Create The Perfect Illusion of a Bigger Room: Best apartment small living room ideas under $500
In any apartment small living room ideas are befitting. So, I created a curated list of small living room ideas to make room decor easier for you.
In the US, 266000 new apartments are built every year. Most of them are small, single apartments. Hence, discussing apartment living room ideas is the need of the hour. By 2035, The US needs 4.3 million more new apartments.
So, we better focus on quick decor hacks. Meanwhile, we must ensure the decor budget is not sky-high. The US middle class doesn’t want to invest a fortune in room decor. Yet, they want decor plans that make their small living rooms distinguished.
This article will address the needs of millions of Americans who own apartments or will be future owners.
Maximizing your living rooms with apartment small living room ideas
There’s no hat trick to maximize your living room’s size. But wait, don’t give up yet. We can make your living room look more prominent, and that is what matters!
Firstly, we will plan a clean layout for your living room. Secondly, we will get the right furniture and vacate as much space as possible.
Some other tricks that we will use here to pull off the apartment’s small living room ideas are:
Make wall cabinets and use wall space with caddies
Suggest multipurpose furniture to free up as much floor space as possible.
Suggest cost-effective buy sleek storage units to save space.
Best furniture for apartment small living room ideas
The goal of apartment small living room ideas is setting up a catch and spacious space. But the trick is cutting out unnecessary items when the carpet area is limited.
#Trick 1: Gather armchairs from other rooms during a house party or any other gathering. Meanwhile, keep the actual seating set-up small.
I was scrolling through the expos of Suzanne Dawson Interiors last week. In a flash, I got hooked on a master idea. Let me share that with you. She suggests we face off with two medium sofas in any small apartment living room.
If needed, we can draw in small coffee tables from other rooms to create a cute, cozy conversational space. We can also rope in a few club chairs to accommodate the party.
I want to share another abstract yet scientific thought with readers here. Nashville designer Amanda Khouri says that choosing small furniture for small rooms can make the room’s outline seem even smaller.
Henceforth, the trick is to choose very few pieces of furniture. But those better not be small. That indeed does not imply that the furniture should be of gigantic sizes. Let me make my point more straightforward.
You can at least accommodate a standard couch or a seating setup with a medium sofa and two comfortable chairs. I suggest you add a standard piece of storage furniture with that, as well.
Even if I consider a 14×12 room, there’ll still be space after accommodating these set-ups.
Smart design tricks for apartment small living room ideas
What we can’t count on is the limited floor space. All our adjustments will be centered around it. Now the question is, how do we solve the problem of the lack of abundance of floor area?
Firstly, we try to invest in custom-built ins. Most of our storage solutions should be custom-built, preferably wall mounted.
How can lighting help here?
We rely on intelligent lighting to create a spacious feel in our tiny apartment living rooms. But that can be deceiving at times. For example, many apartments have bright overhead lights highlighting the local hue. In this way, they try to create an illuminating effect.
But I doubt the sincerity of those small apartment living room ideas. In my POV, the overhead lights create a cross-sectional aura of high-power light beams. That makes the room more visible but certainly not very spacious.
Meanwhile, you can diffuse lights. You can also go for warm light bulbs. In addition, some eye-level lights can also attract guests to a compartment in the room.
Designers say vintage table lamps can also create the same feel. So you can try that option as well.
Ideal color options for apartment small living room ideas
There are no specific paint options to make your room seem more spacious. However, some customary shades make the room seem at least more airy. Firstly, try colors that radiate warm with a buttery aura.
The light beams soften around the corners, creating a mysterious charm at those spots. At the same time, you can try unique paint options like peachblossom. Some similar shades are dusky pink, cake butter ombre paint, etc.
However, designer customizations like cake butter or peach blossoms are way more costly. So, I suggest alternatives to soft shades like tinted saffron, various pink shades, and other colors.
Wait, there’s another unique idea awaiting you. Often, such shades do not click if the light combinations of the room do not click well. Hence, I would suggest monochrome dark and moody shades for a silent appeal.
Designers say such shades make you feel there is space behind space. We also call this concept- color drenching. It means covering the four walls, ceiling, and floor with the same color shade.
It is no doubt one of the most awkward living room layout ideas. In fact, the design principles say that the trims and doors should also be the same color. So, the bottom line is how it helps.
Well, this concept painting creates an immersive environment. So, when you step in, you feel there is space beyond the room’s limitations. Comment below if you want details about expos that showcase such color themes.
Creating a concentration point
In all farmhouse living room ideas, we emphasize a focal point. Here lies the prime attraction of the room. Maybe the seating space is that concentration point. It should ideally comprise the following:
- A lounge sofa
- Two to three club chairs or bean bags
- 1 ottoman
- A centre table
- A TV cabinet and
- Additional like a music system
But there is undoubtedly no prominent space in small apartments. Hence, the question is- how are you going to create that point of concentration?
1. Reflect lights
Don’t think twice and paint your walls white. There may not be better options to amp up reflecting lights. It is undoubtedly a way to make the room seem bigger. Then, you can place concentration furniture and other elements to create a posh feel in bigger living rooms.
But that’s not all. You have to add reflective elements cleverly. For example, reflective furniture, such as a glass-top coffee table, can be considered. You may buy glossy finish furniture instead of matte furniture for a change.
2. Custom furniture may help
Apartment small living room ideas need some secret hacks, too. These hacks are nothing more than space-saving furniture. Firstly, I suggest built-in cabinets for the walls. Outwardly, the room will seem tidy if you do that.
You can also add white wall caddies on white walls. It will conceal the projections and hence make the room seem bigger. And that’s your chance to incorporate a sofa or two armchairs and a small TV cabinet. You can also convert the TV cabinet into an innovative storage space.
3. Mural paints for a change
Unique living room paint ideas can help you create a spacious feel. The best idea for me was to paint murals on the walls. But it is not always necessary to paint murals, too.
You can easily buy stick-and-peel murals from Amazon. Some of them have suitable 3D hues, making them seem like original paintings.
Your Space-Craving Starts NOW
All we need in small living rooms is to create illusions to make the room seem bigger. You’ve understood by now that it is no big deal. With the right trick, you can now do that easily. In the meantime, let me update you on the expenses.
There are no significant buys you need to invest in. At best, you may need modest carpentry, wall stickers, and living room lights. So, your budget can barely go beyond $500.
Lastly, remember that space-saving seating is also essential in small living rooms. So, keep that in mind. Get your room’s scaling done by decorators or AI apps before buying furniture.
For further advice, comment on your queries below. All the best with your new living room decor.
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