Those who were lucky enough to have lived their entire lives in sprawling mansions, large houses, or even free-standing one-story homes will never understand the struggle of having to make a tiny space feel livable.
This “in-between” phase of your life usually comes right after you move away from your parents' house (or out of your college dorm) and try to cut it on your own.
Rarely are people able to make a killing right out of university, so a small space is what most of us end up with at the start.
Transforming small spaces to seem larger and more spacious isn't a task that only recent college graduates have to face.
According to real estate experts from the Highest Cash Offer, many first-time homebuyers end up buying houses without properly assessing the available space, ending up with a small living room or dining room.
As you can see, even free-standing houses are not exempt from the curse of a tiny living room.
Fortunately, there are a lot of things you can do to get your living space to feel bigger without taking out another mortgage or moving houses once again.
Creating the illusion of larger spaces is the bread and butter of many interior design specialists.
If you're looking for small living room ideas, you've come to the right place! In this article, we'll outline some of the best tips professionals use to make small living rooms feel much bigger.
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Use See-Through Furniture
Not everybody is a fan of glass or plastic see-through coffee tables or chairs, but the truth is that they can make it feel like your living room is much larger than it really is.
It's a clever optical illusion and doesn't actually free up any floor space or turn your small living room into a large one, but it can certainly trick your mind into thinking that you're sitting in a much bigger room.
If you're not a fan of clear, see-through chairs and tables, you might want to consider using furniture that stands on tall legs, albeit with a less grandiose effect.
Aside from tinkering with your furniture's size, height, and opacity, you can also simply consider painting your walls white.
White walls can make even the tiniest room feel at least a little bigger.
Multi-Purpose Living Room
We don't mean turning it into a space that is going to be a living room, yoga studio, and a dining room at the same time.
Being able to do various things in there is part of the definition of the “living room” phrase itself.
You should keep your furniture multi-purpose.
A bookshelf can also serve as a neat room divider (although there are better things to use for that, as you'll soon find out), and with enough ingenuity, a coffee table can serve as a neat decor piece as well.
With a small living room, you can't afford to waste precious space on too many chairs or a corner piece sofa set.
Divide the Space with a Sofa
Room dividers can greatly enlarge your living space, provided that you know how to do it correctly.
Poor division tactics can turn a small space into an even smaller one, not to mention the clutter that you're going to have to deal with as a result.
Sofas make for great room dividers. You can turn the newly-formed area behind the sofa into a dining space, and not be bothered by it when you're just relaxing on the couch and watching the TV.
Keep in mind, though, that when entering the room, your sofa is going to be the focal point, so be sure you get one that fits into the style of your living room.
Ditch Unnecessary Furniture
This may be a bit obvious to some of you, but many people don't even realize how much clutter and unnecessary stuff they have in their living room.
Take a long, hard look at that space and sort out what you could do without and what is absolutely essential in your small living room.
A clear coffee table works great to create an illusion of more space, but you know what works even better? Removing the coffee table altogether.
You don't really need that much living room furniture — a couch and some basic shelving are enough to start with.
Decorating such a little space can be difficult, too. Don't use large, standalone decor pieces and opt for flat ones instead, like a painting or an organic-shaped rug. You'd be surprised at how well a gallery wall can work in a small living room.
Clever Storage
If you're anything like the average American, your home is probably full of stuff that you don't use on a daily basis.
All sorts of items can clutter up any space, and the living room is a particularly fertile ground for all sorts of useless stuff springing up out of nowhere.
Implementing clever storage ideas into your small living room can be a real game-changer.
From drawers that can slide out from underneath the sofa to a side table that can be opened up to reveal a hidden box inside, the opportunities are endless.
Scour around the Web for a little bit to see what innovative solutions can help you get rid of the clutter in your small living room.
Utilize Every Square Inch
Try to come up with as many ways to use the limited space you have and keep from taking up more square footage with shelves, tables, and other furniture pieces.
For example, if you want to illuminate the room at night but don't need that light to read, you could invest in a floor lamp. It will add some flair to your living room and won't take up any three-dimensional space at all!
Consider adding mirrors to your living room composition, too.
They'll create an illusion of more space while also allowing you to get one last look at your outfit as you leave the house in the morning.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do to make your living room at least a little bit bigger.
From adding mirrors to including custom-shaped rugs and clear furniture, these small living room ideas were implemented by many interior designers and desperate homeowners before you.
Don't be afraid to get creative and come up with your own ways of enlarging your living room. Just remember: adding more stuff won't help if you don't remove something first!