Modern small living room ideas to make the most of your space

As the name suggests, living rooms are where we spend a lot of our time at home. However, these spaces don't need to be large in order to make an impact. Stylish modern small living room ideas bring contemporary good looks to even the most petite spaces.

Lounges come in all shapes and sizes, but modern styling, with its typically less 'fussy' looks, works especially well for small rooms. Cleaner lines, bold colour choices and contemporary solutions make the most of small living room ideas.

Modern small living room ideas

From decorating and styling tips to doors and windows, read on to discover our favourite ways to design with little living room ideas.

1. Combine colour with white for a fresh feel

Even if you love colour and have chosen a shade for your living room, combine it with plenty of white surfaces to make the space feel larger. 

With darker furniture, the room above would have felt imposing, but with the pale upholstery on the sofa and armchair, the white coffee table and sideboard, alongside the pretty patterned fabrics it feels light and bright. Painting the ceiling and above the dado in white also opens up the room.

2. Clash bold prints against a pale canvas

Clashing prints look bold and beautiful, when you get it right. If you want to do this to create a modern small living room, set your prints against a pale background to prevent overwhelming the space.

According to interior designers, the best way to get it to look good is to select around three colours to work with and vary the size of the prints. For example, use a small print on a couple of cushions and a large pattern on a blind or rug, with plenty of plain surfaces in between. 

3. Mix vintage and modern

Mixing vintage and modern looks stylish in any size of room, but it's an effective way to easily add character in a modern small space, particularly if you've just moved in. 

'Don’t rush into new purchases if you can avoid it,' says Lucy Henderson, head of interior design at My Bespoke Room. 'Not only could it be an expensive mistake if you haven’t thought through how it will fit into a wider design scheme, but ‘fast furnishing’ is bad for the environment as it often ends up in landfill.

'Using hand-me-downs or bargains from Facebook marketplace or charity shops is a great way to create a functional living space quickly, and you might even inherit some vintage gems.

'If you can take the time to settle into your space before designing or redesigning your home, then you’ll be able to see how the space actually works for you and work out what is actually needed. This can save you rushing into buying lots of items that are too big, too small, or just aren’t needed.'

4. Cheer it up with sunny yellow

Small spaces can sometimes feel dark or poky. Some designers like to capitalise on this and suggest going for a cosy cocooning effect with moody tones. However, that doesn't suit everyone. So if you'd find that imposing or claustrophobic, choose a lighter, cheerful shade, such as yellow.

Mix things up by painting up to a dado rail, if you have one, and wallpapering above it, for a surprise element.

5. Include multi-purpose pieces

Furniture needs to work hard in a small living room. So choose pieces that can have a dual or multi-purpose. Instead of a coffee table, opt for a blanket box or ottoman. As well as providing a surface to place things, this will offer extra storage or seating space when needed too. 

6. Choose furniture that's the right size and scale

'Positioning can really make a difference when it comes to decorating a room, you don’t want items that are too big and take over the space,' says Lucy Henderson, head of interior design at My Bespoke Room. 

'Think about the size of the furniture you buy. Is it going to fit comfortably, and will it allow for enough space for a side table on either side or will it be easy to pull dining chairs out?

'Using masking tape or boxes to explore layouts before purchasing key pieces can be really helpful. It’s important to have a decent walkway space, so you aren’t having to shuffle around furniture when moving around; we recommend a minimum walkway space of 60cm.'

7. Bring in a botanical theme

Blur the lines between indoors and outdoors with a lush botanical theme. Studies show that the colours of nature, such as shades of green, make us feel good. Leafy prints and colours also help to connect inside and outside, making a room seem larger and less separate to the garden beyond.

'The natural world has been very much in the forefront of people’s minds and consumer choices, which has had a huge impact on design,' says Caroline Thornborough, design director at Thorndown. 

'For the autumn and winter months, warm, comforting but darker and more striking colours are set to be used with dark lush greens.'

8. Paint walls and ceiling in one colour

To make a small room with a low or pitched ceiling feel larger, paint the walls and ceiling in the same shade of white. Paint beams and rafters in eggshell and walls in emulsion to achieve a cohesive look. 

'When painting a room, the ceiling is the first surface to start with to avoid having paint drip onto finished walls and floors,' says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene. 'It’s tempting to overload your paint brush or roller, but try to keep it evenly spread, it will stop the drips and also create a smoother finish.'

9. Include toy storage to keep things tidy

Make life easy by including space for toy storage in a small living room. Instead of tripping over teddies or pieces of Lego, choose a storage unit or shelving with enough space for smart storage boxes where you can easily hide toys away, when kids have finished playing with them.

Storing the boxes on the lowest level will ensure little ones have access when they want them too. However, it is essential to ensure the storage unit is secured to the wall properly from top to bottom, so that it can't topple. 

10. Create impact with patterned wallpaper

Wallpaper is always a useful way of injecting personality into a room. 'Wallpaper has a huge impact on the mood of a room so it’s key to get the design right,' says Martin Waller, Founder of global design brand Andrew Martin.

One of the best living room wallpaper ideas for small rooms is to choose a medium to large scale repeat for your pattern. 'When choosing wallpaper, consider the size of a room,' says Martin. 

'Smaller scale patterns work well in big rooms, but can overwhelm smaller spaces. Larger scale patterns work well in most rooms but think about lighting, as this can affect the look of wallpaper and make a colour appear lighter or darker.'

11. Trick the eye

There's not always much you can do to literally in order to increase the size of your living room. Unless you have the time, money and space to start knocking down walls. Instead, use visual tricks to create the illusion of space.

One of the most clever top modern small living room ideas is to use a trompe l'oeil mural for your living room wall decor. Depending on which image you choose, this might make the room seem to open up onto a garden, another room, or even go on further.

