Small apartments are often met with many challenges when it comes to decorating them. Though I love how cozy and adorable a small home can be, I also realize that it isn’t easy to decorate it in a way that you feel at home. As someone who has lived in a tiny 1BHK apartment with a family of six for 15 long years, I cannot deny the fact that the dearth of space can complicate the process of styling a small home. While sometimes the furniture doesn’t fit, there are occasions when you feel a desire to have your own in-home workspace but can’t have it because of the space constraints.
Now this doesn’t mean that small apartments aren’t family friendly. In fact, small spaces are widely preferred over larger spaces as they are more affordable and warmer than the latter. I loved my small home because all my family had to sit together in the only room we had, which gradually helped us in building a strong connection that we still share. But there were many challenges that we met on the way of decorating our small home. We could never experience what decorating a wall felt like because there weren’t many walls to begin with. Not just that, we always had to filter everything through the lens of a small home whenever we stepped out to buy décor accessories.
I really wish I had better knowledge back then because it’s not as difficult to style a small apartment as I always thought it to be. In fact, the possibilities are endless when it comes to decorating your small home. You can absolutely create a haven in your small living room and make every corner pop up by maximizing those itsy-bitsy spaces.
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I have curated a bunch of styling ideas for your small apartment living room that can inspire you to finally give it a makeover. Be sure to check these out and mark the ones you like for future:
1. Have A Mix Of Seating Options – Despite the space crunch, you can make the most of whatever little space you have in your living room by adding versatile seating options. I can vouch for the fact that a living room that has a variety of sofas, chairs and poufs looks more stylish than the one that lacks versatility.
I have purposely chosen to have many seating options in my living room even though it is more spacious than the one I had previously. Apart from a 7-seater sofa set, I have a couple of maximalist chairs and two very adorable poufs placed around the coffee table. This particular layout works for my space and brings versatility to it, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
2. Bring Lots Of Accessories Within The Color Palette – Having a small living room doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to cut back on décor. In fact, you can bring as many accessories and furnishings as you want and integrate them all together in a way that makes your small living room look cohesive and cozy.
The designer here, for example, has opted to introduce lots of items that perfectly go with the grey and white color palette of the living room. While the gorgeous rug brings warmth and comfort to the space, the different seating options add style and versatility to it. Don’t ignore the wreaths on the wall that add a pop of green to a space full of neutral tones.
3. Carve Out A Cozy Workspace – It’s feels like a dream to have your own workspace in a small living room, but you can definitely make it a reality by making the most of those itsy-bitsy spaces.
The designer of this small living room has managed to carve out enough space for a work desk by relocating the vintage cabinet to the other side of the room. The tiny work spot has been furnished with a minimalist worktable and chair. Don’t forget to notice the efficient utilization of the space under the table to create an open storage shelf for paperwork.
4. Create An Open-Concept Space – An open-concept floor plan works great for small spaces and is hands down the most stylish way to bring a small living room to life.
Below is an open-concept floor plan in which the living room, the dining area and the kitchen share the same four walls. In order to make this space look seamless, the designer has mapped out the three zones in such a way that they look like an integral part of each other. While the neutral tones of the furniture make the entire space look like one cohesive unit, the black wall behind the sofa offers a perfect backdrop for the seating area.
5. Go Bold With Furniture Colors – A small living room certainly calls for taking risks that can make the space feel warm and cozy. Adding a bold color can help take the focus away from the tight dimensions of your living room and can add an illusion of space to it.
This small living room, for example, brings a modern touch with a bold sofa color that complements the tall houseplant standing beside it. You can choose a color that is uncommon and adventurous and give your space a personal touch by decking it up with your favorite accessories.
6. Mitigate The Lighting – The right lighting can make even the smallest of spaces look bright and airy. So if you want to fight the tight dimensions of your living room, you might have to work a bit on the windows.
The designer of this small living room has managed to enlarge this space using natural light. They have opted for white furniture to deck up the living room as white is the best reflector of light and can instantly open up a small space. You may also notice the white curtains that help mitigate the light rather than restricting it thereby making this space appear roomier.
7. Turn It Into A Monochromatic Space – The easiest way to make a space feel roomier is by designing it around one color, preferably white. White, being a great reflector of light, instantly brings an illusion of volume and comfort to an otherwise dark room. It allows for visual expansion of space and makes it look cohesive and bright.
8. Use Lots Of Muted Tones – You can never go wrong with muted tones when it comes to designing a small living room. Just like the color white, muted tones can bring an illusion of space to the smallest of rooms.
The designer here, for example, has managed to blend many elements together to create a cohesive-looking space that appears larger than it is. Don’t overlook the space-defining area rug that brings a nice contrasting factor to the muted tones.
Now that you know how easy it is to deck up your small living room, I hope you will love your small space a bit more. Remember that decorating a small home doesn’t cost too much money. You can easily enlarge the space within a budget by making the right color choices and choosing the right mix of accessories.