Modern small living room ideas to make the most of your space

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As the name suggests, living rooms are where we spend a lot of our time at home. However, these spaces do not need to be large in order to make an impact. Modern small living room ideas bring contemporary style even to small spaces.

Living room ideas come in all styles, but modern design, with its typically “less picky” look, works especially well for small rooms. Cleaner lines, bold color choices, and contemporary solutions make the most of smaller living rooms.

modern small living room ideas

From decor and design tips to doors and windows, read on to discover our favorite ways to design a small living room space.

1. Create an effect with a patterned background

Wallpaper is always a useful way to personalize a room. “Walls have a huge impact on the mood of a room, so it’s essential to get the design right,” says Martin Waller, founder of global design brand Andrew Martin.

One of the best living room wallpaper ideas for small rooms is to choose a medium to large sized repeat of your pattern. “When choosing wallpaper, consider the size of the room,” Martin says. Smaller patterns work well in larger rooms, but can overwhelm smaller spaces. Larger-scale patterns work well in most rooms but consider lighting, as this can affect the look of the wallpaper and make the color appear lighter or darker.

2. Trick the eye

There isn’t always a lot you can do literally to increase the size of your living room. Unless you have the time, money and space to start tearing down walls. Instead, use small living room ideas to create the illusion of space.

One of the smartest ideas for a modern small living room is to use a trompe l’oeil mural. Depending on the picture you choose, this could make the room seem to open up to a garden, another room, or even go further.

For exterior murals, a neat trick is to set the wallpaper in the panels to make it appear visible through the windows.

3. Uses cavities

Contemporary interior decoration style can work well regardless of your home’s architecture. If you have an older property, make the most of the architectural details to gain more space and take advantage of modern living room ideas.

Cottages are an ideal opportunity to make the most of the available space in a smaller room. If they aren’t already there, add some basic shelves in the alcove, and paint them the same color as the rest of the room, to help blend in. Then you have extra storage space that doesn’t take up any precious floor space. Easy and breezy.

4. Use squares to create a focal point

Chimney breasts may be a nice detail, but they seem to take up space in smaller rooms. Use one of these modern small living room ideas to make it an accent wall for the living room, rather than a hindrance.

“Pasting the wallpaper on the chimney chest in a muted way highlights it and creates an element of surprise,” says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director of Little Greene. “Try painting the fireplace in a contrasting color to the walls or using patterned tiles as the highlight of the room.”

This may seem inconsequential in a small living room. However, by focusing so much on one area, you are actually paying attention away from the rest of the space. If you keep the rest of the walls a neutral color, these walls will effectively disappear, creating the illusion of a larger room.

5. Separating work from play

“If your family room needs to double as an office or guest room, that’s great news because you’re making the most of your space,” says designer and designer Lynsey Ford. Nowadays, a sofa-bed means no bargaining, while closed storage allows you to close the door to clutter. I like desks that can be hidden in the closet – work disappears! “

Separating work and play isn’t just great for mental health and peace. By having a neat sliding door, you can get rid of any clutter, giving you more space to use when it’s not time to close.

6. Use paint to raise the ceiling

Clever use of painting techniques can add height to your space. An easy option for modern small living room ideas is to choose a darker paint color for your walls, but don’t take it over the top. If you have a mid-height dado railway, use it as a stopping point. If not, choose a space in the upper third of the height of the wall.

Paint the rest of the wall a bright neutral tone, which helps draw in the light, but won’t draw the eye toward the ceiling, making it appear higher than it really is.

7. Add narrow shelves

A stylish way to add space in a small living room is when decorating behind the sofa. A slim floating shelf will add more storage without interfering with square space. Plus, since you’re looking to add some elegance to this area anyway, you’re killing two birds with one stone.

Think practical when designing. A table lamp can be added to replace the floor reading lamp, for example. Mix and match heights to spark interest. This is also a fun way to display artwork as you can easily switch between prints effortlessly.

8. Increase natural light

We all know that light makes a space appear larger, so of course it works as one of our modern small living room ideas. If you have really big windows, you’re in luck! If you are building or renovating, make sure you know how much light the room would add to larger windows if they lacked it.

Mirrors help reflect light, so always be sure to include one or two in your smaller living room. While we love a small, dark and cozy living room, a light and bright colored wall will make this space appear larger.

9. Area with paint

Small living rooms are not always individual spaces. Open plan living room ideas come in small shapes, too. Spark interest by dividing up your spaces using a fun technique, such as drawing the edge of the divider between spaces.

This helps make the space as a whole appear larger, and add some personality. Marking spaces can also help you close, by telling you that you’ve entered the living room, even if you don’t have a door to close.

10. Make the most of your corners

Corners can be wasted in many rooms, but when you don’t have enough space to spare, make them participate in your scheme. L-shaped sofas are one of the most popular ways to use a living room corner, but sometimes you have a very awkward corner.

Built-in seating in these spaces helps make use of dead floor space, while creating additional seating and a new area. This way, even the most compact of rooms can have their own little reading nook. Add a wall or pendant lamp to make sure the spot gets enough light to stay useful no matter what time of day it is.

11. Create cohesion with color

When designing a small, elegant living room, organization can go a long way. Without making a lot of space, make sure you really think about every item you have on display. There is no point in owning things for the sake of things only if they add meaningless clutter.

If you’re torn about which items to leave out, try narrowing down the selection with color coordination. Choose two or three colors and display items only in these color areas. Create complete cohesion by attaching your soft accessories, such as pillows and throws, too.

12. Find the right storage

Choosing the right option in living room storage ideas is essential for small rooms. Use a combination of open and closed storage. This way, you can display your favorite things, but hide the clutter and technology.

Wall-circuited media units around the TV are a great way to save space and to create much needed storage space in a room.

How do you make a small living room modern?

“It’s about intelligence and investing in quality,” says Lynsey Ford. Start with a super comfy sofa you can fit it all in, a rug, and thick curtains that you can draw on winter evenings, wide open to let in maximum light in summer, as well as plenty of texture and great lighting. “

Clean lines are one of the easiest ways to add a contemporary feel. Make sure to stay away from clutter too – organization is key. Metallic accents add a modern touch, reflections help create the illusion of extra space.

How do you make a small living room look bigger?

Celine Erlam, co-founder of Indie & Co. , “Keep it comfortable and uncluttered. Focus on textiles, plants, and lighting. When it comes to lighting, change the source. For reading, use either a table lamp or a floor lamp next to a side table. To watch TV, keep wall lights lit. For play, center pendant, again.” On a dimmer, it works better.

Not everyone wants their small living room to look bigger, sometimes it can be all about creating a warm and inviting space to enjoy. “I choose strong colors to create cozy spaces—and living rooms are made for style,” Little says. Green Roth Motorsed.