Practical Small Space Solutions - Living Room

Small House = Small Living Room

More than just a living room, this area in my home also serves as the entry point from the front door, the access point to the second floor, and a throughway to the den/library.  That means a lot of traffic and very little uninterrupted wall space.

Like the homes of many DIY home decorators/renovators, my humble abode is a (continual) work in progress - it is by no means perfect.  Through my endeavors to make this small living room work for me, I have discovered and incorporated some small space living ideas and solutions that I thought would be worth sharing with you.

Size & Placement Matter

Lots of home decorating and design magazines suggest that you can successfully use large pieces of furniture in small rooms.  I believe it, but I also believe that each case (or each room) must be analyzed on an individual basis.  In this case and in this house the scale/size of the furniture is very important.

Because my living room space definitely cannot comfortably accommodate a full-size sofa, I’ve opted for a loveseat and angled it across a corner (the only spot not interrupted by a window or door opening).  Even though its placement cuts into the floor space somewhat, the arrangement is open and welcoming from all points of entry to the room and all traffic paths are clear.   The proportions of the love seat also work very well with the proportions of the space.

Use Multi-Functional Furniture

Rather than waste space with a uni-functional coffee table, a leather storage ottoman is strategically positioned in front of the loveseat.

This long storage ottoman functions as a comfy footstool (big enough for two), provides additional seating space when needed, serves as a handy place to set a tray, magazines, books and remote controls, is utilized as a work surface, and offers large, easy-access storage beneath its hinged lid.

Re-Purpose Existing Furniture

The largest piece of furniture in my living room is an antique armoire that once belonged to my great grandmother.

Currently, its upper section is used for fabric storage, and the drawer at the bottom houses a plethora of wrapping paper and ribbon.  At some point in the not-too-distant future I plan to convert this big, beautiful, antique wardrobe into a home office.  Then it will truly earn its keep!  Sometimes it takes a little re-purposing for a piece of furniture to reach its full potential.

Less Is More - No Unnecessary Extras

And completing the living room furniture ensemble, we have two unmatched occasional chairs . . .

and a side table.

No oversized recliner in this small space!  The side table is the obvious spot for a table lamp and its lower shelf gives me another place to stack and store reading materials.

Because the occasional chairs are relatively small in scale, they take up minimal floor space and can be easily moved to different locations - wherever they are needed most.

So, where is the television in this compact living space?  It’s actually mounted on the wall in the adjacent den/library.  As luck would have it, a double-wide opening between these two rooms allows for an unobstructed view of the tv from the living room.  And since this is such a small place it’s really not very far away!

No matter what the tape measure says, keeping unnecessary furniture and accessories to a minimum will always help a space look and feel larger.