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These are the very best 31 small apartment living room ideas that will take your living room from cramped to comfortable!
Designing a small living room can be a daunting task. You may be looking at your space and thinking “there's absolutely no way I can make this room both look stylish and feel comfortable with such little room.”
There's a fine line between maximizing your living space and crowding your room. The good news, though, is that even the smallest living rooms can be comfortable and functional with the right planning.
Here are 31 breath-taking small apartment living room ideas that are guaranteed to kickstart your small living room design planning into gear!
This post is all about small apartment living room ideas.
BEST SMALL APARTMENT LIVING ROOM IDEAS:
1. Small Apartment Living Room Layout
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See how stunning even this small living room is? Keeping your living room light and airy is a guaranteed way to give the illusion of a bigger room. Use a small sofa that seats 2-3 people comfortably but doesn’t take up the majority of your living room. This is a small living room layout that can be replicated in any style!
2. Minimalistic Table Decor
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While you want to use decor in your living room to prevent it from looking bare, you really don’t need to go overboard! Pick some bowls, vases, and coffee table books that you like and organize them well on your coffee tables or cabinets. This is a simple but stunning way to decorate your living room that won’t clutter up the look of your space.
P.S. Coffee table books are one of the most popular ways to style living room furniture but they can be priceyyy (no idea why). If you want to save money you can always find cheap books at Goodwill or use ones you already have lying around. This is a cheap hack that gives you the same stunning look but at a fraction of the cost!
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3. Wall Shelves
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If you're working with a small living space you've most likely already considered wall shelves. They give you extra storage space as well as shelving to decorate with frames and other decor.
So with that being said, you’re probably on board with using wall shelves and this small living room inspiration is the perfect example of how to flawlessly use them in your space. Plus, most wall shelves are completely renter-friendly!
4. Use An Entryway Piece Behind Your Couch
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When I was designing my apartment living room I was initially thinking there was no way I would end up with a living room I loved this much. Did it take a ton of patience, searching furniture websites for hours, and trial and error? Yes. But did I end up with a stunning living room that I can both entertain friends and family and cuddle up alone to watch Netflix in? I sure think so!
The key to designing a small living room is knowing exactly how you want to use your space and sticking with furniture and decor to support that goal. In general, you can’t go wrong with a comfy sectional, coffee table, and throw pillows/blankets. One of the best decisions I made in my living room was this black “entryway table” that I used behind the couch. Using an entryway table behind your sectional will give you extra storage space as well as a place to put drinks and food when on the couch.
5. Television and TV Stand
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It's always a good idea to decorate your TV stand if you're putting it directly on the stand. These are always good decoration ideas and will make your TV stand look stunning!
A better idea for a smaller apartment, however, is to mount your television and then you can decorate your TV stand even more.
6. Incorporate Natural Light
credit: @westmagnoliacharm
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Want to know the best way to create the illusion of a bigger room? P.S. it’s free!! Just incorporate natural light into your space!
Natural lighting instantly brightens up your room to make it feel much larger and more inviting. If you have windows in your living room you 100% need to be taking advantage of them.
7. Scale Furniture To Your Space
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While this living room may look huge, it really isn’t that much larger than many standard apartment living rooms! The key to this illusion is the use of smaller furniture and natural lighting.
When working with a small living room, don’t buy huge furniture! Purchase furniture scaled to or smaller than your space so that there is ample open space. This will make your living room feel 10 times bigger and save you money.
8. Maximize Storage With Baskets
credit: @ourlakeviewhaven
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You can never go wrong with using baskets in any room, especially living rooms and attached entryways! Baskets are the perfect way to keep your living space organized and clutter-free in the most stylish way possible.
9. Create An Accent Wall
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While creating an accent wall may not magically make your room bigger, it is one small apartment living room idea that can be done in literally any sized room! Depending on your style, buy peel and stick wallpaper or decals to place on a wall in your living room.
This is a fun and easy way to create an eye-catching centerpiece in your space that is completely renter-friendly!
10. Buy A Cushioned Coffee Table To Double As Seating
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Make the most of your small apartment living room by buying furniture that doubles its use! You will definitely need a coffee table in your living room so why not buy one that can be used as a footrest or additional seating as well?
If you do decide to use a cushioned coffee table, make sure to buy a serving tray like the one pictured above to steady decor, drinks, or candles on!
11. Renter-Friendly Shelving
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Free-standing shelving is great for a small apartment living room! While you can’t build shelving into your apartment walls, you can add a ton of extra storage and decorating space by using furniture with shelves.
12. Create A Dining Area Behind Your Couch
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Even the tiniest living rooms can have a functioning dining area with the right furniture and layout. Buy a small dining table and use it in the area behind your couch or any other free space in your living room. You can also use a padded bench for comfortable seating that can easily be pushed under your dining table.
13. Floor Plants
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Plants are every interior designer’s go-to recommendation when it comes to designing a space. Want a pop of color in your room? Add a plant. Need to fill the space in the corner of your wall? Add a plant. See? You just can’t go wrong!
If you want to spruce up your plants even more, place them in a wicker basket to add more detail and keep your floors clean from water and dirt.
14. Tiny Living Room Furniture Layout
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This small apartment living room idea is one you can fully take inspiration from while planning the layout of your room. All you need to recreate this is a small sectional, small coffee table, and a couple of chairs.
You will have ample seating space for you and your guests! Also a lounging area for binging TV that will make you completely forget about the size of your living room.
15. Mix And Match Pillows
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Your living room pillows 100% do not all have to match (they look better if they don’t actually!). Have fun mixing and matching different patterns and colors with your pillows. Target, HomeGoods, and Amazon are always safe bets when it comes to purchasing throw pillows.
