The living room is arguably the most important in the house when it comes to decorating. It is the room where you entertain guests and loved ones, and it is where families tend to spend the bulk of their at-home time together after the kitchen. It is your home and it needs to be right for you.

At the very minimum, you should shoot for having at least four to five seats in your living room if space allows. In the typical home, this often looks like a sofa-and-two-club-chairs combo.

TIP: Your living room furniture does not need to match; however, you can coordinate pieces to create a more put-together finish. You can accomplish this either by buying the same model or by matching the color of your furniture. And if you're hoping to decorate your space in a unique way, try combining non-matching pieces.

And if you're thinking of selling your home, open, airy, and light – that's the living room style that will add value to your home at resale

If your living room, family room, or sitting room is cramped and cluttered, the last thing you'll want to do is spend time in there. That is unless you trick your eye into thinking the space is bigger than it appears. It's not magic; it's just smart styling and layout strategy.

With these examples to guide your way, you'll love the space so much that you'll never want to leave it!

Incorporate Mirrors: 

Mirrors help make any small room look much larger. A mirror can create the illusion of space. Placing a mirror in your lounge or dining room will instantly give the appearance of more space. A small, cramped room can benefit from this too and a mirror can often repurpose an awkward area.

NOTE: Mirrors should be placed at least four to five ft above the floor. All reflective surfaces, including the television screen, should be placed in the southeast corner of the room. If possible, cover up the screen when not in use. Always keep all reflective surfaces clean.

Let there be LIGHT: 

How important is lighting in interior design? Lighting is as important as every other element of the design. Good lighting changes and transforms a space. We use light and shade to make a room feel comfortable but also dramatic and atmospheric. Choose lighting that can be attached to the walls or hung from above to save room on floor space.

Expertly placed lighting adds another dimension to a space, bringing an interior design project to life. Great lighting creates depth and height, cozy spots, and draws attention to your most impressive areas. It's all about the balance of light and shade and bringing new energy to an interior.

Recessed lighting makes a room feel bigger because it actually takes up less visual space in the room. Because the light cans are set into the ceiling itself, nothing hangs down to interrupt the visual space of the ceiling. 2. Recessed lighting also makes a room look bigger due to an effect called “wall washing”.

NOTE: But remember, modern living rooms don't need much lighting. I like to up-light the living room ceiling with a continuous LED lighting strip to create an overall glow that can act as mood lighting. Any room will look larger if it's well-lit, either by natural light or artificial lighting. Get rid of heavy draperies, and open up the windows to let the light of the outdoors into the space.

Adjust and Compare Seats:

If you don't have room for both a sofa and club chairs, forget the sofa and opt for two cozy armchairs. If there's a fireplace, angle them towards it to encourage cozy hangs and conversation while also drawing the eye to it. If your living room is small, your best bet when arranging two couches is to keep it simple by facing the couches opposite each other. This layout works with the couches directly in the center of the room or with one couch against a wall.

Although you never want to block a window, a sofa placed in front of one can look great as long as the back of the sofa is relatively low. Just be sure to leave a gap of about 10 to 12 inches to give the piece some breathing room and to allow for window treatments.

NOTE: To make the best use of the available space, the seats may be designed somewhat smaller than traditionally-sized chairs, or may be used for more than one purpose. 

Large Rugs:

 Rugs or carpets can also help you create the illusion of a larger room. Large area rugs (avoid placing several small rugs), can make your place look more prominent. They should be within 12 inches of the walls on all sides. Choosing a larger rug—even in a bold pattern—is a trick that makes a room feel bigger.  

Get a rug large enough so that the furniture is all on the rug, or at least the front legs are on the rug.

NOTE:  

1. Measure the Room and Use One Large Area Rug. One large area rug — rather than several small ones — makes a room feel larger.
2. Select an Area Rug With Little or No Texture. Small rooms get crowded quickly.
3. Choose Light Colors and Almost No Pattern.

Tables:

Do coffee tables make a room look bigger?

Low coffee tables are a top trick to not reduce the living room space more. It also adds a more luxurious lounge feeling to the decor. If you like a coffee table in the store that has legs but you want it to be way lower.

Tabletops are a great choice for smaller rooms because they visually minimize the furniture in the room. If you have a small space, use smaller furniture that scales with your living space or man cave.

Clear out the Clutter:

There's nothing that makes a small space feel more cramped than having too much stuff. Work out ways to get collections out of view, organized behind doors, table skirts, or on shelves. With things neatly arranged and out of sight, the space that is in view will feel orderly and open.

When furniture and accessories block the view into a room, it will look cramped. By moving furniture out and away from walkways, you'll open up the space and make it feel larger. You can also choose short pieces of furniture like an ottoman, an armless open chair, or a low table, and place large, tall pieces along a wall rather than out in the open space. If you can see the floor, the room will look larger.

Unexpected Furniture:

Choose strategic furniture and decor that accommodates your smaller space and helps you achieve the look you're going for. 

Using the right furniture is a key way to make a room look bigger. For one, use multi-functional furniture, such as a chest that can be used as a coffee table, a sofa bed, or a bed with storage drawers.

Usually, rooms look bigger when they are furnished because people then realize just how much they can fit inside. It mainly comes down to eye perspective. Giving the eye focus points (mirrors, decorations, brightly colored things) will make the brain think the room is bigger because of more of these focus points.

Pick the right Color:

So, what colors make a room look bigger? For an optimum effect, go with soft tones like off-white, blues, and greens, and always remember that brighter rooms feel bigger and more inviting.

It's well known that light paint colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Light and bright walls are more reflective, making a space feel open and airy, which helps maximize natural light's effect. Dark shades tend to absorb light, making rooms feel smaller.

Exaggerating the width of the space tricks your eyes into thinking it's wider, along with enhancing depth. Consider painting two pale, contrasting shades, like soft yellow and blue for a striking look. The same trick applies to create the illusion of height, using vertical lines.

TIPS: Paint your ceiling the same color as your walls. This will draw the eye up, which creates the illusion of a larger room and higher ceilings. Bonus if you're able to install some trim and crown molding, as I've found this can also make the ceilings look higher.

Make it Multi-purpose:

When space is lacking, the only option is to get creative and make things multi-purpose. For example, if you don't have room for a separate living room, family room, and home office, combine each concept into one space.

Transformable Furniture is a new concept in furniture design that ensures space-saving fittings. These transformable furniture includes solutions such as table extension fitting, Pull out drawer table, sliding worktop & folding chair.

There's something extremely charming about a tiny living room. They can, however, be hard to live in. That's why employing some space-saving ideas can be a great idea. There are lots of ways to maximize the space you have. From the simple act of rearranging items to choosing cleverly designed furniture, there's no room too small for space-saving solutions.

You may lament the lack of space if you're in the process of decorating a small room, but there are plenty of reasons why small is better: small spaces are easier to decorate, easier to keep clean, and easier to organize. These simple tips will help you make a small room look bigger without breaking the bank.