1Opt for Open Furniture
Heidi Jean Feldman Rather than choose a sofa with a traditional back, designer Lichelle Silvestry went for a daybed-style piece that wouldn't block half of this small Parisian living room from the other. Now, no matter where your guests are, you can turn to face them.
Tour the Entire Home
2Choose Low Accent Tables
Jonny Valiant Rather than overwhelm the space with a large side table or console, Jayson Home's Devin Kirk kept a low profile in his family's Chicago apartment with a short wooden stool. Because the emphasis is on the marbled sectional, he needed to balance the proportions of the other items in the room. Mission stylishly accomplished.
Tour the Entire Home
3Float the Furniture
Sarah Solis Designer Sarah Solis wanted this Los Angeles family's den to feel restful but still be functional for homework time. Cue: a floating desk. Because the thin surface seemingly levitates, it takes up much less visual square footage than a clunky desk with legs might, making it perfect for this small space. The backless stool also keeps keep things looking streamlined.
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
4Accentuate the Curves
Frédéric LaGrange Low, curved, or angled ceilings can make a living room seem smaller than it actually is. Working with it rather than against it, as designer Patrick Gallagher did here in his apartment in Rome's Palazzo Taverna, can have the opposite effect. He used subtle, diamond-patterned wallpaper to visually heighten the barrel-vaulted ceiling and create the illusion of more space.
5Try Tonal Colors
Andrea Calo In this small living room by Amity Worrel, beige is far from boring. The monochrome decorating palette (with pops of red) was inspired by old-fashioned European skiing chalets, and keeps it from feeling too busy or cluttered. Plus, the warm tones imbue the room with the coziness you get only in small spaces.
Tour the Entire Home
6Accessorize With Care
KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI Rather than adorn the walls of the living room in House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home with eye-catching art (which we also love, don't get us wrong), Caitlin Wilson opted for delicate framed intaglios (reproductions of incised art made popular by travelers in the 18th and 19th centuries) from Statuette instead. Not only does the choice soften the room, but it also lets your eye settle on what's important: the people around you.
Tour the Entire Room
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
7Buy Small
Roger Davies In a study by Los Angeles–based designer Alexandra Loew, a small loveseat sits nestled against the windows. It was chosen to be proportionate to the family's small children, but it's cozy enough for adults to lounge on as well.
Tour the Entire Home
8Look Up
Aaron Bengochea Pet ownership comes with a lot of accoutrements: feeding bowls, toys, scratching posts. But in the living room of Tammer Hijazi, cofounder and design director of Bower Studios, Cleo the cat gets free reign of the space, including the walls. A stack of Ikea Lack shelves creates a streamlined climbing system that doesn't intrude on the seating area below.
9Don't Think Too Hard
Bjorn Wallander In photographer Bjorn Wallander's New York City studio apartment, no inch is wasted. Rather than take up valuable space with a bookshelf or display tables, he piles his beloved coffee table books and knick-knacks on every windowsill and open bit of floor, which gives the apartment a true artistic flair.
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
10Make Furniture Play Double Duty
Laure Joliet In a tight apartment, rooms often have to do double duty. Regan Baker exercised genius space planning when creating this library, which could just as easily function as a small living room slash dining room. Dining chairs like these could function as guest seating when a dinner party turns into a game night.
Tour the Entire Home
11Use Paneling
TREVOR TONDRO PHOTOGRAPHY Just like in fashion, the right stripes can make a silhouette work to your advantage. If you're not into the circus stripe trend, take a note from Jeffrey Alan Marks instead. Horizontal wood paneling visually widens his California living room, making its small size a nonissue.
Tour the Entire Home
12Raise the Shelves
Karyn R. Millet Storage is essential in a small living room. If you don't have enough floor space for a bookshelf, look to your walls as designer John Wooden did in this bungalow. These high-up shelves offer plenty of flat surface area without taking up any of the valuable square footage down below.
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
13Wallpaper the Ceiling
Sean Litchfield In a small space, lots of colors and patterns can feel dizzying. Instead of wallpapering the walls, opt for a ceiling design instead as Brooklinteriors designer Alicia Hassen did in this East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, apartment. It draws eyes up and leaves the rest of the space feeling wide open.
Tour the Entire Home
14Ditch the Coffee Table
Joshua McHugh In this minimalist sitting area by Raji Radhakrishnan, a traditional coffee table was replaced with a low, bite-sized cocktail table. While it's not large enough to put your feet up (that's what the loveseat is for), it's perfect for a coffee and your current read.
Tour the Entire Home
15Work in Twos
Read McKendree Sometimes smaller spaces actually allow for bolder color and pattern experiments. Here, Katie Rosenfeld worked in pairs. She used the same floral pattern on the sofa and drapes, corresponding (and wilder!) cheetah prints on the carpet and throw pillow, and then coupled the springy green paint with the striped ottoman. If you love this look but prefer something a touch more modern, use Rosenfeld's formula but swap the traditional fabric for an edgy one and modern photography or an abstract painting for the botanical prints.
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
16Separate Zones With Lighting
Gieves Anderson David Frazier managed to carve out formal sitting and dining areas in his small New York City apartment. A statement pendant over the pedestal table helps separate the dining zone, and the stackable dining chairs can double as extra seating in the living room. Pops of dark yellow speak to the warm antique wood pieces and break up the neutral color scheme, while a dark curtain rod mounted high on the light-colored wall adds height to the space.
Tour the Entire Home
17Plan for Company
Avery Cox Ditch the sofa altogether if you'd rather use the living room as a place to catch up and chat with others as opposed to lounging horizontally. Four blue-painted rattan chairs are oriented toward each other for visits, but they're comfy enough to recline and stretch out on during life's quieter moments in this small living room by Avery Cox.
Tour the Entire Home
18Play Up Period Details
Heidi Jean Feldman In a Parisian apartment by Lichelle Silvestry, luxe, warm, and texture-rich velvet seating further enhances the elaborate period elements. "I adore using materials that add character and authenticity to my interiors," Silvestry says. "It's a sensory feast."
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
19Use Refreshing Colors
Stephen Paul 20Hang Plants
Fatma El Amin Moroccan rug dealer Amber El-Amin worked around an odd overhang above the sofa in the small living room of her home in Virginia by hanging a plant from it. The greenery enlivens the nook and brings a touch of unexpected whimsy. She didn't forget about light here, either: The two vintage lamps are strategically placed to brighten the tonal and laid-back yet upscale space.
Tour the Entire Home
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below