Making Small Living Rooms Look Bigger and More Expensive

Not all of us have living rooms with cathedral ceilings and room for a grand piano. 😍

Making small living rooms look bigger and more expensive isn't about the square footage—it's about knowing which tricks actually work. 

Using designer tips, you can create the illusion of space and that high-end vibe. No renovations, just simple changes that make your small living room feel twice the size and more luxurious.

Designer Tips for Making Small Living Rooms

Look Bigger and More Expensive

1. Use Light Colors on Walls and on Your Ceiling

Why This Works:

Light colors are your best friend when you're trying to make a small living space look bigger. They reflect light, which makes the space feel airy and open instead of cramped and dark.

Dark colors close in on you visually, making walls feel closer than they are.

Light colors push the walls back and create the illusion of more space.

Style Tips:

• Paint your walls and ceiling the same color to eliminate visual breaks—this makes the room feel taller

• Stick to soft whites, pale grays, or creams for walls

• Add personality through accent pillows and decor, not wall color

2. Hang Window Dressings High And Wide

This is the cheapest way to make your small living room look bigger and more expensive.

The Effect of Tall Window Dressings is Magical

Why This Works:

When curtains hang close to the ceiling and extend past the window frame, they draw the eye upward and outward, making both your ceiling and windows appear larger.

How To Do It:

• Mount curtain rods 2-3 inches below the ceiling

• Extend rods 6 inches beyond each side of the window so curtains can stack off the glass when open

• Use floor-length curtains that graze the floor

3. Add Large Mirrors Strategically

Mirrors are abracabra magic for small living rooms. They bounce light around the room, creating the illusion that there's literally twice as much space. Avoid placing mirrors where they reflect clutter or unattractive views

Why This Works:

Your brain sees the reflection and interprets it as additional space.

You can see the Space that this Mirror Created vs. a Painting

Where To Place Them:

• Across from windows to reflect natural light and outdoor views

• Behind a lamp or light source to amplify the light

• Leaning against a wall for an effortless, expensive look

4. Choose Furniture With Legs

Furniture that sits flat on the floor makes compact living rooms feel cramped. Furniture with visible legs shows more floor, which tricks your eye into thinking there's more space.

What To Look For:

• Sofas and chairs with legs that lift them 4-6 inches off the floor

• Coffee tables with open legs instead of solid bases

• TV stands with legs instead of sitting flat

Pro Tip:

Glass coffee tables are even better—complete transparency means maximum visual space.

5. Embrace Vertical Storage and Decor

When you can't expand outward, expand upward. Vertical lines draw the eye up and make your room feel taller.

Tall Bookcases and Floating Shelves makes your Room Feel Larger

Why This Works:

Your eye follows vertical lines upward, creating the illusion of height.

How To Maximize Vertical Space:

• Install floating shelves high on walls for books and decor

• Choose one tall bookcase (floor to ceiling) instead of multiple short ones

• Hang art in vertical arrangements

Pro Tip:

Paint your tall bookcase the same color as your walls so it blends in and emphasizes the vertical line.

6. Declutter To Instantly Make Small Living Rooms Look Bigger

This is free, and it's the most impactful thing you can do to make your small living room look bigger and more elevated.

Why This Works:

Clutter makes any space feel smaller.

Clean spaces look more intentional and exponentially more expensive.

What To Do:

• Limit 3-5 decorative items per surface (coffee table, shelf, console)

• Use closed storage to hide everyday clutter

• If you haven't used it in the living room in the past month, move it out

7. Use Multi-Functional Furniture

In a small living room, every piece of furniture needs to earn its keep by doing more than one job.

Why This Works:

When furniture serves multiple purposes, you need fewer pieces, which keeps the space from feeling cramped.

Smart Furniture Choices:

• Ottoman with storage inside for blankets, toys, or extra pillows

• Console table behind the sofa for extra surface space

• Lift-top coffee table that doubles as a workspace or dining area

Pro Tip:

These smart choices make small living rooms work harder without looking over-furnished.

8. Use One Large Area Rug

The wrong size rug makes everything look chopped up and smaller. The right-sized rug anchors the space, making it feel larger and more cohesive.

A Large Rug is Worth Its Weight in Inches! 😘

Why This Works:

One large rug unifies your furniture and creates a defined zone, which makes the room feel intentional and spacious. Multiple small rugs make the space feel even smaller.

How To Choose the Right Rug:

• The rug should be large enough that at least the front legs of your sofa and chairs sit on it

• Choose light or neutral rugs to keep the space feeling airy

• Keeping the rug color light instantly opens a room vs. a dark color

9. Layer Your Lighting

Layering light at different heights creates depth and that expensive ambiance you see in magazines.

Lighting Makes or Breaks the Aesthetics of Your Rooms

Why This Works:

Multiple light sources at different levels (table lamps, floor lamps, wall sconces) create shadows and dimension, which makes tiny living rooms feel larger and more upscale.

How To Layer Lighting:

• Add table lamps on side tables or consoles

• Use a floor lamp in a corner to visually expand the space with light

• Add wall sconces

Style Tip:

Place lamps in the corners of your small living room to push light outward and make the space feel bigger.

10. Keep Your Color Palette Cohesive

Too many colors make small living rooms feel cluttered. A cohesive color palette makes the space feel larger and more expensive.

When your eye can move smoothly through a space without being interrupted by random colors, the room feels more pulled-together.

How To Create A Cohesive Palette:

• Choose a neutral base color (soft white, cream, and pale gray) for walls and large furniture

• Pick 1-2 accent colors and repeat them throughout the room in pillows, art, throws, and decor

• Stick to your palette—don't buy random things in colors that don't fit

Style Tip:

Repeating your accent colors in at least three places throughout the room creates visual cohesion. For example: navy pillows on the sofa, navy spine on coffee table books, navy vase on the shelf.

Pro Tip:

This is the single biggest thing that separates a room that looks "decorated" from one that looks "Designed." Designers always work within a limited color palette, and now you know why.

Transform Your Small Living Space

Now you know these 10 top designer tips to transform your small living space. These strategic techniques create that sophisticated, spacious look you've been wanting. Instagram worthy!

Your space is about to feel twice its size and infinitely more luxurious.

Start with the changes that excite you the most!

Comment below ⬇️Which tip are you trying first in your small living room?

Save this post so you can come back to it when you're ready to start transforming your space! You can also take a look at this post: Budget Home Decor Ideas That Look Expensive

Xoxo,

Curated Lifestyle 💗