The following was submitted to us as a Guest Post – Enjoy!
Interior designing is an art and the challenge lies in designing small spaces to give them volume while providing for all the desired luxuries and necessities. Among all other designing challenges, designing the small sized living room is the biggest challenge. This is also the room that would accommodate your whole family and also in most cases, your guests. There is a need for more space to make the necessary arrangements but at the same time you can’t add space to your room without major renovations.
Here are some design tips for small sized living rooms that will allow you to be “in vogue” but still stay within a reasonable budget. 
- Don’t go bulky
You may be attracted to full sized sofas and accessories for your living room but bigger is not always better.. Look for smaller sized furniture that would fit into the space you have, that will also provide enough sitting space to accommodate your family and friends. You can always pull out an extra chair if you have guests at home but that does not mean you need to take up all your space during the times the need for more seating is not needed. For smaller rooms a love seat may make more sense than a full size sofa. A small table may be better than a bulky one that takes up all of your floor space. This will make your room look bigger and in many cases more functional.
- Add mirrors to generate artificial space
Generating space out of thin air is not realistic, but generating the perception of space is always possible. Place a mirror on the wall opposite a window to reflect light. The mirror would also reflect the window view making it look like an extra window while adding more light to the room. Light colored walls or wall paper with small patterns may also make your room appear bigger. One more thing you can do if it matches your decor/style is to make one full mirrored wall. This will really make your room look bigger.
- Make the most of your walls
Your floor space is important, so keep anything that is practical mounted on wall. Due to new slimmer designs, TV units can be mounted on wall due most cased. Make space for other knickknacks around the TV to get the most out of walls. The foldable tables and chairs can also be mounted on walls, as they would take up space only while in use. You can keep them folded for rest of the time to keep your small space clutter free.
- Make way for hidden storage
Hidden storage is the great idea when you are struggling with space. You can create extra storage within the tables, below the sofas, and also on walls. Keep storage as hidden as possible to keep it out of sight. Placing plants in front of storage areas can also help hide things away.
- Keep it light
The light colored furniture and walls reflect light. The brighter the room, the bigger it will appear. Add more whites to your curtains, sofa upholstery, decorative items, accent pieces, etc… Brighter, lighter colors will help cheer the mood of the room and all those that are in it. You can make your space look more roomy and be in a better mood at the same time.
Don’t let the fact that your space is small take away the usability of your room!