How to Decorate a Small Living Room

It can be easy to decorate your small living room if you follow these tips. Many people are overwhelmed with decorating a small space because they don't know which items should be small and which should be large. Scale in a small room can be tricky; you have to fool the eye a bit.

OK, tip #1.

The furniture should be small in scale. DO NOT buy the super deep seated sofa with massive arms. It won't look right and it won't fit right. Do buy the average-ish sofa.

Take a look at this small space by designer, Beth Lindsey. The sofa fits perfectly and there is plenty of room for side tables and an arm chair.

small scale sofa

For a really excellent small scale sofa, take a look at this one. The overall depth is 36" which is great for a small living room or apartment. Shop this sofa here.

If you prefer a three seater sofa, this one is also 36" deep and comes in 80" wide which is a very versatile width. You can shop this sofa here.

Tip #2.

Great, we are off to a good start! Now for the arm chair. It's nice to have an armchair or two. The back of the chair can be tall, but like the sofa, keep the depth and the width on the smaller side.

Take a look at this room. These chairs are comfy and stylish while also being on the small side. Also, we used a printed fabric on these chairs. Often times, you can have two small chairs instead of one large chair. How many people do you want to seat in your living room? Think about how you would like your room to function. This design is by Holly Bellomy Interiors.

Tip #3.

The next tip is about the windows. Hang the drapes as high as you can; unless you have a very high ceiling with a lot of wall space between the top of the window and the ceiling; then hang the drapes 10" above the window depending on how much room you have. That was a loooong sentence. Thanks for hanging in there!

Raising your drapes will make your small room feel like a taller room. That's a good thing. Also, in a small room it's very important that your drapes hang at the floor level. If they are too short, you will lose the illusion of a taller room. Take a look at these custom drapes in this small room designed by Kara Cox.

Custom drapes are perfection but if you would like something off-the-shelf, take a look at these drapes that come in longer lengths. They hang beautifully and the colors are fab. You will be able to find a great color to go with your decor. Here's another tip, select drapery color that is similar in intensity to the wall color. Little contrast = a more spacious look and feel just like image below! Go here to shop for the drapes.

Tip #4.

Art, large scale art or a gallery with many pieces will expand the wall in a small space. This room by Emily Henderson and photographed by Tessa Neustadt is a fantastic example. You can include photos of you family, pets, or travel along with art. Hang the art just above the sofa if your ceiling is 8' tall; a little less close if your ceiling height is taller.

I hope you enjoyed these small space tips! I will be sharing more small space tips in the future.

Peace and happiness,

Holly