not be conspicuous, and the living room space will become much deeper and brighter.
Interior design of a small kitchen (90 photos)
Work on your accents!
The interior of a small living room, made in a neutral color palette, needs to be “revived” and introduced some dynamics. To do this, you can use bright decorative pillows or a contrasting carpet that attracts attention.
Decorative elements in cheerful shades will also help: a glass vase with sunny yellow tulips, a landscape painting on a photo wallpaper wall, a dish with colorful fruits or a pile of colored magazines.
Small living room - photos of real interiors
Summing up, we can safely say that even a small room in skillful hands can turn into a stylish, functional room. Now, our reader, you should definitely visit our photo gallery. Here are the most striking examples of small living room design that will help you avoid many mistakes if you decide to do the renovation yourself.
