How to style a tiny living room

Not blessed with acres of living space? Here’s how to make the most of what you’ve got

Ever find yourself lusting after the interiors of Kylie Jenner and Rihanna’s enormous homes on Instagram? Yep, us too – but for most of us, our living spaces are a different ball game entirely. We’re all about space-saving hacks and inexpensive ways to make our more, erm, petite spaces feel luxe. The good news? Less square footage doesn’t have to mean boring – you can still create a swish living space in a smaller property, whether you rent it or own it. Here, Kelly Collins, head of creative at sofa-in-a-box company Swyft, shares her top tips for styling a smaller living room. Cosy never looked so damn cute…

NAIL YOUR LAYOUT

Think about what you use your living room for – it could be reading, eating or watching Netflix – and position your furniture accordingly. “If you’re a lounger, your sofa should sit directly in front of your TV, but if you like entertaining, you’ll need your furniture spaced out for socialising,” says Collins.

GET YOUR KONDO ON

“Too much going on in a room will instantly make it feel smaller,” explains Collins. “If possible, use a mix of closed and open shelving, so you can hide away your ugly-butnecessary items and show off beautiful vases, picture frames and books.” If you can’t combine the two, consider floor-toceiling open shelving, and hide your less visually appealing items in boxes under your other furniture.

SEE THE LIGHT

“If you’re lucky enough to have large windows that let in lots of natural light, they’ll help open up the room on their own,” says Collins. If not, use a mixture of lighting to make your space feel as bright as possible. Think ceiling, floor and table lamps – but don’t overdo it, as this will make the room look messy and cluttered. Hanging a beautiful statement mirror on one wall will also help to reflect light and make the space feel larger.

LESS IS MORE

As a general rule, the smaller the room, the less furniture you should have. Yes, there are some things you’ll need, but think carefully about pieces that might just take up space. Do you actually need a TV unit or could you combine it with a side table or storage? Then, choose one main feature piece and style the rest of the room around it. “In a living room, this would usually be the sofa,” says Collins. “Matchy-matchy never looks good, nor does trying every trend in one room. I would suggest matching the coffee table and one other item – perhaps a cushion or footstool – and then selecting other complimentary pieces.”

LOOK HUES TALKING

If you have any control over the colour of your living-room walls, go for lighter neutral tones (not like these ones), which bounce the light around. “Dark-coloured walls will close off the room, so use paler colours on the walls and add bolder tones with smaller furniture and accessories,” advises Collins. North-facing rooms get less light and tend to feel cooler, so avoid green or grey tones here and choose warmer colours (even if that’s a white paint with a yellow undertone). South-facing rooms, which get a lot of light, can handle cooler colours.

SOFA SO GOOD

One of the biggest issues that people with small spaces face is making sure the furniture they like actually fits. That’s where modular sofas come in – they’re comprised of a few individual units, so you can play around with the design and make it best suit your space. “They’re a great option for small or awkward spaces,” Collins says. “Being able to rework the composition to suit your specific room will not only help save space, but it also allows you to experiment and add footstools or extra segments if you have more room than you’d initially thought.” Clever, eh?