Decorating a small, rectangular living room comes with innate challenges. The unconventional proportions and limited wall space make arranging furniture a puzzle. It’s frustrating when pieces fail to fit together cohesively or the room ends up feeling dark and cramped. However, with clever planning and strategic layout ideas, it’s possible to transform these potentially awkward spaces into warm, welcoming living areas.
Read on to discover how to work with the existing architecture, build out functional zones, and weave in decor for enhanced visual appeal. With a thoughtful furnishings layout and decorating approach, that elongated living room can become one of your favorite spaces in the home.
Measure and Plan Your Furniture Layout
Thoughtful planning is the first step toward successfully arranging a small rectangular living room. Instead of randomly placing pieces and hoping for the best, dedicate time to mapping out intelligent furniture arrangements before moving anything into the space. This strategy will help you optimize every square inch, create a logical flow, and choose the most suitable furnishings for the room.
Take Precise Room Dimensions
Grab a tape measure and notepad to jot down accurate room dimensions. This allows you to experiment with various furniture layouts on paper first. Make note of all openings within the space as well, including doorways, passages to adjoining rooms, and the size of windows. Accounting for these permanent structural details will prevent you from inadvertently blocking access points or views later on.
Map Out Furniture Placement Options
Use your room dimensions and graph paper to outline different furniture configurations. Sketch in openings and architectural details as well. Then, incorporate cutouts of key items like your sofa, coffee table, and television to visualize arrangements. Play around with positioning, allowing adequate traffic flow and room for walking around pieces.
Look at each furniture layout option through a critical eye. Evaluate how the furnishings balance the narrow room, interact with existing architectural details, and allow for plenty of open circulation. The goal is to select the most aesthetically pleasing and functional option before physically moving into the space.
Choose Pieces Strategically
To avoid cramming a small rectangular living room, seek out furnishings with compact footprints. Loveseats take up less space than bulky sectionals, allowing you to declare a subtle sitting area without overpowering the room. Console tables fit perfectly on narrow walls unlike clunky credenzas. Opt for multifunctional ottomans that provide extra seating, surface space, and discreet storage in one. Identify pieces fulfilling more than one purpose.
Work With the Architecture
Every living room offers up architectural details you can leverage in your layout and design. Instead of fighting quirks or less-than-ideal features, embrace these nuances. Highlight that lone window with strategic seating. Build functional storage into the room’s unusual nooks. Working harmoniously with the existing structure helps form natural-looking arrangements.
Locate the Focal Point
Study your small rectangular living room to diagnose the most prominent wall or architectural detail to emphasize. This special area will set the foundation for anchoring your furniture arrangement and decorating. Build visual weight on one end of the space by placing significant furnishings like the sofa or entertainment center against this back wall. Allow this to be a standalone moment then decorate accordingly.
Use the Vertical Space
Look up to utilize height that otherwise goes ignored in cramped quarters. Hang mirrors strategically to double light and views. Arrange artwork salon-style to form a unified gallery display leading the eye upward. Bring in tall bookcases and floor lamps to occupy vertical real estate rather than spreading out. This technique keeps furnishings narrow yet satisfying.
Capitalize on Natural Light
Assess window positioning within your small rectangular living room. Frame views to the outdoors by floating furnishings nearby. Wash out lackluster windows with bright, airy curtain panels to amplify incoming sunshine. Supplement with ambient lighting like pendents and lamps to prevent dim spots, properly illuminating the entire space.
Divide Into Distinct Zones
Visually expanding a small rectangular living room involves dividing it into separate activity areas. Instead of cramming every piece against the walls in one giant cluster, carve out specialized zones. Give each section breathing room through clever delineations. With thoughtful planning, you can blend a few small-scale cozy hangs within the skinny footprint.
Create an Intimate Seating Area
Build a welcoming seating space along the focal point wall at one end of the room. Position the sofa or slim sectional to face the television, fireplace, or a lovely view. Allow adequate circulation space behind and beside furnishings so the area doesn’t feel too cramped. Set an area rug underneath to designate the lounge zone from the rest of the open floor.
Add a Cozy Reading Nook
Look for leftover areas along other walls to transform into a designated reading nook. This could be a bay window or bare corner. Add a comfy armchair or loveseat paired with a floor lamp perfect for curling up with a book. Incorporate floating shelves, a console table, or skinny bookcase to hold novels. Display meaningful travel trinkets and plants to infuse personality into the private retreat.
Build Out Functional Storage
A small living room means you must capitalize on every inch including vertical real estate. Install floating shelves or wall-mounted cabinets to stash items out of sight. Opt for closed storage like cabinets over open shelving whenever possible. The concealed storage contains visual clutter to keep the room feeling serene. When open displays are necessary, maintain meticulous organization so items don’t spill out chaotically.
Enhance Visual Interest Through Decor
Don’t overlook the transformative power small decorative elements offer narrow rectangular living rooms. Artful collections, textural accents, and accessories personalize the space while softening rigid lines. Infuse character throughout the room with meaningful memorabilia. In an elongated layout, a focal point vignette alone can leave the remaining walls feeling bare. Dress up all surfaces evenly.
Soften Lines and Angles
A small rectangular living room risks appearing boxy and cold without soft finishing touches. Layer in plush area rugs to cushion hard flooring and define spaces. Drape textural throws over chair backs and sectionals. Fluff up accent pillows for sunk-in coziness and pile on baskets to conceal less attractive items. Bring in rounded coffee tables to offset sharp corners and edges found throughout the narrow layout.
Display Artwork Strategically
Thoughtfully curated arrangements demonstrate an artful eye while working uniformly to expand a small space. Group similarly-sized frames together in odd numbers on each wall for visual appeal. Hang artwork systematically to lead the eye fluidly from one wall to the next. Filling empty vertical space gives the illusion of a larger room.
Final Embellishments
Put on the finishing design touches with beloved decorative items. Fresh-cut flowers add a pop of color and bring nature indoors. Display sentimental photos in matching frames atop console tables or bookshelves. Houseplants infuse life and filter the air. Group luxury candles throughout the space for flickering ambient lighting and cozy appeal. These personalized gems spark joy while harmoniously tying the whole room together.
Make Use of Vertical Space
In a small rectangle living room, vertical space can be your best friend. Utilize tall bookshelves or floating shelves to store decorative items and display artwork, as they take up less floor space than traditional cabinets or entertainment centers. Use wall-mounted sconces instead of table lamps to free up space on side tables or consoles.
Create a Gallery Wall
A gallery wall is a great way to add visual interest and dimension to a small rectangle living room. Group different-sized frames together and hang them in a salon-style arrangement to create a cohesive display. This can draw the eye up and make the room appear taller.
Use Mirrors
Mirrors can make a small rectangle living room appear larger and brighter. Place a large mirror opposite a window to reflect natural light and create an illusion of a second window. Use mirrored shelves or mirrored accents to add depth and dimension to the room.
In a small rectangle living room, every piece of furniture needs to serve a purpose. Consider using a multi-functional coffee table with hidden storage to stow items out of sight. Or choose a storage ottoman that offers a surface area plus concealed storage inside. Dual-purpose furnishings maximize utility.
It’s possible to transform the most challenging small rectangular living rooms into inviting, livable spaces. Follow these tips to make the most of what you have to work with. Before long, you’ll forget about the room’s awkward shape and instead bask in its warm, welcoming vibe.
