Our guide to arranging a small living room

Moving to a new place is always an exciting step but is often a source of stress. You will have to get your bearings in a new place to live and organize the layout of your new home. The task is often much more complicated when you have to arrange a small living room. However, thanks to a few tips and tricks, it is possible to meet the challenge brilliantly. In this guide, you will discover the best tips and you will learn how to set up a small living room dining room or set up a living room with open plan kitchen.

Create a small living room with open kitchen, discover our tips

In small apartments or studios, it is common for the kitchen and living room to become one. You will then have to learn how to arrange a room to make it multi-functional but also to separate spaces to create practical and pleasant corners to live in. The layout should therefore focus on 2-in-1 furniture and the design of your living room should make it possible to visually enlarge the space .

Setting up a small living room with a corner sofa: the space-saving tip

The sofa is the central piece of your living room . In a small room, your choice will be crucial. You need to select a model that will perfectly fit the dimensions of your room. It is then around this piece of furniture that the other elements will be organized. The sofa has a practical but also aesthetic aspect . Its style must therefore correspond to your tastes but also to the world of your interior.

Concerning the shape and size , these are very important criteria because in a small room, you cannot afford everything. There is no question of cluttering up your small living room with a bulky sofa that would take up all the space. On the one hand, it would not be highlighted at all. On the other hand, it would take up too much space on the ground and prevent you from being able to move around smoothly .

Soho corner convertible sofa 140cm x 195cm

Several solutions are available to you for choosing the sofa. You can go for a compact model, two or three seats. Choose a convertible sofa if you want to be able to offer an occasional bed for entertaining family or friends. This 2-in-1 piece of furniture will allow you to easily transform your small living room into an extra bedroom. For a small living room, the corner sofa, surprisingly, can represent an interesting solution.

Furnishing your living room with a corner sofa is a very good idea! It is quite possible to find mini corner sofas, offering 3 or 4 seats and which will therefore not be more imposing than a classic straight sofa. In reality, the corner sofa even allows you to intelligently optimize space . The corners of a room are often difficult places to arrange . By dressing your corners with a sofa, you optimize these often wasted square meters.

In addition, this type of model very often offers a large storage box under the chaise longue and allows you to easily store all your bed linen and declutter your cupboards. In addition, the sofa will be an ideal asset in a living room with an open kitchen. It will create a separation between the two spaces . You now know how to set up a small living room with open kitchen !

The choice of sofa color should not be taken lightly, especially in a small living room. Tones are very important in giving depth and space to your room . Avoid at all costs dark colors which would visually reduce the surface area and which would tend to darken your living room too much.

You should preferably opt for light shades, which reflect the light and diffuse it to the four corners of the room. The white sofa is ideal for creating a refined atmosphere and giving a feeling of space. But obviously it's messier. Beige or light gray can be a good compromise.

Setting up a small living room: a two-in-one space

In a small apartment , it is not common to have a room specially dedicated to meals. Often, it is necessary to install a dining area in the living room . When the room is already small, it is not always easy to fit in all the furniture you want. You will need to look for furniture specifically designed for small spaces . No need to clutter up your living room with a huge table that you have no use for on a daily basis. Depending on your needs and habits, different pieces of furniture may be wise to create a dining area in your small living room.

For smaller rooms, the best choice will be to acquire a lift-up coffee table . In a living room, when space is lacking, you must reduce the furniture as much as possible and keep only the essentials. The sofa and the coffee table generally remain the essential elements of your living room . By choosing a lift-up coffee table, you will have plenty of time to transform it into a real dining table whenever necessary.

Sometimes available with integrated extensions , it can allow you to welcome friends for a friendly dinner even if your living room is cramped. If your room is a little larger and you have enough space to install a small table, then choose a console or an extendable table . These pieces of furniture have the advantage of taking up little space when folded. As soon as necessary, you can transform them into a large table that can accommodate, depending on the dimensions, up to 10 guests. A real godsend for continuing to receive people even if you are not lucky enough to have a proper dining room.

For so many guests, you will obviously need to provide a sufficient number of seats. To avoid clutter, choose folding chairs that you can easily slide behind a door or piece of furniture or go for colorful stackable stools , which are easy to store and which can add a decorative touch!

Create a 20m2 living room: don’t waste floor space

In a small living room , floor space is reduced. The challenge to intelligently arranging the room will be to succeed in freeing up as much space as possible to be able to move around fluidly .

The problem in a small living room is that you can quickly accumulate a lot of furniture and trinkets, however, this is not the best idea. By multiplying furniture and objects, you create a feeling of clutter and the room is visually diminished. On the contrary, you should favor larger pieces of furniture, but in a reduced number. They will create a more airy and refined atmosphere.

Try not to accumulate too many decorative objects which risk cluttering your room even more. Decoration is obviously important but in a small living room, you cannot afford the same fantasies as in a large living room.

Firstly, prioritize the functional side . To free up the most space on the floor, you will need to use the height of the room . Try as much as possible to install storage on walls and above doors. Remember that each piece of furniture can potentially become a storage space . Don't hesitate to add more boxes and trunks to store all your belongings and not leave them lying around.

Small spaces require much more careful storage! It is true that lack of space is often a real headache when it comes to setting up a small living room and having enough storage. Favor small combinations: hooks behind the doors for your clothes, drawers under the sofa, wall shelves, ottomans or coffee table with storage box...

Setting up a small living room: don't neglect aesthetics

Arranging a small living room so that it is functional while taking care of its design is a sometimes complicated challenge. However, it is entirely possible to create a warm and pleasant living space even in a small space. To begin with, the choice of shades will be very important. In a small room, it is essential to multiply the sources of light and to think rigorously about colors.

Ideally, don't rely on just one lighting source. Take inspiration from Nordic interiors and favor corners of light, by multiplying the devices. Wall lights, floor lamps, bedside lamps: each space in your small living room must have its own lighting. This method allows you to create a much more friendly and welcoming room, inviting relaxation and well-being.

Concerning the choice of colors, it is obviously very well known that light colors, particularly white, are perfectly suited to making the room larger and bringing brightness and clarity to your room. However, we avoid the total sanitized white look which would make your room far too cold. Incorporate pops of color sparingly.

You can perfectly create a cozy universe by opting for a variation of natural colors: beige, sand, taupe will look great. If you want a brighter color, you can easily combine it with more neutral shades.

A colorful section of wall can be a real added value to your room or you can also opt for more discreet fantasy notes. Large printed cushions on your sofa can bring dynamism to your room, just like a large graphic rug on the floor.