
36 Ways to Effortlessly Create Space in Small Apartment Living Rooms
Living rooms are supposed to be practical and beautiful. They are the heart of the home where laughter and good memories are made. But how do you turn your small, drab living room into a place where light dances on your chosen furniture, where color, charm, and ambiance paint that perfect picture?
If you are constantly arranging furniture, struggling after years to pick out that perfect color curtain, or even embarrased to invite your friends over, fear no longer. We have put together a list of 36 of the most popular designs on Apt2B. If you become inspired from one of these photos, we believe you truly cannot go wrong.
Simply Lush
Take the plants out of this room and what do you have? Beige walls with a matching area rug, sheer curtains, and a dark couch. Replace the furniture with any wooden table set, and it could be your living room. The difference lies in the plants. Perched near the window, the plants not only add color, but also life. They bring that nurturing touch to an otherwise mediocre room, turning it into a simple, modern home.

Two Birds with One Stone
An example of shoebox living at its finest: here we have the elegant coffee table, and its transparant qualities open up the room. The sectional is cozily nestled against the wall nook, resting peacefully against the radiant window. The spot looks like a great place to curl up, read a book, and daydream. Then behind the couch we have a work space, perfectly contained, extremely practical, and aesthetically pleasing to the senses.

Grayscale Done Right
The blend of colors in this living room create a space that just works. The linear carpet holds your attention just long enough for you to get your bearings, then your eye catches the pictures on the wall, which is framed by the pop of simple elegance in the geometric pillows. But the brown coffee table, the only of its kind, contributes that much-needed bold splash of color, like a glowing evening campfire.

Sandwich the Colors
The chic effect of this room is made possible by the contrast of colors: there is the pale pink couch eyebrowed by the white blanket, and sandwiched by the silvers of the wall and the carpet. The minimalist design is further accentuated by the coffee table. The coffee table balances out the room with its soft inlaid wood design, held up by the uniquely designed table legs, and its iceberg construction.

A Woven, Golden Radiance
Such a bold colored couch could only work in this room where it is hugged by a patchwork of pillows and blankets. Though nothing exactly matches, everything goes because of the white center coffee table making eyes at the pale gray paint. The asymmetrical, white geometric design focuses your thoughts and grounds your attention. The room, which is practically begging for color, is relieved by the soothing rug, the blue lamp, and the avant-garde wall painting.

A Mixed Berry Smoothie
Here, we see everything matches. The eye goes to the pink pillows, and then the pink in the painting. We become distracted by the blue, and our eyes guide us to the pillows, and then the windows. The cooler colors are warmed by the light through the sheer curtains, the pale glow of the furniture, and the flowers in the center of the coffee table. The wall trim ties the room up in a neat little bow.

The Street-Side Encounter
Captivated by the accent wall, the rest of the room hangs in sustainable balance. The white fades into itself, bathed by the glow of the light through the windows. But it is the two dark pillows on the sofa that make it work. Here is the rock the room has been needing, for it holds steady against the linear carpet and the variety of chairs and perfect nick nacks.

Up in the Clouds
This room is bathed in light, and the neutral colors run the show. You can see there is room for the geometric variety. The long coffee table is topped with a circular tray, and the stair steps in the carpet invite coziness. The squares in the pillows rhyme with the window pane, yet it is the rounded sectional that truly balances the room and diverts the eye to the wall shelves.

The Desert Oasis
This cheerful room is artsy by design. The unique bubbly light fixture floats like a cloud above the cacti. The mirrage of color on the wall matches perfectly with the colors in the furniture, pillows and blankets. And only a glass coffee table would tie everything together in is transparency. The small living space could not handle anything else, and it does not take away from the beauty created by the decorated wall.

It’s Electric!
Shot through by a bolt of lightning, this room simply dazzles. Blue on gold creates such a contrast that the rest of the room disappears as if just a backdrop. But this room holds a simple elegance brought about by the spaceous coffee table, the rack, and the minimal wall hangings. Warm in its own right, this living room both refreshes and invites.

Take Me Home
Like a strong shoulder to rely on, this bold accent wall protects, enlivens, and breathes happiness into the room. It is the focus, asking us to be still and observe, like the woman painting in the picture on the next wall over. The furniture is arranged in one direction, and that single golden note harmonizes perfectly with the radiant light fixture, the rack, and the upholstered coffee table loveseat.

The Rainforest
This room thrives with the lush dampness of the rainforest. The cool couch floats peacefully beneath a creeping vine, and is framed in the light of a glass door and picture windows. The rustic and vintage furniture bring warmth and coziness to the room, and the layout of the couch against the bookshelf literally creates the entire living space.

Island Couch
The living room is a place for conveniality. Some people like to stand, others like to sit. Here this couch is strategically placed in the middle of the living room, which leaves a comfortable resting spot against the half wall back behind the couch. Yet there is still enough space in front of the couch for a board game or some yoga. The dark blue feels like home, brightened up with the cheer from a colorful pillow and framed by the red of the room beyond.

Garden Living Room
Here you see nature prevails. The dark metalic teal couch just honors their place. A simple geometric rug adds coziness to the room, but the plants are what make the space a home. It is as if you are nesting in a jungle, even the coffee table resembles a leaf. Light from the windows is cast about, as if coming through the branches of the trees. And the plain white walls provide the serenity that accompanies any living room done right.

Kaleidoscope
Here you see oranges, reds, yellows, blues, greens, pinks, and whites, all dancing for attention in the kaleidoscopic setting. Lamps cast their glow from their tops, the geometric rug holds the colors in its simple pallete, and the space behind the couch suggests a bold confidence that only a designer could produce. The couch nestles up against the windows, creating the perfect opportunity to enjoy the natural light come daytime.
