How to make your small living room look and feel bigger – these are the 20 tricks interior experts have been using for years

More often than not, when decorating and dealing with a small space, the instinctive thing to do is make it appear larger. And that’s especially true when it comes to a space like the lounge which tends to be the most hardworking and multipurpose room in the house – but luckily we know just how to make a small living room look bigger.

Some of these small living room ideas are more obvious than others. But we’re sure that you’ll come across several that you’ve never thought or heard of before, and ones that might even surprise you. But each one of these expert-approved and recommended tricks will help you turn your tiny lounge into an elevated living space that looks bigger, brighter and airier.

How to make a small living room look bigger

‘Making a small living room appear larger is all about clever visual tricks and efficient use of space,’ says Lena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at Barker and Stonehouse.

And these visual tricks and ideas come highly recommended by interior experts.

1. Colour drench the space

Colour drenching is one of the biggest home decorating and paint trends of the last couple of years, covering all surfaces of a room in the same colour. But it’s also the perfect clever tool to make a living space appear bigger than it is.

‘My biggest decorating tip is colour drenching,’ says Tash Bradley, director of interior design at Lick, who’s also a big colour drenching advocate. ‘Contrasting woodwork and ceilings will draw attention to the size and shape of your living room, which in a small space, will only make it feel smaller. By colour drenching, a technique where you paint your walls, woodwork and ceiling in a single colour, you soften the contrast and blur the lines of each element and in turn open up the space.’

2. Opt for a light colour palette

The fact that light colours make a room (and other things too) look bigger and dark shades do the opposite is nothing groundbreaking – but it is effective. So sticking to lighter, ideally neutral shades, especially on the walls, is ideal if you want to make your living room appear larger.

‘Colour plays a key role in opening up a space and making it feel larger,’ says Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at Furniture Village. ‘You don’t have to stick to neutrals to make a room feel bigger though – gentle blues, greens or blush tones can all create the illusion of space as they are pale enough to reflect light. The key is to avoid very deep and dark tones, like plum, navy and teal for example, which whilst cosy, have the opposite effect and make a room feel smaller.’

Tash at Lick adds, ‘When it comes to colour, lighter blues and greens are great choices as they’re “receding colours” meaning they appear further away from the human eye than they are, giving the feel of a bigger space.’

3. Go for full-length curtains

You can make your small living room look bigger and more expensive just with some curtains. As long as you know what living room curtain ideas to go for here.

‘Hang curtains high and wide to give the illusion of taller ceilings,’ says Paige Holt, interior trend writer at ScS.

Tash at Lick continues, ‘The key here is to trick the eye by incorporating larger pieces into your living room – think floor-length curtains.’

4. Add wall panelling

Just because there’s not a lot of space to work with that doesn’t mean you can’t add decorative features to your small lounge – just go for those that don’t take a lot of (or any) room. Living room wall panelling ideas are the perfect thing to go for.

‘Use wainscoting and trim for any small spaces,’ says Colleen Bennett, founder of CBB Design Firm. ‘Wainscoting and trim give a room height. When I'm designing a space, I want to make it look big and make it look luxurious. Wainscoting helps make the small space appear bigger.’

5. Pick seating with legs

When it comes to the best seating ideas for a small living room, going for sofas and chairs with legs is ideal as the extra room underneath creates the illusion of a bigger space.

‘Sofas and chairs with exposed legs give a feeling of openness. Avoid bulky furniture that sits directly on the ground – floating designs are your friend,’ Paige at ScS says.

6. Create a focal point

Living rooms work best if there is a focal point, something that draws you in and the place where your eyes land when you enter a room. In many living rooms, the fireplace becomes a natural focal point and offers a solution when working out how to position living room furniture.

In a space without a small living room fireplace idea or any other standout features, it’s possible to create your own focal point by clever use of paint, wallpaper, or placement of furniture. Try painting a panel on one wall in a standout colour to create a point of interest and a faux architectural feature. Adding a console table and mirror above draws the attention and looks just as eye-catching as a traditional fireplace.

'It is easy to be put-off using a bright colour like this in the home,’ says James Greenwood, brand and interiors expert at Graham & Brown. ‘However we think it is easily translatable into a homey hue and our fearless Vixen paint looks stunning and playful in a brighter light, or sophisticated in a smaller cozy space.’

7. Leave some breathing space

‘When living room space is tight, avoid over-filling the room with too many large bulky pieces of furniture that can block the light and make the room feel crowded and hemmed in. Knowing how to arrange furniture in a small living room can make a big difference.

‘Make sure you leave a clear path to walk through your room, keeping corners empty,’ says Martynas Mandrijauskas, design expert at Instrument Furniture. ‘Your eye should be able to travel clearly through your home without obstruction. White space allows for visual “breathing room” that will make the place feel more expansive and less crammed.’