16. Hanging Pendant Lights
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Hanging lighting creates much more space on the floor of your living room. If you're really tight on space for necessary furniture and decor, hanging lights are perfect!
They may be a little more expensive, but they're perfect for tiny apartments and look gorgeous.
17. Use An Accent Rug
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Accent rugs are a perfect addition to any space, and come in so many different sizes, patterns, and colors. A smaller rug is perfect if you want to separate your space into smaller spaces in your small apartment. A larger rug is also great for small apartments, however, if you want to fill the majority of your flooring in your apartment.
This is a great hack if you don't like your flooring in your apartment or it's all hardwood.
18. Simple Entryway Design
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This small entryway area is absolutely perfect for a tiny apartment! The bench is great for coming and going from your apartment. Plus the frames make for perfect additional decor.
In general, this is a great way to add some decor to an empty wall in any apartment as well.
19. Add A Pop Of Color With An Accent Couch
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Looking to add color to your living room? Add a fun colored couch! Statement furniture has become super popular in the past couple of years so it should be no surprise that it ended up being on the list of small apartment living room ideas!
Green isn’t your thing? Totally understand. You can still add color contrast by using furniture in colors such as pastel pink, blue, or even dark grey! Adding colorful pillows to a plain colored couch is also a great way to add a statement to your apartment.
20. Neutral Colored Living Room Aesthetic
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If you're an avid reader, you know just how much BSL loves neutral color palettes when it comes to home design. This small apartment living room is the perfect combination of boho and minimalist design that you'll love.
In general, neutral colors are always a safe bet when it comes to buying pieces for your home that won't go out of style. Plus, it gives you a clean slate to accent with throw pillows, lamps, rugs, blankets, etc.
21. Small Living Room Furniture Design
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Here's another one of those small apartment living room ideas you won’t be able to get out of your head (in a good way). Between the plush rug, the natural wood elements, and the absolutely stunning view, this living room is one you're guaranteed to want to copy.
22. Create Additional Seating With Floor Poofs
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What's one thing you can always count on when it comes to planning a small living room design? Floor poofs!
Additional seating is frequently needed in living rooms especially if you plan on hosting. Floor poufs are an inexpensive alternative to love seats that can easily be moved around and stored! Also they can be super cute decor.
23. Easy Gallery Wall
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Gallery walls are the perfect way to cover blank wall space and make your living room feel homier. Create a gallery wall using a set of frames and include your favorite photos inside. This is something you can do in any sized living room so be sure to add this to your list of small apartment living room ideas!
You can also use pictures with your loved ones and things you love, OR find some aesthetic pictures and designs on Pinterest.
24. Use Floor Mirrors To Maximize The Look Of Your Space
credit: @giaccodecor
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Every interior designer’s best advice: use mirrors to make any room feel bigger. Mirrors reflect light and trick the eye into thinking the room is bigger than it really is.
Aside from the science behind why mirrors are one of the best small apartment living room ideas, floor mirrors are also a great aesthetic furniture piece (because who doesn’t love a good OOTD?).
25. Decorate A Bar Cart
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Bar carts are an insanely popular small apartment living room idea because of their functionality and style. You can use a bar cart to organize and design a stylish area for alcohol, or many other items.
This is how I designed my bar cart a couple of years ago and I still absolutely love it. With a few cocktail books, bar utensils, glasses, and picture frames, you can recreate one just like it! I have an entire post on my bar cart decor here:
{RELATED POST: How I Decorated My Bar Cart To Look Expensive (While Sticking To A Budget)}
26. Or Have A Mini Bar Cart
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Don’t have room for a full-sized bar cart? No worries! Just use a smaller sized cart. Amazon and Target both have a ton of small bar carts that you can style as side tables or storage.
27. Decorate Your Entryway Table With A Large Mirror
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If your living room is right off the front entrance of your apartment, you need to be including entryway decor in your small apartment living room ideas. Target has hundreds of insanely trendy pieces that will liven up your entryway.
28. Budget-Friendly Entryway Design
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Want to spice up your entryway on a budget? This is the perfect inspiration for your design. Using a mirror is perfect to make it seem bigger and as a way to check yourself one last time before you leave the house. Flowers and a light element are also perfect items that feel very welcoming.
29. Don't Use Too Many Pillows On Your Couch
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Using too many throw pillows on your couch can make your couch and the larger space feel really cluttered. If your couch is the center focus of your living room, you don't want to clutter it with too many pillows.
Especially if you need to buy a smaller couch, the last thing you want are too many pillows that it makes it hard for people to use the couch. You don't want the pillows to be a hassle and end up all over the floor when you have people over, and you don't want your couch to disappear under the pillows either.
Instead, try getting 2-3 pillows and/or using a light colored throw pillow as decor on top of your couch!
30. Make Your Coffee Table Your Centerpiece
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A stunning coffee table like this one is most definitely the perfect statement piece to use in any living room. To be honest, high-quality furniture like this usually is priced at upwards of $1,000, so it's sometimes hard to find coffee tables that aren't that expensive.
If you love the idea of using a coffee table as the centerpiece of your living room but just can’t get past the price, there are thousands of other options online that will give you a similar look. Check Facebook Marketplace for statement pieces, too!
31. Use A Floor Lamp To Create Additional Lighting
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If you don’t have room for a side table to put lamps on, you can resort to floor lamps! These not only provide ample additional lighting but also enhance the design of your space! Don’t ask why floor lamps look expensive… they just do.
This post was all about small apartment living room ideas.
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