In a small flat, it‘s easy to feel as though there‘s no room. Whether you live in a studio apartment or a one bedroom apartment, arranging furniture can seem like an impossible undertaking.
Even so, small apartment dwellers can maximize space in an apartment with the appropriate tips. The first step is to use your imagination for the furniture arrangement, which should provide extra storage areas and a more inviting ambiance.
Most people fail at the living room layouts stage, resulting in a cramped apartment with no room to move around.
How to Arrange Furniture in a Small Living Room Apartment
Making plans for the appearance of your apartment is only the beginning of making the most of your living room. So, before rushing to buy furniture and other household items, make proper plans about the room layout (furniture arrangement).
As a result, begin by making a list of wants for your next small room layout (wide or narrow living room), as well as specifying exactly how you will use it. For instance, is it a family room or a guest room to relax?
Once you’ve decided how you want it to look, you can start thinking about how you want to decorate it. The truth is, no matter how little your living area is, there are still methods to make the most of it.
With that said, here are ideas for a furniture layout that will inspire you to decorate your small living room.
What is the Size of a Small Living Room?
A modest living room is around 130 square feet (10 feet by 15 feet). On the other hand, a typical room is about 216 square feet (12 feet by 18 feet).
When it comes to determining how much space you’ll need for your home, the size of your living room is an important consideration. It’s crucial to remember that the size of your living room is determined not only by the number of people in your household, but also by the amount of furniture and decor in that space.
As a result, arranging small living room furniture to suit your preferences can make a significant impact on the overall aesthetic of your home.
Invest in Space Saving Furniture (Tables, Chairs, and Sofas)
Furniture is the foundation of any home because it sets the tone and defines your space. With so many options available, it’s sometimes difficult to know what furniture to buy for your home.
With that said, the type of furniture (chairs, sofas, coffee table, etc.) you select for your apartment will have a huge impact on how you live. There are many different sorts and styles to pick from, so take your time and research to find what works best for you.
One of the smart options you can make is to get furniture that will help you conserve space (for example, a sofa with an ottoman or a coffee table with chairs can be good choices). Furniture pieces, whether classic or modern, have their own set of advantages for your home. For this reason, you might want to buy furniture that can be used for multiple purposes. For instance, purchasing a coffee table with a storage unit beneath it may be a wise decision.
In addition, rather than purchasing an extra bed, a sofa that converts to a bed (multi-functional furniture pieces) can be used as a guest bed, saving both money and space. Read up on our guide on how to turn an apartment living room into a bedroom for more details.
It’s also a good idea to buy items that fit your space and aren’t too big; a decent coffee table and sofa are two options to consider for your small living room furniture.
A home is not just a place to live, but is also a statement of your personality and lifestyle. With that said, it is important to match the style of furniture to your home and personal tastes in order to be truly satisfied with your choice.
Hanging Mirrors Can Enhance the Perception of a Bigger Living Space
Mirrors are an essential part of every interior design project. This is particularly true when it comes to arranging furniture in a small living room. Mirrors can assist in creating a feeling of spaciousness by reflecting your view, boosting the illusion of space, and adding light to dark places.
In addition, a dramatic mirror wall (wall decor) is an excellent way to add glitz and luxury to any space. It makes a stylish and eye-catching statement in a small living room, bedroom, or hallway. With so many statement mirror designs to choose from, you can easily create the perfect space to reflect your personality and lifestyle.
When deciding where to place the mirror, make sure it isn’t reflecting another mirror as this can create a never-ending illusion.
Consider Adding Storage from the Floor to the Ceiling
When it comes to living in a tiny living room, there are numerous factors to consider, with one of the most crucial considerations being a storage area.
You’ll need lots of space for your possessions, as well as adequate space to move around in your home. With all of this in mind, opting for an apartment with full-height living room storage might be really beneficial (from floor to ceiling).
In addition, a full-height living room storage will create a space that’s charming, inviting, and packed with personality.
Match Walls to Woodwork
The human eye is drawn to contrast. So, if you’re trying to make a small apartment feel larger, paint your walls and woodwork in the same shade as your tables and chairs. This will make your small living room feel less cramped and more open by eliminating the stark contrast of dark against light.
Also, use a lighter color on the ceiling to give the sense of a taller room. Any color can be used, but white is a fantastic choice for this project because it reflects light and makes the small space appear brighter.
Make a Seamless Transition Set Up to an Outdoor Area
If you have a small living room with access to an outdoor area, strategically placing furniture can help to make the transition from inside to outdoors as seamless as possible. By creating a smooth transition between these two areas, you are also allowing yourself to create an eclectic look and feel of a larger family room.
A clever furniture layout (chairs, sofas, etc.) can make transitioning from the dining area to the outdoor area as seamless as imaginable.
Make the Most of Natural Light
Natural light is becoming increasingly popular in interior design. One of the reasons is that natural light is easy to incorporate into your home with windows and skylights, and it only takes a little effort to make it feel welcoming.
Also, windows can be built in basement flats, basements, and attics to achieve the desired effect, which will make your small living room or bedroom appear more spacious.
Make the Most of the Wall Space
If you want to make the most of your living space, you’ll need to think outside the box. Since your living room is small, you may have a restricted amount of wall space.
As such, stacking pictures on top of one other is a great way to make the most of this tiny space/less space. This can be done on one side of the room so the other area can be used for shelving or other storage. Also, the slim picture ledges on the wall can double as a storage area for other items.
