Although ambient lighting is essential to a well-designed living room, large table lamps are often a waste of precious space. When space is tight, skip table lamps and instead opt for a wall sconce.

This is a chic way to free up table space while still ensuring your room is well lit.

Foldaway Furniture

If you aren’t already hip to foldout furniture, now’s the time to smarten up. Whether it’s a wall-mounted dropleaf desk, or, a storage cabinet that opens to reveal a table or bed, foldaway furnishings are great for maximizing a small space.

Measure Everything First

What’s more unfortunate than a tight living room with furniture that doesn’t fit? Always measure all your furniture pieces first, to see and know how they work together. It’s important that nothing feels too big or too small. When you appoint pieces that are the right scale for the space, you can enhance the perception of how large the room actually is.

Lay a Large Rug Down

When all else fails, you can always count on a large area rug to open up a small living room. “In a studio or loft, use large, continuous rugs to tie as many elements together as possible. This helps maintain consistency and makes the space feel larger.

Create a Focal Point

Never underestimate the impact of a well-placed focal point in a small living room. Not only can it help tie the other decorative elements together, it can distract attention from the lack of square footage in a space. Make sure you have an anchor or focal point in your living room to draw the eye to. Whether it’s a tall plant or a large piece of art, it creates scale in a small room while distracting from the actual size of the space.