The living room is often an essential space in the home. It’s the place where you chill after a long day or host guests when they come over for a cuppa. So, if you’re working with a smaller space, the last thing you want is for it to look cluttered and claustrophobic.

This can often be the case with smaller living rooms, especially when people introduce more and more furniture, wall hangings and trinkets. Striking a balance is key if you want to create a room that appears open, airy and most importantly, spacious.

So, to help, here’s 5 tips on how to make your living room look bigger.

Keep it simple

Trinkets, shelves with books and multiple pieces of small furniture are a no go if you want your space to look bigger. Less is more when it comes to furnishing a small space, so focus on choosing a few larger items that can really set the space off.

If you’re a fan of art, one focal piece will help to create the illusion of depth and space. Clutter the walls with multiple images and paintings and you’ll start to create a claustrophobic look.

The same goes for furnishings. If you can, choose one statement sofa and a smaller huddle chair rather than cramming in a large three piece suite. This will ensure there’s plenty of space between them, again adding to the illusion that the room is larger than it is.

If you’re a fan of trinkets and smaller furnishings, choose a few larger bold pieces rather than lots of little items. Large candlesticks make great focal points in front of fireplaces, as does a bold vase for flowers.

Hang long curtains

Home blogger, Lauren of Bless’ Er House says hanging long curtains is ‘like putting stilettos on a room.’ Like long mirrors, curtains have a way of drawing the eye up, so when chosen well, they can easily give the appearance of higher ceilings.

If you have more space above your living room window, hang the curtain pole or track higher. This will give the illusion that your window is taller, thus, making the space seem larger.

In smaller spaces, it’s also important to try and avoid bold floral prints or horizontal lined patterns which can commandeer the space and easily make it look smaller. Instead, opt for lighter shades without patterns, or very minimal patterns. If you’d like to incorporate a bold look then vertical lines can help to give a room height.

It’s also a good idea to use curtain rods or tracks that are slightly longer than your window. This way you can open the curtains wider, framing the window and letting in more light.

Use contrasting colours

Take a step back and look at your decor. Have you chosen medium shades? It may be surprising but often they can make a room look smaller. This is because they provide very little depth and contrast.

To give a room a sense of space and depth, a good technique is to use contrasting colours. For example, you could paint the room in a bright white or grey and then introduce a darker blue or grey on one wall. This technique will trick the eye, creating an illusion of depth.

Mirrors

Yes, this one is probably the oldest trick in the book. It’s no secret that mirrors reflect and reflections make spaces feel bigger.

Here’s a few different ways you can incorporate them to make your living room look bigger:

• For a sense of height, choose a tall mirror which will instantly draw the eye upwards
• Align a larger mirror with the room’s main light to reflect it around the room. This works particularly well with chandeliers or pendant lights where the bulbs are exposed and create more of a reflection
• Don’t be afraid to go big. Obviously, in a smaller space this needs to be within reason, however, an oversized mirror can work wonders for a small room.

Check out our range of mirrors in all shapes and sizes here.

Don’t be afraid to show some leg

Furniture that has no space underneath can tend to draw the eye to the floor and make a space feel small. This is because no light can be seen underneath. So, try to opt for furniture which is raised off the floor to give a much more airy feel.

The perfect balance for this would be a raised sofa that’s also low in height. This means that there will be more space above the sofa, helping to create the illusion that the room is larger.

To sum up

When it comes to decorating a small living room, always keep in mind that less is more.

• Steer clear of bold patterns on walls and curtains and keep your decor simple
• Add furnishings sparingly and carefully
• Try to focus on focal pieces rather than multiple items when it comes to wall hangings
• Take advantage of long curtains to create a sense of height
• Focus on light and how you can draw it into the space and reflect it around the room.

These tips should help guide you on how to give the illusion that your living room is larger than it seems. If you have any other ideas, be sure to let us know in the comments.

For those of you looking for furniture, head on over to our living room section where you’ll find plenty of pieces, ideal for smaller spaces.