Consider Choosing Wall Lights to Save Space
When you reside in a small living space, you must maximize the available area. As a result, go for a small apartment living room with wall lighting to free up the area that floor lamps/table lamps would otherwise take up.
Wall lighting allows you to escape sacrificing valuable floor space for side tables. Freeing up this floor space gives the impression of a larger area in a small living room.
Use Vertical Space
Install floating shelves in the vertical space throughout your apartment to display your pictures or paintings.
Consider Mounting Your TV on the Wall
A TV stand is costly, large, and takes up room that can be better utilized. So, consider mounting your television if you want to save money and space in your small living room. It is not only simple to hang on the wall, but it also saves you money over time.
In addition, many TV mounts are flexible, allowing you to swivel your TV depending on the angle from which you want to watch it.
Make the Most of the Space Underneath the Stairs
If you live in an apartment, the chances are that your living room is quite small. If you’re like most people, your small apartment living room is likely to be adjacent to a staircase. It is common that the small spaces beneath these steps get wasted in this instance. Create imaginative storage options for all of your possessions to make the most of this unused small space.
Transforming this area into storage units will help keep your house tidy and organized. A cluttered house makes the room feel congested and hard to move around freely.
What Should You Do if Your Furniture is Too Big for the Room?
Arranging living room furniture that doesn’t fit in your house is a time-consuming and costly process. Many people don’t have a lot of space to store their living room furniture, and spending more money on storage isn’t always an option.
However, a simple way to get around this is by selling off furnishings that you no longer use. There are a lot of websites that can help you across the internet.
What happens if you cannot sell the living room furniture or do not want to go through the hassle of selling it?
Well, you can donate your living room furniture (sofas or chairs, and such) to charity. Yes, you heard that right! If you’re looking for a way to give back to charity while also getting rid of your old furniture, donating it is the perfect option. It is also a great way to make sure your belongings are going to good use!
There are a number of organizations that will pick up your donations and give them to people in need. They’ll even pay for shipping!
How to Choose Small Living Room Furniture
The living room is the most important space in the apartment and can be a big challenge to design. Designing a furniture layout (sofa, chairs, and tables) is often difficult because it’s such a personal space and you constantly run out of ideas.
This can be especially frustrating when you downsize from a house to an apartment as you want your living room to look beautiful, but it can seem impossible due to the lack of space. That’s where creativity comes in!
The fact is that a perfect small living room arrangement can still offer plenty of space for furniture, along with the opportunity to make it personal. All you need is to know how to design or arrange the furniture to fit the available living room space.
With that said, here are a few creative tips you can utilize when designing a furniture layout for your living room:
Select the Right Furniture Shape for a Small Living Room
When purchasing furniture for small living rooms, you must consider more than just your furniture’s quality, color, and texture. The shape of the furniture (coffee table, sofa, etc.) is also crucial when putting together a small living room arrangement.
For instance, furniture with slim legs (dining chairs, dining table, sofa, etc.) is ideal for a small room because it doesn’t take up much space. This makes it perfect for people who are tight on space, like small apartment-dwellers or college students living in dorms
To improve the appearance of a small living room (small spaces), think about adding accent furniture. Pick a focal point and make it the star of the space, when decorating your living room, in an effort to bring attention to it (visual weight) and lessen the emphasis on the room layout.
Select the Most Appropriate Furniture Materials for Your Small Living Room
For many long time apartment renters who are bored of the same old, monotonous design, wood furniture has been around for ages and is still a favorite.
With that said, in a smaller living room, wood tends to absorb dyes from other materials, making the small spaces excessively dark for certain people’s tastes. This is why, in order to make a small apartment living room feel lighter and more open, light wood furniture should be considered.
Also, you might want to consider glass furniture (particularly a table) because light will bounce around it and create the illusion of a bigger room.
Pick the Right Sofa for a Small Living Room
Living rooms are notorious for being small and lacking space (usually small spaces). This is especially the case when you have to share a living room with other people in your household.
The sofa or sectional is typically one of the most important pieces within a living room. If you’re looking for a sofa that can accommodate five or six people, don’t be afraid to consider getting a bigger size. Choose a sectional sofa that will hug the small apartment living room walls and create a comfortable look, while also providing ample seating area for additional people.
If done correctly, your small living room arrangement (furniture arrangement/furniture placement) can help you improve the beauty of your home.
Frequently Asked Question About Small Living Rooms
How Wide Should a Living Room Be?
Ideally, an average living room measures about 12 feet by 20 feet.
How Much Seating Should a Living Room Have?
Four or five seats in your small room are fine, but the more the better if you have more space.
Is it OK to Put a Sofa in Front of a Window?
It’s totally fine to place a sofa in front of a window as long as the back of the sofa is relatively low and does not block the natural light.
Final Thought
There are both benefits and drawbacks to the size of a living room. A large room is not easy to come by, but a small space can be transformed into something larger by optimizing storage opportunities.
To make your small apartment living room more interesting, you can arrange furniture in a unique design. The furniture arrangement can make all the difference between an unsightly or a lovely small apartment living room, in most cases.
With that stated, creating a space you enjoy is simple, from placing plants and foliage for natural beauty and added privacy to creating a nice, inviting living area with a sofa or coffee table in the center. The room is your oyster, so make the most of it!