‘Keep a clean view of windows, ensuring they aren’t obstructed by large pieces of furniture, as this will make the window look smaller and block light. Instead, opt for smaller pieces near the window which will help with the visual scale of the room.’

8. Say yes to multifunctional pieces

With space at a premium in small living rooms, finding clever ways of squeezing more in without using up valuable floor space is a must. Sofas and seating guzzle up a large amount of floor space, but opting for a sofa with lift-up storage underneath solves tackles two issues at once. Or consider building storage into wasted areas, such as in a bay window or alcove and then adding extra seating on top.

‘Living in a small space means that there isn’t much room for furniture. This can be challenging at first, but if you are smart with your choices you can get everything you need without overcrowding,’ adds Martynas.

‘Multifunctional furniture keeps the space efficient by having one piece that can do two or more jobs, meaning less furniture taking up precious room. This means you won’t need to decide between two pieces of furniture, while helping you save money by doubling up on uses for each item. Think folding tables, sofa beds, stackable furniture and tables with storage which will save room and let you transform the space with a few simple adjustments.’

9. Scale down furniture

While having less furniture in a small living room will immediately make it feel more spacious, refining the furniture you do have is another way of making the space feel more sleek and streamlined. Give high-backed sofa ideas and big, bulky coffee tables a miss and instead opt for low-level sofas, armless modular pieces and smaller side tables or stacking nests.

‘If you don’t want to use multifunctional furniture and you’d like to have everything in one space, then you’ll want to scale down on the size of your furniture. Keep it low-profile and compact, opting for one or two larger pieces which will keep the room visually balanced,’ advises Martynas.

‘Alternatively, if you like a minimalist look, you can use less furniture overall but with larger-scale pieces. However, make sure you measure your space including doorways and all access points before you purchase a large piece of furniture, to ensure you have adequate room to both walk and transport it through your home.’

10. Layer your lighting

When it comes to small living room lighting ideas, not relying on just a single overhead light source is the number one tip from lighting experts. A single light is inadequate for any room, big or small, but in a living room, where a relaxed mood and cosy atmosphere is a must, a single overhead light will feel harsh and stark and not conducive to relaxation at all.

‘We would always suggest using multiple light sources in a living room,’ advises David Amos, founder of Amos Lighting . ‘If you have different light types around the room it can not only eliminate shadows but create an appealing layered lighting effect, making the room naturally feel bigger. For example, you can incorporate different temperatures that project a different coloured glow or level of brightness.’

‘We’d also suggest avoiding any bulky and large ceiling fixtures in a small living room. Whilst they can be an eye-catching addition to the room they can make the room look smaller and cause it to feel top-heavy.’

11. Avoid an overload of pattern

Don’t rule out using pattern completely in a small living room. While pale colours and areas of plain will add calm to a small living room, not having any areas of contrast pattern or texture can make a room feel bland and lifeless if you’re not careful.

The key with pattern in small spaces is not to overdo it. Small patterns can work here and there, but don’t mix too many of them together or the room will feel too chaotic. And don’t shy away from using large-scale patterns in small spaces, just restrict yourself to one or two and no more. A boldly-patterned rug can be a fabulous way of making a statement in a small living room. With pattern kept below eye-level, it won’t overwhelm the room.

12. Declutter shelves and surfaces

Too much clutter is never good, but in a small living room, will only make the space feel busy, untidy and overly crowded. Surface space is at a premium in small spaces, so put as many items away as you can, freeing-up table tops and shelves and creating a little extra breathing space.

A small living room styling mistake to avoid is overfilling bookcases and shelves, so that they’re stuffed with books and ornaments. Edit down the pieces that you have out on show, allowing space around items so that pieces look purposefully placed rather than crammed in, which will look much more aesthetically pleasing.

‘The easiest thing you can do to make any room feel bigger is to clear clutter away, ensuring that flat surfaces have unused space,’ says Martynas. ‘Purging the room of unnecessary items will make it feel much larger. An organised space will look and feel cleaner and more open.’

‘If you just can’t bear to get rid of any stuff, then additional storage is your best friend; baskets under tables, floating shelves and hanging storage behind doors will keep your rooms organised, spacious and clutter-free.’

13. Invest in a large rug

When it comes to living room rugs, big is better, especially in small living rooms. It might seem counterintuitive, but a large rug can help to stretch the space, drawing the eye and making the floor area feel bigger. If a rug is too small it won't help with how to make a small living room look bigger as it can appear as if it's floating in the middle of the room and look out of sync with the proportions of larger items of furniture.

'The size of a rug can also play a part in how big the room feels,' says Martynas. 'Rugs should be large enough to tie the room together, which brightens and opens up your floor space. A rug that is too small for the furniture around it will make the room feel smaller.'

