House
How to decorate a small living room? Although it may seem like a challenge, it doesn't have to be that difficult.
It's all about having some information, tips and tricks to make smart choices of furniture, pieces, flooring and colors for a small living room.
The guide
VISUAL INVENTORY
Do an exhaustive visual survey of decorating styles, and start evaluating what you like best and matches your personal style. Style should represent your preferences, pace of life, routines and what you value.
Your home should represent who you are, otherwise a style that differs from your family's personality will just look like an impersonal store display.
So save images of various styles, create a folder on Pinterest, for example, or simply store them in a folder on your smartphone or computer.
THE STYLE
Defining the direction of the visual characteristics you want to give your project is important right from the start. That's why having an inventory will help you decide.
You don't have to have rigid parameters in this respect, flexibility is necessary when it comes to a proposal with personality.
Many of us like different styles, a lot of things catch the eye, so start by pinpointing what you like about each style.
For example, if you like the modern style, composed of many straight lines, well-defined and striking shapes, without too much embellishment, focusing on functionality, practicality, clarity,
and organization, but you are also attracted to rustic pieces with more organic shapes, a certain connection with nature, you can define modernism as your main style and wabi sabi as your secondary style. Practically, you choose the main pieces with modernist lines and one or two wabi sabi pieces.
LAYOUT
If you don't have a floor plan of your property, you can make a sketch on graph paper (this is what we call a sketch) with the measurements of each wall, the location of doors and windows.
Don't forget to plan the circulation between the furniture and the entrance and exit to the room.
All this will help you not to get lost when buying furniture.
MOOD BOARD
A mood board is a very useful resource for keeping your project together and achieving the harmony you want, especially in a small space.
The idea is to put together a sample or image of the pieces you want in the room, place everything next to each other so you can get an idea of how it will look. Always pay attention to colors, patterns, shapes and textures.
You can make a physical moodboard, printing out images of your selection of pieces, fabric samples, flooring samples, wood samples or any other material
Or a digital moodboard, with photo collage.
BUDGET
It may not be a problem for some, but for most of us it's a very important part, after all we want a space to relax with a clear head.
Take advantage of the mood board and add the cost of each choice. Keep a note of everything, how much the material and labor will cost for each choice, our mind can fail, the note does not.
FLOORING FOR SMALL ROOMS
For small rooms, a floor with a light wood finish such as a plank design will help create the perception of space in small living room ideas.
In any open or closed layout, use the same flooring as the living room for the kitchen or other continuous areas to create a consistent flow between the rooms.
Wood or porcelain tile flooring, or the Chevron pattern of taco flooring (large taco), can be especially effective, whether in a narrow kitchen, dining room or living room, helping these areas to be harmonious.
COLOR PALETTE
Some people are afraid to add a deep color to a small room for fear of making it seem even smaller, but let's understand before we eliminate the options.
In fact, neutral and light tones keep the space open. If that's not a problem for you, go for it.
But if you're dreaming of that darker color, be brave and keep your options open, regardless of the size of the room.
If your favorite color is red (I'm taking it to the extreme) there are washed reds, or with application techniques such as patinas or simply matte red.
When working in a small space, dark colors can absorb light, making the division between the walls look washed out. This blacked-out corner effect adds depth and dimension to a room, making it appear larger.
The main reason for never looking smaller than you already are is definitely the uniformity of colors in the room. The contrast between one wall and another breaks up continuity, accentuates corners and visually reduces any space.
It's always good to remember that a light color reflects light while a dark one absorbs it, so if you have little external lighting (small windows) the use of a dark color will increase the need for artificial (electric) light.
THE TV IN A SMALL LIVING ROOM
Before you start working on your living room ideas, you should also think about the audio systems and the TV so that you can hide the cabling and provide sockets.
A TV needs to be at the right height in relation to your sofa, so you don't have to look up to see it, and ideally in the center of your sofa.
Visually, the TV can take up precious space and draw unnecessary attention, so it might be a good idea to blur its presence.
You can opt for dark colors on the TV walls so as not to have such a strong contrast with it. You could also frame it on the wall of a gallery, which prevents it from being a focal point as your eyes are drawn to what's around it.
ILLUSION TO MAKE THE ROOM LOOK BIGGER
There are many ways to create an illusion and make a smaller room appear larger and more spacious. We have an entire article dedicated to tricks for visually enlarging a small room. Check it out here.
The tricks range from mirrors, the use of plants, chandeliers, rugs, curtains, etc., to hatches.
The main thing is perhaps not to try to fill it up too much with lots of separate pieces. For example, a larger sofa is preferable to several armchairs, a larger bookcase to several storage pieces.
You need to prioritize what's important to you and start there.
THE COLOR OF FURNITURE IN A SMALL LIVING ROOM
Any color of furniture will work in a small living room, as long as it creates visual harmony with the rest of the space. That's the main point - to create harmony.
Any contrasting piece will create boundaries and create segues in the space, which reduces the space, so opt for colors that blend together and visually create a single block of color.
TEXTURE AND PATTERN
We're talking about uniformity of color, without major contrasts, which for some may seem monotonous. You can easily add visual interest by combining different textures. For example, your sofa is made of fabric. Use fabric cushions in linens, silks, with bangs, or a rattan coffee table, or a chandelier in natural material and so on.
The same goes for patterns, use prints in details.
FREE UP SPACE
If you have limited space in the living room, choosing low-backed furniture will help create an airy, open feeling to enlarge the room. Sofas, armchairs and chairs with low backs free up visual space in the eye line
Framed furniture for small rooms
The open, hollow shapes of a metal wire coffee table, for example, give the illusion of more space, as the surrounding scene is visible through it. Look out for designs that incorporate shelves into their silhouette to maximize storage resources.
Not all pieces need to be elevated, but adding legs to your sofa is more effective in bringing the illusion of space. Being able to see more floor creates the feeling of more space,
Disclaimer: This content, including advice, provides generic information only. Do not replace a medical opinion in any way.
