Just because your living room is lacking in square feet doesn’t mean it has to lack style. Small spaces can still pack a design punch if you know how to decorate them effectively. Whether you rent an apartment in the city, own a house in the suburbs, or anything in between, these eight decorating ideas will help you make the most of your small living room.
1. Opt for a bold rug
Whether you opt for a statement-making pattern, like a geometric rug, or an eye-catching color, a bold rug in the living room will draw people’s attention to the floor and away from the size of the room. It’s also a great way to decorate without adding unnecessary clutter. As for which rug size to use for small living rooms, consider a 5’x7’ or 6’x9’ rug.
Photo by: @abhishekdekate
2. Make it monochromatic
Too many colors and patterns in a small living room can overwhelm the space. Instead, try opting for a clean, simple, and monochromatic look using light, bright shades. If you’re worried about it looking boring, try incorporating various tones, textures, and materials.
Photo by: @@liz.michelle.elliott
3. Experiment with dark colors
It’s a common notion that dark colors make a room feel smaller, but this isn’t always the case. If done right, dark colors can actually work in your favor. If you’re willing to experiment, consider a dark color, like black or dark blue, for an accent wall. The dark color will appear to recede and therefore make the space look larger.
Photo by: @blankslatereno
4. Take advantage of wall space
While your small living room might be lacking in square feet, there’s likely plenty of wall space. Take advantage of the vertical area when it comes to decorating. Not only will placing art, shelves, or lighting on the walls draw the eye upward, it will also free up the floor space.
Photo by: @leafandlolo
5. Give your furniture room to breathe
While the inclination might be to push all your furniture up against the walls, this is actually a mistake. Allowing space behind your furniture, even if it’s only a few inches, will make the area look roomier.
Photo by: @thismintymoment
6. Choose items with long legs
Opting for furniture with longer legs allows you to see underneath the large pieces, creating a feeling of openness. By not breaking up the floor space, the room will appear bigger.
Photo by: @veronicaahoney
7. Keep the clutter to a minimum
You might be tempted to fit as much as possible in your small living room, but too many furniture and decor elements will only make it appear smaller. Avoid a cluttered feel by keeping the decor to a minimum and choose functional pieces that have multiple uses.
Photo by: @katechipinski
8. Add a mirror
Mirrors not only serve as an interesting piece of decor, but they can also make small spaces appear larger. By reflecting light and other surfaces, a mirror creates the illusion of a bigger space.
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7 Comments
Powder room is 8′ x 5’8″, vanity if 54″ long. What size rug would be appropriate? Thanks!
Can ruggables work over small pile carpet.
All your rugs are shown on hard surfaces
Tile or wood.
Great question, Nina! Our Ruggable Rug System has the most effective grip on hard surfaces. While many customers successfully use Ruggable Rug Systems on carpeted floors, carpeting reduces the effectiveness of its grip.
Customers who have placed their Rug System on carpeted floors have seen the best results when the rug is anchored with a sofa or heavy table and away from heavy traffic areas.
We do not recommend using only the Rug Cover (top layer) on top of carpeted floors.
I have trouble mixing patterns and visualizing results. Unfortunately, almost all illustrations show plain walls and unpatterned upholstery. I know the rule of thumb is to lead with a dominant pattern. But do you have tips beyond that?
Hey there, Elizabeth! We completely understand the frustration and are happy to offer a couple of tips and resources that may be of help!
While many photos may show more plain styled walls, it is also able to be flipped! Having patterned walls, furniture, etc. and a more neutral, simple rug is a great way to avoid issues with clashing and make it easier to mix up decor and styles form time to time. Other options are to stick to similar palettes and/or design motifs – such as a beach them (waves, seashells, etc.) between your patterns and furnishings. Even if things clash a bit, they can still tie in together and offer a vibrant, fun space!
With that said, while we are unfortunately unable to offer personalized recommendations and/or styling tips, we do have several resources that can be of great help! We first want to mention that we do offer samples, so you can first see how different patterns look together and in your space before purchasing a rug. You can find more info on samples here: myruggable.com/sample_faq
Additionally, we do have a Facebook group – Style and Design by Ruggable – which is a space for decor enthusiast alike! It is a great resource if you are looking for more specific suggestions and feedback for your space and how to style it. You can find it here: https://myruggable.com/fbgroupstoru ✨
We hope this helps!
We bought a ruggable for our kitchen with the standard pad and it does not stay in place. Do you have any suggestions on what we can do for it to say in place? I want to buy another one for our living room, but don’t want the same problem.
Hi there, Shelley! We are sorry to hear that you have had this issue with your rug! In regards to the sliding, we recommend first double checking and ensuring proper assembly as that can often lead to issues with the grip if not done correctly (please also be sure that botht he Pad and floor your rug is being placed are both clean and free of debris prior to assembly!). Please feel free to use the following link for our assembly instructions:
https://myruggable.com/small-assemble
If the issue persists please feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team at support@ruggable.com! Our team would be happy to take a closer look and see what other remedies they can offer as well as help with any other questions you may have.