Have you looked at your living room and groaned about how tiny is it? How are you going to get your TV, seating and people in one room without that oh-I’m feeling-squashed feeling? A small living room can be a real pain point for a homeowner. Everyone wants their home to look spacious and free-moving, not cluttered and cramped.

Now you may not be able to change your home and make it bigger in size. But what you can do is to make it appear bigger and be content with the beautiful space you already have.

So if you’ve got a small living room and you wish it were bigger, we have a few tricks up our sleeve that can help open up your room and make it feel larger than it actually is.

1. Lightweight Fabrics

Thick and heavy fabrics absorb light and make a place look smaller. Opting for light fabric like linen, make the room seem brighter and airier. Actually, we would recommend no curtains at all, but if you really need them sheers or cloth blinds in light colours work best.

2. Keep Your Floor Visible

Opt for sofas and armchairs that are raised on legs, which creates a sense of light and space. A visible floor gives the feeling of free-flowing space. Another tip we love is using glass tables in small rooms. The light goes through the glass giving it a feeling of more space. Small room equals to no rugs. Ditch the rugs to give the room an uncluttered feel. If you really want to have a rug in the room then keep it very simple. One of our natural jute options will do the trick. You can choose either the Boden Floormat which comes edged in yellow or black or the Karina floormat in natural and gold or SiaFloormat in silver and jute.

3. Declutter Away

Go full Marie Kondo when you start clearing and putting things around your room. The more pieces, possessions, and patterns you have in a room, the more cluttered it will feel. Everything that you don’t really need should not be in that room. A decluttered room makes the area look instantly bigger. Our jute baskets – Tau, Dai or Akira make great décor pieces and are easy options to stash stuff away and keep the mess under control while making your room look chic.

4. Draw The Eye To An Accent Piece

Choose a point the longest view away from the door and put an accent piece in it. Whether it’s an unusual ornament, a big mirror, a statement cushion like our Gazala cushion or an interesting piece like our Bella lamp or the Kiki lamp standing tall over everything else in the room. This will ensure that your eye will be drawn to it and this will make your living room appear larger. And clever lighting can really change the look and feel of a room.

5. Keeping It Clean

Don’t fill up every exposed shelf in the room. Leaving some empty space will give your small space an airy look. Also, don’t put many tiny tiny paintings on the wall. Opt for one big painting so it can act as a focal point too.

The bottom line is you need to be strict with when you add pieces to a room – any room actually. Never buy just for the sake of putting it on a room. Whatever you buy, especially for a small room should be intentional. Now use these tips to add a bright and positive free-flowing look and feel to your room.