Go for a rug that is as large as (or even wider) than your sofa if you can. A large rug will act as an anchor point in a living room that can help with how to arrange living room furniture. Run it under the legs of your sofa as well as the coffee table if possible and try to leave around 25-30cm around the edge of the room so you can still see the floor beneath.

14. Pull furniture away from walls

While it’s tempting to push all the furniture against the walls in a small living room to put more floor space on show and make the room feel bigger, it can actually have the reverse effect. Having everything pushed up against walls can limit the sense of space and horizon, making a living room appear much smaller.

Try pulling sofas and armchairs away from walls to give them more breathing space. An easy solution for how to make a small living room look bigger, it will also make the room feel more inviting. No more dead space in the middle of the room. Group seating together to create a more relaxed, sociable feel.

15. Let more light in

Natural light can help with how to make a small living room look bigger, making it feel brighter, breezier and more spacious. Avoid heavy living room curtain ideas and solid blinds that block out sunlight and instead opt for lightweight linens, voiles and sheers that will let maximum light flood in.

One trick for small living rooms that can help stretch the space, is to install a longer curtain pole at a standard-sized window. Extending the pole on either side of the window will make it appear wider and allow curtains to be drawn back fully allowing extra light in.

16. Save space with sleek built-ins

Too many large bulky pieces of furniture can crowd a small living room and make it feel cramped. Opting for built-in furniture is a great way of making use of under-utilised alcoves and recesses and frees up floor space, rather than having lots of freestanding pieces. Paint built-in storage to match wall colour to create a more unified look that can also help increase the sense of space in a small room.

‘Alcoves offer pockets of extra space in living rooms, but it can often be difficult to know how to get the best use out of them,’ says Racheal Hutcheson, national retail manager at Sharps. ‘Integrated shelving helps to create a dedicated space to display your prized possessions, whether it’s an impressive collection of books, a series of treasured photos or an A/V entertainment system.’ So bear this in mind when thinking about your small living room TV ideas.

‘Fitted cupboards are the perfect place to hide any unsightly items or clutter that can build up, making your living room appear more spacious. Whether it’s stashing away blankets or media accessories in a living space, a tidy area promotes a feeling of relaxation.’

17. Add height with a contrasting ceiling

In a small living room without much natural daylight, painting the ceiling a lighter colour is a good way of brightening up the space and making it feel more lofty.

Extend the effect in a room that features a picture rail, by painting the wall area above the rail to match the ceiling colour. It will make you less aware of where the walls end and the ceiling begins and will create the impression of extra height.

18. Open up the view

In a through-lounge or open-plan living room ideas avoid positioning furniture where it might block the view into the next area or across the space. Positioning larger items and bulkier pieces of furniture away from walkways will help to open up the space more and make it feel bigger.

Use round coffee tables and occasional seating between chairs and sofas. Curves are much easier to navigate around in tight spaces, with no sharp corners to bash into.

19. Go big with mirrors

It may be an old and much-used trick, but clever placement of living room mirror ideas is a brilliant way of how to make a small living room look bigger.

Positioning a large wall mirror opposite a window or propping a floor-standing mirror against a wall, reflects light back into the room and creates the illusion that the space extends further than it does, making the room feel brighter, airier and more spacious too.

20. Find the right shade of white

Decorating a room in pale colours and light-reflective tones is another proven way of making a small room feel bigger. But rather than choosing a wall-to-wall brilliant white living room colour scheme, using warmer tones of white will feel less harsh and clinical while still retaining white’s room-enlarging qualities.

In north-facing living rooms, avoid blue and grey-toned whites which can feel a bit dark and dismal and instead opt for white with yellow or red undertones that will lift the space and make it feel more warm and cosy. South-facing living rooms tend to already get a lot of natural daylight, which can amplify the effects of warmer whites, so instead opt for cooler-toned whites which will balance out the warmth of natural light and create a more balanced effect.

FAQs

What colours make a small living room look bigger?

Colour is a game changer when it comes to small living rooms. Using muted colours and soothing shades throughout can help to calm a busy space, help with how to make a small living room look bigger and create a cohesive look that in turn feels more spacious and easier on the eye.

‘When selecting colours for your living space, think about how you would like the space to feel,' says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene. 'Perhaps consider soothing, tranquil green tones or more natural neutrals to bring warmth and harmony to the room.'

‘Neutral paint colours set the scene for harmony and tranquillity, while muted tones reflect nature at its purest and these gentle tones can warm cooler spaces and breathe light into darker rooms.’

What pattern makes a small room look bigger?

Stripes are a failsafe choice that can instantly help with how to make a small living room look bigger. Wide bands of colour or horizontal stripes on wallpaper or wall panelling (laid width-wise) can all help to make a room feel wider. Similarly, narrow vertical stripes and linear timber panelling will create the illusion of height and make a low-ceilinged room feel loftier.

So if you have a small living room, don’t fret – there are clearly ways and methods you can use to rectify that.