Decorating Small Awkward Living Room

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Supersize your small living room with our top tips

With some tricks of the trade, which we reveal here, there are tons of ways to help turn that awkward, small living room decor into something stylish and sophisticated, whatever its shape and proportions.

Though small living rooms can present challenges, there are several benefits to compact living. A well-designed scheme can feel just as comfortable as a larger space, with all the cosiness and comfort associated with family living. One of the main advantages is the convenient accessibility of everything that's needed. Easy maintenance is another bonus. Here's how to design and decorate a compact space with our best small living room decor ideas.

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1. EXPAND A SMALL LIVING ROOM BY INTRODUCING NATURE

We mention below how utilizing mirrors can really open up a small living room, and you can see how well it works here, however, other key elements combined with this design trick will also help.

Choosing a light and airy color scheme – including a pale wooden floor – with an accent shade will lift a small room. It's how you combine it that's key as Henriette Von Stockhausen, founder and creative director at UK-based VSP Interiors explains;

'As well as the mirrors making the room feel bigger, they also reflect the greenery outside and bring it in. So I have used botanical fabrics with green and a bright white background for a fresh spring feel. The emerald velvet green cushions create a contrast against a soft white backdrop, while the ottoman makes for a subtler distinction, then we used accents of green, inspired by the artwork, to help unite this elegant scheme.'

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2. OPT FOR A NEUTRAL SCHEME BASED AROUND SYMMETRY

Symmetry in interior design is introduced to create balance and a feeling of calm – ideal for enhancing a small living space – and maxed to the limit if you use calm neutrals to decorate.

The beautiful brass accents that are a major design feature in this space help to distract the eye from the size of the living room. Sara Cosgrove, owner of Sara Cosgrove Studio which has bases in both Dublin and London, explains how this luxurious scheme was put together.

'Our client wanted to create a more formal reception and entertaining space, but at the same time keeping it light and airy so it could be used throughout the day.

'Our solution was to keep the walls fresh and light in tone and bring in a more elevated feel through the antique brass accents, antique mirrored elements and a stunning Chesneys fireplace.'

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3. USE PATTERN AS ACCENTS TO PERK UP PLAINS SUBTLY

This small, yet perfectly formed living room in a stucco fronted townhouse in London's Chelsea was created by interior designer Henry Prideaux for an American client. He wanted Henry to bring a flavour of 'the English country in the city' to his London residence.

Henry says, 'Don't be afraid to go for bold color and pattern in a small space. It's all about balance. A scheme featuring cleverly selected furniture pieces layered together with textured rugs and tactile fabrics can create a really inviting and comfortable space even if square footage is compromised.

'Sophisticated artwork and eye catching accessories can be displayed to provide lots of interesting little vignettes throughout, and a lighting scheme that includes light sources at varying levels enhances the room and helps to create mood at different times of the day.'

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4. USE A COLOR-BLOCKING TRICK TO DETRACT FROM A LIVING ROOM'S SIZE

Do you love your sofa but it's tired and a little tatty looking round the edges? Why not have it re-upholstered instead of investing in a new one - it's more sustainable and if you love the comfort and style of it then give it a new lease of life.

And this is where the trick comes in – if you make your sofa the focal point of your living room it will detract the eye from the size of your space. A bold and vibrant shade will give your living room impact – then accessorize accordingly to pull the key colour throughout the rest of the scheme.

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5. USE MIRRORS TO EXPAND A COMPACT SPACE

Not surprisingly, mirrors can make a room look a lot larger. Hang a mirror on a wall opposite a window or very near one to reflect the outdoors, broadening the feel of your room. You can also try using a focal point and angle your mirrors towards it, which will give the illusion of depth.

Mirrors reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day and night and they bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger. Mirrors on the walls and glass tabletops will make it seem like there's a more open flow. You can also use mirrored cabinet doors to make spaces feel large and uncluttered.

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6. BALANCE THE YING AND YANG IN YOUR SMALL LIVING ROOM DECOR

We love the design contradiction between this beautiful feminine shade called Nancy's Blushes and the visually heaviness of the mahogany sofa and eye-catching Old Master's style portraits.

Keeping the floor the same color as the furniture also helps to blend the room together – if nothing stands out, then your eye will flow around a space and in a small living room this can be key to making it feel larger.

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7. GET CREATIVE WITH PAINT

You can visually widen a rectangular-shaped room by painting the two end walls a darker color than the other two walls. The gradation of shade and color of paint on opposing walls can either lengthen distance by using a lighter shade or shorten a distance with a darker shade.

Light colors such as creamy white or light grey help to brighten a room, making it appear larger and wider. Satin paint finishes tend to reflect more light. You can also paint horizontal stripes on a wall to make a room feel wider. Use two alternating colors to paint each stripe about 12 inches wide.

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8. MIMIC THE SYMMETRY OF THE ROOM'S ARCHITECTURE

Smaller living rooms benefit from order and a more de-cluttered feel. This is where symmetry can be your best friend. Keeping furniture in line eases the mind as Liv Wallers from British design studio, Yellow London explains;

'Symmetry provides balance within a room and it often starts from a focal point like a fireplace or windows in the sitting room. It brings a sense of comfort and rhythm to a space which is an integral part of our design approach. It can be used right down to the smaller details of the room, cushions on the sofa to lamps on a dresser.'

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9. REPEAT A PATTERN TO ENHANCE SPACE

Matching your blind or curtain fabric to your sofa is becoming a trend we love, especially when pattern and print is really to the fore in the design world currently.

