Our Very Best Tips & Tricks to Make the Most of Your Small Living Room

The living room is the heart of your home, the place where you work, where you unwind, and where you entertain friends, so having a small living room can be a real challenge. At Apartment Therapy, we embrace this challenge, and in 2017 we shared plenty of solutions for small living room woes. We’ve brought together some of our best posts here, so you can make 2018 the year you finally make your tiny living room work for, rather than against, you.

From The Trick to Making Small Space Furniture More Functional :

If you live in a tiny apartment where a single space serves multiple purposes, the best thing you can do for your furniture is to make it mobile. Adding a fresh set of wheels to tables, bar carts and kitchen islands lets them slide from one side of the apartment to another, filling in wherever they’re needed most. This storage daybed seen on Cup of Jo is a great example.

From Clever Coffee Table Substitutes for Small Living Rooms :

Light, elegant ‘C’ tables are a great choice for small spaces. In the DIY version above, this lightweight wooden frame wraps around the arm of a sofa. Translate the instructions on Sinnen Rausch , but adjust the measurements to fit the height of your couch.

From The Designer’s Small Space Trick that Makes Any Room Look Larger :

Bulky pieces like consoles, armoires, and bookcases, when painted the same color as the wall behind, suddenly seem like inobtrusive built-ins—or even like they’re not there at all. This cabinet from Domino almost seems like part of the wall.

From Small Space Solutions: 9 Perfect Places to Squeeze in Shelves :

The space above your couch is a great spot for hanging art , or, potentially, a great spot for a little extra storage (as seen in this living room from Whistles ). Just make sure that your shelves are high enough above the couch that you won’t whack your head.

From Make it Count: Smart Uses for the Space Above Your Doors :

If you have extra books stacked around and nowhere to properly put them, make use of a doorway like Desire to Inspire did in the photo above. Whether your shelf can only span the top of the doorway or you can span an entire wall, it’ll get your books up and out of the way (and on display!).

From Stylish Storage Cabinets for Small Living Rooms :

This navy display cabinet ($169 from IKEA ) is a great way to add a little color (and a lot of storage!) to your living room. You can see more stylish storage cabinets here .

From A (Seemingly) Counterintuitive Trick That’s a Must for Small Spaces :

Sometimes a big, statement-y piece can be just the thing a small living room needs to pull the space together and amp up its style. Because pendant lights and chandeliers hang above your living area, they’re an ideal way to add some in-sight, yet out-of-the-way personality. In Amandine and Amaury’s Paris apartment , an expansive, yet delicate fixture by Constance Guisset (available at Petite Friture ) commands attention without sacrificing space.

From Wall-Mounted Shelving Systems You Can DIY :

This Danish-inspired modular shelving unit from Hello Lidy can tuck behind a sofa, and provide extra storage while hardly taking up any space at all.

From A Drink Table Is Just What It Sounds Like & You Probably Need One :

Tiny tables that are just big enough for one (or two) drinks are a great choice for small living rooms, where you need a place to perch a glass but floor space is at a premium. This brass tray table is $300 from Spartan Shop . You can see more one-drink tables here.

From Stretch Your Budget and Your Space: Clever DIYs for Small Homes :

These DIY shelves from A Beautiful Mess will help you get the most out of a corner. This would be a great way to add a home library in an unused space.

Looking for more small space inspiration? There’s plenty more where this came from .