The place where you kick back and relax with friends and family, a living room should be the core of your home. Full of warmth and comfort, there’s plenty of different features that your living room design could incorporate, from wall décor and electronics to throws and blankets. But what about if space is at a premium, and you end up creating a cramped space that’s no fun for anyone?

The truth is, style doesn’t have to be at the expense of space. There are numerous easy ways to maximise a small space and transform a snug spot into a stylish centre point for your home. Read on for some of our best small living room ideas, so when it comes to decoration, you’ve got the inspiration you need to create the space you’ve always wanted:

Create a focal point with a piece of Wall Art

A piece of wall art can really help to generate space in a smaller living room. Large, vertical pieces can draw the eye upwards, increasing the perceived height of the room, while a colour coordinated print which matches with the furniture is a sure-fire way of creating aesthetic unity within a smaller space. Add some vintage flair with a retro print or go for a framed print, perfect for your cherished family photos.

Build the room around a statement piece

They’re not just great conversation starters! Rather than cluttering things up with lots of different items of furniture, a statement piece can make your living room feel much more spacious than it actually is! It creates a focal point for the room, so people immediately stop focusing on everything (say like, your lack of space) to admire it. It’s totally ingenious, and one of the best ways to decorate a smaller space.

Expose those legs

Slightly surprisingly, a great way of opening up space in your living room is to keep the legs of your furniture exposed. This helps to keep the room airy and light and reduces that blocky feeling caused by decorating using lots of different pieces of bulky furniture.

Spice up a space with small accessories

Decorating your living room with small, chic accessories can help to transform it into a warm, welcoming hub for family life. If you’re decorating with small cushions or photos, colour coordinating them with your furniture is a great way of unifying the room. Plus, you can even print your favourite photos onto your accessories, transforming your living room into a truly personalised space.

Invest in glass furniture

Another great way to generate the illusion of spaciousness is to use as much glass and translucent furniture as you can. From glass coffee tables to translucent plastic chairs, glass furniture can help to improve the flow of natural light, all while keeping the room feeling open and organic.

Scale your furniture

Scaling your furniture to an appropriate size can stop bulky or overly large pieces from overpowering the room, thereby maximising the potential of the space. If you’ve got low ceilings, an ottoman can be a great replacement for a sofa, while high cupboards can be a great choice for a high-ceilinged room. It’s all about adapting your furniture to the dimensions of the space!

Trick the eye by hanging mirrors

Mirrors are a time-honoured means of creating a feeling of expansiveness. Hang large mirrors at either end of the room to make your living room seem twice as large. If you can cover an entire wall with mirrors, even better!

Increase your verticals

Utilising and exaggerating your living room’s vertical space is one of the most underrated ways of making things seem bigger. From tall plants to high curtains, decorating your living room using vertical lines is an awesome way to make full use of every area of space.

Mount your television on the wall

It sounds simple, but mounting your television on the wall is a great way of maximising the potential of a small space. It also generates more space for shelves and cupboards, always a welcome addition!

Hide the clutter with hidden storage

Making use of hidden storage units underneath sofas and coffee tables. It’s a great way of keeping your living room looking tidy while maintaining its functionality.

By mixing your actual space with the illusion of even more using our living room decorating ideas, you can help to make it the ideal heart of your home.