8 Designer Tips To Make Your Living Room Look Bigger

You Can Make Your Living Room Look Bigger Without The Hassle

Small living rooms are more common than you might think. And whether it’s because of a lack of space or financial resources, you can make it happen. Regardless of how small it is, you can still work some home décor magic on it. More so, did you know the average size of a living room measures about 16 x 20 feet?

Typically, a living room takes up about 15% of the space in your home. But of course, those numbers vary. Real estate prices have soared for the past few years, and space is more precious than ever. So if your living room falls into the small space category, you can do something about it. And fall in love with the design elements too.

You can implement some designer tips to make the most out of the space you have available. And you don’t need to spend a fortune to make your living room look bigger. After all, we want our living rooms to look and feel cozy and stylish at the same time. Below, you’ll discover eight tips for making the best out of any sized home.

1 – Use A Rug To Make Your Living Room Appear Larger

Maybe you never thought about adding a beautiful area rug to your living room, but it can help! Putting down an area rug can help make your room feel larger by defining the space. More so, this is especially true for smaller rooms, as it enables you to figure out where furniture should go and makes sure everything fits comfortably without overcrowding.

Furthermore, you can add a lighter tone area rug to help your room look and feel larger. For example, using brighter tones will help visually expand the space. And they help reflect more sunlight than darker colors. But, of course, lighter colors will also use your room’s artificial light to make it look bigger too.

For instance, this stunning Chester Boho Moroccan Area Rug with its subtle geometric pattern will help your small space look larger. And over 8,000 shoppers gave it 5-star reviews, especially since it’s on sale and very affordable. Plus, it can withstand everyday wear, can hold up to family messes, and pet friendly.

More so, the padding underneath will keep noise levels low. And provide comfort for anyone who has to spend time standing on it. Adding an area rug to your living room will also help create a warm and comfortable vibe. It’s a great way to begin your journey to making your living room look and feel bigger.

2 – Choose Furniture With A Low Profile

When it comes to furniture, go for pieces that have low profiles. More so, this will help to give the illusion of more space since bulky items can take up a lot of visual real estate. Opt for chairs and sofas instead of couches, and choose tables with slim legs rather than ones that are overly ornate or take up too much floor surface area.

However, you can also consider multifunctional furniture like ottomans. Adding this Asense Linen Fabric Rectangle Tufted Storage Ottoman Bench is a great way to do just that. You can use it for additional storage and extra seating. Plus, it takes up less space than a traditional coffee table. And it adds an elegant, stylish, and modern flair to your living room.

Additionally, if your living room size can’t handle a larger one, you can add this smaller First Hill 5th Ave Modern Linen Storage Ottoman instead. But of course, as you can see, you can always add one regardless of the size. And this small rectangular-shaped ottoman works as a coffee table, footrest, or extra seating!

Furthermore, if you need extra vertical storage and don’t want to waste floor space, you can do the following. First, look for shelving units with narrow or recessed shelves. They will help you keep things like books and pictures organized.

And make the most of your living room’s corner space as well. For example, you can use this beautiful Greenco Corner Shelf 5 Tier Floating Shelves for the corners in your living room. You’ll find this a great decorative solution for challenging room sizes. And perfect to add décor elements to make your living room look bigger!

3 – Consider Switching To Light Colors

As mentioned above, light colors can open up a room while making the ceiling look higher. Conversely, darker walls will lower your ceilings, so it’s best to avoid them or limit their use in an area where you want to create more space. Of course, neutral tones always make good choices. But whatever color you choose, make sure you coordinate them with other items in the room, like furniture and decor pieces.

However, if lighter shades aren’t working out for your small living room design, opt instead for neutrals that still have some depth. For instance, taupe or tan tones tend to reflect light better than pure white would. A simple color change can make your small living room look bigger. Plus, you don’t need to make the change all at once either. Instead, you can gradually add these neutrals to your space over time.

4 – Hang Wall Art At Eye Level

When hanging wall art, it’s important to think about how your art will display and ensure everyone can see it properly. For example, these creative ideas to use wallpapers and wall murals will help your living room look bigger! And you can use them for wall art decorations as well. After all, you want the perfect eye-level art in your home for everyone to enjoy. The ideal height for most pieces is around eye level, which is generally 56-60 inches off of the ground.

And if you have a lot of art to display or are working with an oddly shaped living room, try using staggered heights instead of putting everything at the same level. Additionally, doing so will add visual interest and make your walls seem more dynamic. And you can design your own mural wallpaper for your home walls too!

