Decor and Staging Tips to Help Make a Small Living Room Feel More Spacious
Not every home is blessed with a large living room. Taking on the challenge of decorating a small living room space so that it looks elegant and livable rather than cramped and cluttered can be a daunting prospect, especially if you are hoping to sell the home in question. However, done right small living room decor can be every bit as functional and attractive as that in a huge room. It is simply a matter of following a few basic tips and using a bit of imagination and you can create an illusion of space that should ‘fool’ a buyer’s eye very effectively.
Light Does not Have to Mean White
Most people know that lighter colors tend to create and illusion of space but that does not mean that you have to stick to plain white walls and beige furniture in an effort to make your small living room look and feel a little larger.
Mixing in shades of celery green, antique blue, petal pink and other softer colors with the whites neutrals can be a great way to add some color and interest without taking away that lighter airier feeling. After all, an all white small living room will probably look a little more spacious but it will also be very boring which in a lot of ways is worse than small when you are trying to make your home stand out from the c
Use Mirrors to Reflect More Space
The clever use of mirrors can also be a great way to decorate a small living room in style while still adding an illusion of space. To be most effective though, the placement of the mirrors must allow them to reflect plenty of light, whether that light is from a window or from the color of a wall.
Scale Furniture to Fit the Room
If at all possible try to stick with furniture that is well proportioned in relation to the space. Armless sofas and smaller backed chairs work very well in smaller living rooms and if you are fan of coffee tables look for one that is glass topped or maybe even use a bench instead.
If you have a larger piece of furniture that you have to use – such as a hand me down sofa – you can help to stop it from dominating the room completely by placing it next to a wall that is decorated with a similar color. That way the eye will be drawn up and across the room rather than sticking to the sofa. If the sofa is a very dark color you may also want to consider lightening it up with a neutral colored slipcover.
Build In As Much Storage as Possible
Too much ‘stuff’ in a small living room will make it look cluttered and untidy but that does not mean that you have to live in a room with nothing in it at all. Make use of wall space by installing shelving or wall cabinets and use them to keep your books, knick knacks and other smaller pieces of home decor neat and tidy but still on display to add much needed character to the space. It will also reassure potential buyers that there would be room for their ‘stuff’ too.
You can also make use of things like ottomans with storage space to store all the things that you do not really want on display but would like to keep on hand. Just do not get too carried away with floor based storage units that will eat up precious floor space.
Get the Lighting Right
A great lighting scheme is essential in any room but it is especially important in a smaller living room. In a small space you cannot afford to have any dark corners that will make the room look even smaller so it is important that every corner is lit. A layered lighting scheme works best which you can create by adding sleek slim floor lamps and wall sconces into the mix, instead of relying solely on central lighting sources on the ceiling.