For outdoor murals, a nifty trick is to set the wallpaper in panels to make it appear to be viewed through windows.

12. Utilise alcoves

Contemporary interiors style can work well regardless of the architecture of your home. If you have a period property, make the most of architectural details to gain more space.

Alcoves are an ideal opportunity to make the most of the available space in a smaller room. If not already in place, add a few basic shelves into the alcove, and paint these the same colour as the rest of the room, to help blend in. Then you have extra living room shelving ideas which don't use up any precious floor space. Easy and breezy.

13. Use tiles to create a focal point

Chimney breasts may be a lovely detail, but they can also seem to eat up space in smaller rooms. Tiling the whole chimney breast turns a small living room fireplace idea into a stand-out feature, rather than an obstruction.

‘Wallpapering the chimney breast in a muted scheme highlights it and creates an element of surprise,' says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director, Little Greene. 'Try painting the fireplace in a contrasting colour to the walls or using decorative tiles to become the room’s feature highlight.’

This may seem counterintuitive in modern small living room ideas. However, by placing so much focus on one area, you actually take notice away from the rest of the space. If you keep the rest of the walls in a neutral colourway, these will effectively disappear, creating the illusion of a larger room.

14. Separate work and play

‘If your family room needs to double as an office or guest room, then that’s great news as you are making the most of your space,' says architect and designer Lynsey Ford. 'Nowadays, the best sofa bed doesn’t mean compromising, while closed storage allows you to shut the door on clutter. I’m loving desks that can be hidden away in a cupboard – work just disappears!’

Keeping work and play separate isn't just great for mental health and a sense of peace. By having a sleek sliding door, you can tuck way any mess, giving you more space to use when it't time to switch off.

15. Use paint to lift the ceiling

Clever use of painting techniques can add height to your your space. An easy option for modern small living room ideas is to choose a bold paint colour for your walls, but not taking it all the way to the top. If you have a mid-height dado rail, use this as the point to stop. If not, pick a space in the top third of the wall height.

Use a bright neutral tone on the rest of the living room paint ideas, which will help attract light, but won't direct the gaze to the ceiling, making it appear higher than it actually is.

16. Add narrow shelves

A chic way to add space in modern small living room ideas is to consider sofa ideas for small living rooms. A slim, floating shelf above a sofa will add more storage without interfering with square footage. Additionally, as you would be looking to add some style to this area anyway, you're killing two birds with one stone.

Think practically when styling. A table lamp can be added to take the place of a floor reading lamp, for example. Mix and match heights in order to create interest. This is also a fun way to display artwork as you can easily switch around your prints without fuss.

17. Increase natural light

We all know that light makes a space feel larger, so of course it works as one of the modern small living room ideas. If you have large windows already, you're in luck! If you're building or renovating, make sure to work out how much light the room will get add larger windows if it's lacking.

Mirrors help reflect light, so always insure to include one or two in s smaller living room. While we love a dark, cosy small living room, a light and bright painted wall will keep these space looking larger.

18. Zone with paint

Small sitting rooms aren't always individual spaces. Open-plan living room ideas come in petite forms, too. Create interest by zoning your spaces with a fun technique, like painting the edge of the divide between spaces.

This helps both to make the space as a whole look larger, and to add some personality. Delineating spaces can also help you switch off, by letting you know you've stepped into the living room, even if you haven't a door to close.

19. Make the most of your corners

Corners can be wasted in many rooms, but when you don't have the liberty of space to spare, make them involved in your scheme. L-shaped sofas are one of the most popular ways to utilise a corner of modern small living room ideas, but sometimes you have an extra-awkward corner when working out how to make a small living room look bigger.

Built-in seating in these spots helps use otherwise dead floor space, while creating extra seating, and a new zone. This way, even the most petite rooms can have their own little reading nook. Add a wall or pendant light to make sure the spot gets enough light to stay useful no matter the time of day.

20. Create cohesion with colour

When designing stylish modern small living room ideas, curation can go a long way. Without tonnes of space to spare, make sure you really consider every item you have on display. There's no point in having stuff for stuff's sake if it just adds meaningless clutter.

If you're torn as to which items to keep out, try narrowing down the selection through colour co-ordination. Choose two or three colours and only display items in those colour areas. Create full cohesion by linking in your soft accessories, like cushions and throws, too.

21. Find the right storage

Choosing the right option in living room storage ideas is key for small rooms. Use a combination of open and closed storage. This way, you can display your favourite objects, but hide away clutter and technology.

Media units which surround the wall around a TV are a great way to save on space, and to provide the storage the room needs.

How do you make a small living room modern?

'It’s about being clever and investing in quality,’ says designer Lynsey Ford. ‘Start with a super-comfy sofa that you can all fit on, a rug, thick curtains that you can draw on winter evenings, yet open wide to let in maximum light in the summer, as well as plenty of texture and great lighting.’

Clean lines are one of the easiest ways to add a contemporary feel. Make sure you stick away from clutter, too - curation is key with modern small living room ideas. Touches of metallics add another modern touch, which the reflections help create the illusion of extra space.

How do you make a small living room look bigger?

‘Make it cosy and not cluttered,’ says Céline Erlam, Co-Founder of Indie & Co. ‘Focus on textiles, plants and lighting. When it comes to lighting, vary the source. For reading, use either a table lamp or a floor lamp next to a side table. For watching TV, have wall lights on a dimmer. For play, a central pendant, again on a dimmer, works best.'

Not everyone wants their modern small living room ideas to seem bigger, sometimes it can be all about create a cosy and inviting space to snuggle up in. ‘I go for strong colours to create cosy spaces – and living rooms are made for pattern,' says Little Greene's Ruth Mottershead.