Living large in a small lounge

(by Monique Warner) From cramped to comfortable, learn how to transform a small lounge into a fabulous living space.

small-living-room-ideas1

Furnishing a small lounge

You don’t have to buy petite furniture in order to make the most of your small living room. In fact, the clever use of large pieces of furniture can help make a space appear larger.

For example, a large, long sofa offers ample seating while encouraging the eye to travel the length of the piece and elongating the space. In contrast, a collection of smaller occasional chairs may make a space look unnecessarily cluttered.

Stackable and see-through

Instead of a large, chunky coffee table, consider saving valuable floor space with stackable side tables or a transparent ‘ghost’ coffee table.

If you’re extremely short on space, forgo the tables altogether and mount a shelf or a shelving unit behind the main sofa.

If you only install one shelf, it should run the length of the sofa or wall-to-wall. The shelf should be large enough to accommodate a picture frame or two, candlesticks or a lamp and, of course, a cup of coffee.

Open out

To make a small living room feel larger, maximise the view outdoors. Whether it’s a large sliding glass door or a window, highlighting a view outdoors will help visually extend the space.

The first step is making sure you have a view – even if you don’t. You can create or improve a view by working on the garden or adding a few pretty pot plants to the balcony. To maximise that view and make the glass door or window look larger, raise the curtain rail as close to the ceiling as possible and use curtain tiebacks.

You can also reflect that view in the room with strategically placed mirrors. Remember, mirrors also help to reflect natural light so they will help make a small lounge look bigger and brighter.

Happy decorating!

Sponsored