It works in a smaller living room when the background color to the print is pale, and in this instance with Colefax & Fowler's Callista fabric it also brings the outside in so that helps to create an airy feel in tandem with the white painted walls that act like a blank canvas.

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10. BE INVENTIVE WITH COLOR

Painting ceilings in a colour is huge right now, and you can make a room feel cozier by painting it in a warming shade.

Another design trick is to paint the same color outside of the room – like the hallway here for example. It plays on the visual aspect and draws your eye through to another space – and not having a door helps to make a room feel large too.

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11. THINK: SCALE AND PROPORTIONS

Select furniture pieces that are in proportion to the size of your room – oversized cabinets, couches and chairs can make a small room feel narrow. Furniture that is the same color as your walls tends to blend into the wall, making it look wider and make sure you arrange your furniture at an angle to create a sense of depth to the room, otherwise if you place all furniture against the walls you might end up with a narrow 'bowling alley' look.

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12. CREATE A FOCAL POINT IN A SMALL LIVING ROOM

When decorating a small room, create a focal point – one area or feature that will draw the eye, so there's less emphasis on the room's layout. In the living room, the focal point will most likely be the coffee table, so make sure that focal point is the star of the room.

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13. UNITE TWO ROOMS

If you've got a long narrow room that's divided in two – like a living room one end and a dining room the other – it might be worth picking a favorite color and using it as a key tone to coordinate the one space.

For example, linking navy blue walls in the dining room end with the same wall color in the living room for a space that feels united and cozy.

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14. DECORATE WITH A LIGHT COLOR PALETTE

It's always effective to use a palette of light colors, but in different materials and textures. A common misperception is that the less furniture and features you have in the space, the bigger it will look.

But in fact, multiple zones and features create a perception of different spaces within one room. It's all about the right furniture size, the right swatch and the right lighting. Try to stick to a neutral scheme in smaller spaces, introducing splashes of color with accessories.

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15. PAINT THE FIFTH WALL

The fifth wall is often an afterthought when it comes to redecorating, but done right, it can make a real difference to a small room. As long as your ceiling is painted in a paler color than your walls, no matter what the color, your ceilings will feel higher, helping a narrow room feel more spacious.

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16. KEEP A SMALL LIVING ROOM ORGANIZED

The key to compact living is to be exceptionally well organized. In my experience, small spaces can actually transform personal habits for the better, as they require careful editing and storage.

'Open up the space as much as possible to allow for comfortable circulation. Every centimeter of a small studio has to be cleverly utilized, so that it doesn't look cluttered, yet provides a functional layout with optimized storage,' says Irina Townsend, Keir Townsend.

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17. PLAY WITH SCALE IN A NARROW SCHEME

Choose one large-scale piece – a huge cabinet, an oversized lampshade or a wall to ceiling mirror for a small living room. By choosing carefully these large accessories will draw attention away from the lack of space and focus the eye onto other things.

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18. SWAP CURTAINS OUT FOR BLINDS

Curtains can look bulky, so it is worth considering swapping them out for blinds instead. These, in this lovely small living room designed by Stefani Stein, allow daylight to filter through, too, which will help the room feel still larger and brighter.

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19. CHOOSE DARK COLORS BUT BALANCE THEM WITH LIGHT

There's no rule that says you can't have dark colors in a small living room – in fact, if the room is lit well and has large enough windows and a south- or west-facing aspect, dark colors on small living room walls can look beautiful and make the space feel really welcoming.

However, if the living room lacks warm daylight, you can create plenty of impact with dark colors on the focal wall and beyond, but that it's a wise move to balance that with paler shades, both on walls and furnishings.

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20. DRAW THE EYE TO A FOCAL POINT

This small living room is a busy space, but still, the fireplace wall is drawing all the attention, and, as we all know, having a strong focal point within a room can make it feel larger than it really is.

'The lines created by the area rug, the trunk coffee table and the bookshelves all direct the eye to the fireplace wall,' saysH&G's Editor in Chief Lucy Searle. 'The huge main picture and those around it accentuate the width of the wall, uncomplicated by a fire surround. This creates a simple visual trick of making a really quite (beautifully) cluttered room feel very well planned – its size isn't even an issue.'

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21. ACCENTUATE THE VERTICAL

Another useful visual trick has been created in this living room, with floor-to-ceiling curtains creating a panel of color that emphasizes the height of the room. The height of the picture and of the pots sat at ceiling height further exaggerate the room's proportions.

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22. PICK A MONOCHROME SCHEME

A small living room decor scheme that's monochrome – or largely monochrome – can feel larger simply because there's no battle between colors to complicate it. Here, the accent color has been limited in the main to one area of the room. It provides relief, but keeps the scheme calm.

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23. KEEP THE SCHEME NEUTRAL – BUT ADD BURSTS OF COLOR

Decorating with primary colors is a wonderful way to add to create a successful small living room scheme because it allows you to create a space-stretching neutral room, but with more exciting pops of color in accessories that you can swap in and out depending on your mood.

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24. DECORATE WITH STRIPES TO MAKE SMALL LIVING ROOMS FEEL BIGGER

Decorating with stripes is another clever way to make small living rooms feel larger. The direction the stripes run will have distinct effects – vertical stripes, like on these armchairs above – will make a room with a low ceiling feel taller. Run the stripes horizontally and it will feel longer or wider, depending on your perspective.

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Decorating Small Awkward Living Room

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