Know How: How To Arrange Your Sofa in a Small Living Room

Small living spaces can be challenging, but they certainly don’t mean you have to give up on your interior design aspirations when creating a beautiful home that’s right for you. There are many ways to style a smaller living room to make use of the space you do have effectively. Follow our ‘How to’ guide for inspiration and ideas on how to best set up your sofa arrangement. You need to consider what other living room furniture you will have to arrange, such as; coffee tables, side tables, bookcases, floor lamps and armchairs.

If you have low ceilings, a low-backed sofa would be ideal, as this will give the illusion of height by keeping the eye level low. Our super-sleek, modern Dixon, shown below, with its clean lines and square edges would work very well in contemporary living rooms, or embrace the ‘hygge’ lifestyle with our scandi-inspired Elton sofa.

A rug adds texture and warmth to your space. Pick one that complements or highlights colours from your chosen scheme and try to find one that’s a similar width to your sofa to create a sense of proportion. Mirrors are useful tools in smaller living rooms because they reflect the light back into the room making it appear larger.

For really small spaces, where larger, bulky furniture simply won’t fit, downsize and consider a compact two-seater sofa; they’re just as comfy but a little less wide. Sofas on raised legs also work well because they allow you to see the floor space underneath and won’t block out any light: our Aragon sofa with its high back and dramatic silhouette makes a big impact. If you have a fireplace in your living room, where possible, place your two-seater sofa opposite to create a sense of balance, and pair two mirroring side tables at either side for bonus feng shui points. Alternatively, two-seater sofas and snugglers sit very well in bay windows, making use of the available floor space.

A traditional corner sofa works exceptionally well for smaller rooms and families. It may seem counter-productive, but in fact, a generously sized corner sofa gives the overall feel of space because it maximises the use of the corner area and can seat more people than a regular two-seater sofa – just make sure you measure the size of your room to make sure it will fit. Corner sofas don’t work as well when you have lots of obstacles like radiators, alcoves and chimney breasts, so do take this into consideration. Leathers will provide a luxurious feel, like our Balthasar brown corner sofa, pictured below.

Many of us are not gifted with a spare room for guests, so a sofa bed comes in handy for when you have people to stay. They’re a practical way of making use of the space you have while doubling up as an extra bedroom when needed. We have four sofa bed styles that can be upholstered in all of our house fabrics. This blue sofa bed is also from our Balthasar family.

Another important style question is whether you want your sofa to blend in or stand out? Neutral sofas against light painted walls will allow it to fade into the background seamlessly. However, don’t be afraid of making the sofa a focal point with bright prints and fabrics – just because your space is small, that doesn’t mean that it can’t make a mighty impact.