Decorate a Small Living Room

The living room is one of the most important rooms of the house, because that is where most of the living is done--hence the name! Most living rooms need to be multifunctional and have enough seating to comfortably fit the entire family plus company. This is easy to do if your living room is large. However, you may not have a large living room, especially if you live in a condo or apartment. Luckily, there are some specific things you can do to decorate a small living room that will make it seem bigger.

Choose the correct paint color. Paint colors can transform a room dramatically. Small rooms should be painted with cool tones such as grays, blues and greens. Gray is a great neutral color and looks terrific in living rooms, as it goes with any color scheme. The ceiling should be painted one shade lighter than the walls to make the room feel taller and airier.

Hang curtains near the ceiling. Choose curtains that stretch to the floor, and hang them higher than the top of the window. Four to six inches higher is a good height. Curtains that stretch from the ceiling to floor create the illusion of height and space in a small room.

Choose the correct seating. Most furniture companies make condo-sized sofas (some call them "apartment couches"). Use a combination of one apartment couch and a chair and a half, or a recliner. Two apartment couches facing each other with a coffee table in-between can also work well. Consider "armless" couches or chairs. They will make the space feel more open. Also, make sure you do not have too many pieces of furniture as this will only clutter up a small living room and make it feel very crowded.

Choose double-duty furniture. An ottoman or coffee table with hidden storage is great for hiding a stack of DVDs. An entertainment center with built-in bookshelves will allow you to display a few decorative treasures without having to cram a separate bookshelf into a small space.

Create a large focal point. Using a large item seems contrary to decorating a small space, but one large focal point will add style without feeling crowded. One large piece of art is much better than several small pieces, which will only serve to create a feeling of clutter.

Use mirrors. Mirrors open up a space and reflect light, making a room seem bigger. Place a large mirror over the sofa, or opposite a window to capture the light. You can also put several small mirrors together to create the feeling of one large mirror.