Expert Speak: How to Decorate a Small Living Room
Interior designer Minnie Bhatt delves deep into the topic and offers 7 fresh ideas to deal with tiny spaces
They might have less space, but that is no reason for small living rooms to be design starved. Tiny areas, in fact, encourage you to tap into your creative juices to find smart solutions. One of the many things that we get stuck at while decorating a small space is finding the right balance between the number of furniture pieces, accessories and colours to be used in the place. Right? To address such concerns, we sought the help of interior designer Minnie Bhatt to share some expert tips and ideas on how this room can be made stylish, functional and inviting. Let us know what suggestions you found most useful, in the Comments section below.
Expert: Minnie Bhatt, Design Director, Minnie Bhatt Design
Expert: Minnie Bhatt, Design Director, Minnie Bhatt Design
2. Opt for subtle wallpapers
Walls play an important role in dominating a room’s look and feel – for small living rooms, it’s advisable to keep the shell light so that the room feels airy. “Ideally a subtle self-pattern would look the best. Darker or busier prints can make the living room seem small and crowded visually,” Bhatt says.
Take a look at the pros and cons of bringing in wallpaper
Walls play an important role in dominating a room’s look and feel – for small living rooms, it’s advisable to keep the shell light so that the room feels airy. “Ideally a subtle self-pattern would look the best. Darker or busier prints can make the living room seem small and crowded visually,” Bhatt says.
Take a look at the pros and cons of bringing in wallpaper
3. Scale down on the number of seats
Too many seats can eat up a lot of square footage in a room, making it look cluttered. Plus, it restricts the inhabitants’ mobility. Bhatt says, “Ideally a two- to three-seater couch should be placed against the larger wall, with an occasional chair or a chaise next to it. Another option would be to have larger occasional chairs on either side of a small sofa and a chaise longue opposite. Many configurations can be created for the loose furniture in the living room, depending on the space and layout available.”
Too many seats can eat up a lot of square footage in a room, making it look cluttered. Plus, it restricts the inhabitants’ mobility. Bhatt says, “Ideally a two- to three-seater couch should be placed against the larger wall, with an occasional chair or a chaise next to it. Another option would be to have larger occasional chairs on either side of a small sofa and a chaise longue opposite. Many configurations can be created for the loose furniture in the living room, depending on the space and layout available.”
4. Consider a mix of lighting fixtures
For small spaces, it’s important to get the right combination of lighting – an overly lit up room can seem jarring and an under-lit one can feel suffocating. “A small living room should have two kinds of lighting – indirect or recessed, which is hidden in the ceiling where the source of light cannot be seen, and direct lights to highlight walls that hold artworks, murals, and so on. In case you’d like extra illuminators in the room, table and floor lamps with yellow lights can be used to add warmth to the space,” Bhatt says.
For small spaces, it’s important to get the right combination of lighting – an overly lit up room can seem jarring and an under-lit one can feel suffocating. “A small living room should have two kinds of lighting – indirect or recessed, which is hidden in the ceiling where the source of light cannot be seen, and direct lights to highlight walls that hold artworks, murals, and so on. In case you’d like extra illuminators in the room, table and floor lamps with yellow lights can be used to add warmth to the space,” Bhatt says.
5. Use light, easy-to-maintain upholstery
“Depending on the desired look, muted tones can be used for the couch, with coloured cushions, so that the entire look of the living room can be kept flexible by changing the cushions when desired. Occasional chairs can have a striped fabric or a damask or geometric print with the main seat in neutrals. Consider fabrics that complement each other but do not match exactly,” Bhatt says. It’s also important to keep in mind the level of use of upholstered pieces. In smaller apartments, people tend to use the living room on an almost daily basis, to relax, work or just lounge around. This means that the soft furnishings – be it cushions, sofas or curtains – see a lot of use. This is why opting for stain-resistant and easy-to-wash fabrics is essential. “Choose polyester blends for curtains. Sofa upholstery can be chenilles or faux leather, or a combination of both, as these require very little maintenance,” Bhatt says.
“Depending on the desired look, muted tones can be used for the couch, with coloured cushions, so that the entire look of the living room can be kept flexible by changing the cushions when desired. Occasional chairs can have a striped fabric or a damask or geometric print with the main seat in neutrals. Consider fabrics that complement each other but do not match exactly,” Bhatt says. It’s also important to keep in mind the level of use of upholstered pieces. In smaller apartments, people tend to use the living room on an almost daily basis, to relax, work or just lounge around. This means that the soft furnishings – be it cushions, sofas or curtains – see a lot of use. This is why opting for stain-resistant and easy-to-wash fabrics is essential. “Choose polyester blends for curtains. Sofa upholstery can be chenilles or faux leather, or a combination of both, as these require very little maintenance,” Bhatt says.
6. Display only the choicest accessories
As space is at a premium and there is always a risk of the living room looking cluttered, consider displaying only the best of your collections on the walls, tables or floor. If you are the proud owner of a lot of collectibles or art, you could think of interchanging the accessories every few months to give the living room a different look. “Wall art, of course, can brighten up the room, but don’t overcrowd the space with it. Choose an impactful canvas painting, a mural or a collage of photographs for the wall. Decorative accessories and artefacts can be placed on a coffee table or side table. If your living room is too tiny, then think of using pretty table lamps as accessories – these are both functional and decorative,” Bhatt says.
Here’s how you can display curios and antiques at home
As space is at a premium and there is always a risk of the living room looking cluttered, consider displaying only the best of your collections on the walls, tables or floor. If you are the proud owner of a lot of collectibles or art, you could think of interchanging the accessories every few months to give the living room a different look. “Wall art, of course, can brighten up the room, but don’t overcrowd the space with it. Choose an impactful canvas painting, a mural or a collage of photographs for the wall. Decorative accessories and artefacts can be placed on a coffee table or side table. If your living room is too tiny, then think of using pretty table lamps as accessories – these are both functional and decorative,” Bhatt says.
Here’s how you can display curios and antiques at home
7. Experiment with space-boosting and space-saving ideas
Apart from restraining the use of too many seaters, loud colours and accessories, you can try a few tricks that create the illusion of more area or simply help save space. “In a small living room, to increase the seating, choose a coffee table that can fit two or more pouffes under it, which can be pulled out when required. Rather than having bulky wooden shelves, ask your contractor to make wall niches to house artefacts or books. Window ledges can be extended to create seating spaces with cushions to make them comfortable spots,” Bhatt says.
Read more:
How to Live Large in a Small Apartment
Tell us:
What tricks have you used to decorate your small living room? Share them with us in Comments below.
Apart from restraining the use of too many seaters, loud colours and accessories, you can try a few tricks that create the illusion of more area or simply help save space. “In a small living room, to increase the seating, choose a coffee table that can fit two or more pouffes under it, which can be pulled out when required. Rather than having bulky wooden shelves, ask your contractor to make wall niches to house artefacts or books. Window ledges can be extended to create seating spaces with cushions to make them comfortable spots,” Bhatt says.
Read more:
How to Live Large in a Small Apartment
Tell us:
What tricks have you used to decorate your small living room? Share them with us in Comments below.
Lighter shades reflect light, thereby illuminating the room and making it look more spacious than it is. Dark tones, on the other hand, absorb light, making a room look small, dark and dingy. “I suggest soft muted shades of ivory or beige for the walls, as they can make the space seem larger. You can go in for wall paints that have a subtle texture to enhance the room’s design. Home owners can also consider painting different colours on separate walls. However, consider using a darker shade of the same colour or a complementing hue. For example, a dark beige wall accompanied with other ivory walls, or one rust coloured wall complemented with a beige one,” Bhatt says.