1. Small Living Rooms That Live Larger Than They Look

Whether you are into minimalism or prefer being surrounded by your possessions, you can feel at home and un-crowded in your small living room by following a few design tips that make your room feel larger.

2. Banish Clutter

This is a perfect look for a small living room—clean, uncluttered with neutral colors and minimal furnishings. It's elegant and understated without appearing boring, and it leaves room for personal touches.

3. Small Sofa Not Required

Just because you have a small living room doesn't mean that you can't have a large sofa. Choosing a sofa with clean, simple lines in a light color and keeping other furnishings at a minimum are the keys to making a large sofa work in a small space.

4. Define Your Living Spaces

When you have a small but open floor plan, like in a studio or loft apartment, separating your living space can make the room feel bigger. Use rugs or furniture arrangement to visually divide the living and dining spaces.

5. Making Dark Furniture Work

In small living rooms, it's best to steer clear of dark furnishings, but there are ways to make dark furniture work. Lots of natural light mixed with light walls and flooring make dark furniture stand out without appearing too heavy. The calming color of blue also helps balance the harshness of the dark wood.

6. Maximize Your Storage

In small living rooms, storage space is usually minimal or nonexistent. Make the most of your small living room by incorporating floor-to-ceiling wall storage, and adding coffee tables, end tables and ottomans that double as storage space.

7. Don't Be Afraid of Color

It is possible to incorporate big color into your small living room, if you know how to use it. Stick to a maximum of two or three colors within the entire room, or choose one bold color to be your feature color. In this studio apartment, the furnishings and flooring incorporate clean lines and neutral colors to keep the bright orange walls from becoming too overwhelming.

8. Break Free From the Basics

In a small living room, it's tempting to push furnishings against the wall, but this can sometimes make your space appear more cramped. Try pulling the furniture away from the wall and adding a narrow table, shelf or storage behind the sofa. Glass tables work well in small rooms and give the illusion of more space.

9. Go Formal to Gain Elegance

Just because you have a small living room doesn't mean that it can't be formal. Armless loveseats, which work wonders in small spaces and a classic color scheme impart elegance and beauty. Seating flows around the focal point of the room—the fireplace. 

10. Use Tall Shelving

Whether you add built-ins or use moveable shelving, go as high as you can. Tall shelves give the impression of added height and a sense of airiness.