Choosing Furniture for Small Living Rooms: 7 Golden Rules

A narrow living room does not mean giving up big ideas. Open up your space with the right scale, colour and layout.

The secret to making a small living room feel bigger is not using less furniture, but choosing furniture at the right scale. Sofas with visible legs and low coffee tables leave the floor exposed; the more floor the eye sees, the larger it perceives the room.

For colour, light and warm tones — cream, sand, pale oak — reflect light. An entirely white room can feel cold, though; a single warm accent like walnut or terracotta restores balance.

Multi-functional pieces are the heroes of small spaces. A storage ottoman, a lift-top coffee table or wall-mounted shelves save floor space and hide clutter. Finally, use vertical space: shelves close to the ceiling and a tall floor lamp draw the eye upward and make the room feel higher.