Always pay attention to the height of your art. You want to ensure you display it at eye level for all to appreciate. While some folks prefer to hang their artwork at extremes, it can present issues for various heights to enjoy properly.

However, that’s why wall murals make the perfect solution and continue to grow in popularity. You can find all types of murals from Ever Wallpaper at an affordable price. Plus, you can cut some pieces off and frame them with nice and cute frames. And doing so is a more affordable option as well.

5 – Choose A Cohesive Color Scheme And Make Your Living Room Look Bigger

When it comes to color, choose one that will work with most of the items in the room. And this can mean avoiding anything too bold, or you’ll risk making your space look disjointed and poorly designed. If you’re unsure what colors would go well together, stick to neutrals like white for walls and grey on furniture.

For example, the HONBAY Store created this Convertible Sectional Sofa Couch L-Shaped Couch with modern linen fabric specifically for small living rooms. And it features a reversible sectional sofa perfect for a small living room. And you can disassemble and reassemble the sectional sofa easily, quite convenient to move.

Additionally, doing so helps décor more likely to blend instead of standing out as individual pieces. Of course, you can always add pops of color through accent pillows or art. But make sure you limit them. Using too many won’t match up as nicely as some might think. A cohesive color scheme will help your living room look bigger and more up-to-date.

6 – Maximize Your Living Room’s Floor Space

One of the best ways to make a small living room feel larger is by maximizing the amount of floor space available. And you can do this in several ways, but one of the simplest is to remove all unnecessary furniture and accessories.

If you only have a sofa and chair, remove the coffee table since it will only take valuable real estate. You can also try using rugs instead of carpets since they won’t take up much visual space. And you can move them to another room if necessary.

Even better, you can opt for an Acrylic Lucite Coffee Table for your small living room. With it, you can enjoy the benefits of one, and since it’s clear, it opens up the entire room! You’ll discover how elegant it looks while allowing your living room to look bigger.

Of course, don’t forget to donate what you don’t want to folks that need it. Or you can sell them at your next yard sale too! You’ll find once you make more floor space, your living room will appear much roomier!

7 – Use Mirrors To Reflect Light

We all love the look of decorative mirrors in our home but did you know they can play double duty? While they make our rooms look chic, they also make a room look larger. And this is because they reflect light and create the optical illusion of more space.

For example, you can hang them opposite windows or in other locations. Doing so allows them to bounce light around the room. Of course, you’ll want to limit the number of mirrors you use.

In addition, you’ll want to avoid overdoing things. For instance, you can hang this stunning Asymmetrical Accent Wall Mirror in your small living room to make it look bigger! The unique shape and frameless design will help open up your space instantly.

If you’re having trouble finding a spot for a mirror, consider using one that’s frameless and hangs on the wall like a piece of art. And this will take up less visual space and still provide some reflective properties when needed.

8 – Add Stylish Mirrored Furniture

Now that we know how mirrors in our small living room can make it look bigger, furniture will do the same. Mirrored furniture is another way to add a little dimension and depth to your living room without too much visual clutter.

For example, use items like mirrored coffee tables, side tables, or consoles. You can add them as eclectic pieces to your living room. And they will help it look and feel larger. This MIREO Mirrored Coffee Table makes the perfect addition to any small living room. And it looks chic, luxurious, and can fit with almost any décor.

Be careful about where you place them since these tend to reflect light quite easily. And this means that bright spots may appear on mirrored tabletops if placed near windows.

You Can Make Your Living Room Look Bigger Easily!

Overall, using these eight designer tips will help you ensure that any small living spaces can work with their surroundings instead of against them. Now, you can see how to limit the décor elements while maximizing their functionality.

While decorating small rooms can present challenges, you can easily transform yours using these designer tips. And make the most of the space you have. It’s possible to fall in love with your living room and better enjoy the time you spend there.

How To Choose The Right Living Room Rug Size (With Beautiful Examples!)

There’s a lot to know when choosing the right living room rug size. And it surpasses the color, shape, and style you choose as well. To achieve the right size, you’ll want to find a balance between the furniture you use and the rug.

Don’t Forget To Pin Your Inspiration!

We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, Skimlinks, and other Associate Affiliate Programs. Affiliate advertising programs like these provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to these affiliated sites at no cost to you. As Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases. Please check our Disclosure Privacy Policy page. Thank you for supporting our website.