The living room is the heart of the home. It's the perfect place for socializing and relaxing. It's where you entertain family and friends for aperitifs, it's where you enjoy a moment of relaxation with a good book or film, it's where you share family moments after work or over the weekend.
The decoration of this room must therefore correspond to all these functions and reflect the warm, relaxing atmosphere. But depending on the type of home, the living room can be smaller than you'd like, and you're not sure how to optimize the space and decorate it in such a way as to retain its central, pleasant role.
So here's our advice on how to choose your living room furniture and decorate a small living room, and turn it into a living room that has nothing to envy the big ones.
The decoration of this room must therefore correspond to all these functions and reflect the warm, relaxing atmosphere. But depending on the type of home, the living room can be smaller than you'd like, and you're not sure how to optimize the space and decorate it in such a way as to retain its central, pleasant role.
So here's our advice on how to choose your living room furniture and decorate a small living room, and turn it into a living room that has nothing to envy the big ones.
The key to decorating a small living room: colors and light
If you want to make the most of your living room, you'll soon forget its small size by skilfully playing with color and light. In fact, this rule applies to all rooms: to give the impression of a larger room, you need to rely on light tones, and let the light circulate.
So, if you've got a small living room, you'll want to opt for light tones for both decor and furniture. This creates the illusion of space. Opt for light-colored decorations and walls: white, beige, ecru or cream.
You can play with cameos and different shades of the same color to give relief to your decor. Apply this choice to your furniture too; tone-on-tone gives an impression of unity, of visual harmony that enlarges the space. To avoid any coldness emanating from white, you can combine this decorating color with light wood or rattan furniture.
Natural materials add a touch of warmth. Light can come from a natural source with a large window or French window, but well-placed light fittings can also visually enlarge your living room.
So, if you've got a small living room, you'll want to opt for light tones for both decor and furniture. This creates the illusion of space. Opt for light-colored decorations and walls: white, beige, ecru or cream.
You can play with cameos and different shades of the same color to give relief to your decor. Apply this choice to your furniture too; tone-on-tone gives an impression of unity, of visual harmony that enlarges the space. To avoid any coldness emanating from white, you can combine this decorating color with light wood or rattan furniture.
Natural materials add a touch of warmth. Light can come from a natural source with a large window or French window, but well-placed light fittings can also visually enlarge your living room.
The essential choice of furniture to decorate a small living room
The best way to decorate a small living room is with small, multi-functional pieces of furniture. As the living room is a place of conviviality and leisure, it must offer seating and all the comforts needed to receive friends and feel at ease.
It's possible to create this atmosphere even if your living room is small. To avoid overcrowding, it's essential to choose your furniture carefully, and not to accumulate too much: a small sofa, a coffee table, can be accompanied by poufs or large cushions as complementary seating rather than armchairs or a large sofa.
If you still wish to opt for a large sofa, choose a corner model that you can stick to the wall, and make it the centerpiece of your decor. Don't overload it with other furniture.
Minimalism is king in small spaces. It's important to leave space available on the floor to give an impression of grandeur and fluidity of circulation. Choose furniture with light lines. Forget thick, massive furniture, which can make your room look heavy. Light, sober shapes are the way to go.
Scandinavian-inspired furniture is a benchmark in this field. Wooden legs and bevels, for example, add a touch of lightness to the sofa's lines. Or opt for iron or rattan chairs that play on simplicity. Today's decorating brands are vying with each other in their creativity to offer more and more multi-purpose furniture.
Choose from a wide range of multi-purpose furniture, such as sofas and armchairs with built-in storage compartments, consoles that double as coffee tables and desks, or poufs and footrests that double as mini coffee tables.
It's possible to create this atmosphere even if your living room is small. To avoid overcrowding, it's essential to choose your furniture carefully, and not to accumulate too much: a small sofa, a coffee table, can be accompanied by poufs or large cushions as complementary seating rather than armchairs or a large sofa.
If you still wish to opt for a large sofa, choose a corner model that you can stick to the wall, and make it the centerpiece of your decor. Don't overload it with other furniture.
Minimalism is king in small spaces. It's important to leave space available on the floor to give an impression of grandeur and fluidity of circulation. Choose furniture with light lines. Forget thick, massive furniture, which can make your room look heavy. Light, sober shapes are the way to go.
Scandinavian-inspired furniture is a benchmark in this field. Wooden legs and bevels, for example, add a touch of lightness to the sofa's lines. Or opt for iron or rattan chairs that play on simplicity. Today's decorating brands are vying with each other in their creativity to offer more and more multi-purpose furniture.
Choose from a wide range of multi-purpose furniture, such as sofas and armchairs with built-in storage compartments, consoles that double as coffee tables and desks, or poufs and footrests that double as mini coffee tables.
Optimize space by using height and walls
To gain storage space in a small living room without cluttering up the floor, think of the walls. You can use the height to install a variety of shelves.
For a harmonious, tidy visual effect, decorate your shelves with attractive storage boxes or baskets. To avoid visual overload, design the walls along the entrance to the living room.
This way, when entering the room, the eye is not directly drawn to the shelves. Another decorative tip for walls: mirrors. They don't provide storage space, but placed opposite a window, they enlarge the room.
Don't hesitate to play with different mirror shapes and combine 2 or 3 medium-sized mirrors rather than one very large one.
For a harmonious, tidy visual effect, decorate your shelves with attractive storage boxes or baskets. To avoid visual overload, design the walls along the entrance to the living room.
This way, when entering the room, the eye is not directly drawn to the shelves. Another decorative tip for walls: mirrors. They don't provide storage space, but placed opposite a window, they enlarge the room.
Don't hesitate to play with different mirror shapes and combine 2 or 3 medium-sized mirrors rather than one very large one.
