7 Ideas for Decorating a Small Living Room

Combine the space, choose light finishes and furniture or make an accent on a detail — share great ideas for small living rooms with OBI experts.

Combine the living room with the kitchen

This is the most popular way to increase space and create a separate bedroom in a studio. Designer Anna Khom used this solution in this apartment — even the dining table was moved right up against the sofa. This allowed freeing up space for a full-size bedroom with a bed.

Design: Anna Khom
Successful purchases: Acrylic plaster Olimp, OBI. When applied it forms a rough surface with the possibility of creating various structural variations using tools. It has high resistance to wear and breathability. Door panel "Chester", OBI. Features resistance to humidity and temperature changes, excellent thermal insulation and sound absorption. Single-point spot MW-Light, OBI. The light source is LED with warm white light hidden behind a diffuser.

Use light furniture and finishes

Designer Ekaterina Logvinova used well-known tricks in this project: if you paint the walls and ceiling in one color, the space will seem more airy, and the ceilings — higher. Adding light shades to the upholstery of furniture will dissolve the boundaries between rooms, making the living room not seem cramped.

Large furniture items — TV furniture in the living room — blend with the walls and become virtually invisible.

Design: Katyshhha's desk
Successful purchases: Marshall Maestro paint, OBI. Easy to apply without splashing or running, doesn't create unevenly painted areas or leave tool marks. Transparent glass sphere "Norway", OBI. Enhanced with a composition of natural flowers or even dried flowers, it always fits any interior and takes on the role of a bright decorative accent. Vinyl wallpaper Ideco, OBI. Style — Provence. The special charm of the design is provided by a shiny surface of venetian blinds against a background. Technical specifications — flocked base, hot stamping, non-register printing.

Choose functional items with a minimalist design

This solution was used by designer Zhanna Studenцova in this project. The single room was divided using a curtain, and everything in the living room area was selected to ease the interior without compromising functionality: for example, a glossy surface of the desk, a shelf made from acrylic glass and a transparent coffee table don't clutter the interior but perform their functions perfectly.

Design: Zhanna Studenцova
Design: Zhanna Studenцova
Successful purchases: Wall sconce Toscom Felix, OBI. Shade with a matte finish and metal, chrome-plated frame. Laminate Kronostar Salzburg, OBI. Ideal for rooms with intensive floor usage. Wear-resistant overlay film creates a pleasant tactile matte surface. Curtains, OBI, brown color — blackout, mimicking linen fabric. Table lamp Odeonlight Cruz, OBI, 60W power suitable for both office and cabinet.

Move the living room to the balcony

Another great idea for small apartments. For example, in this project designer Ekaterina Kondratyuk suggested decorating a bedroom niche and using the insulated balcony as a living room. There was enough comfortable soft furniture, storage shelves, and a workspace.

Design: Ekaterina Kondratyuk
Successful purchases: Laminate Egger, OBI. The absence of bevels creates a smooth even coating that's easy to maintain. Ceiling cornice Nmc, OBI. Cornice made from extruded polystyrene with a complex convex relief, suitable for painting. Vinyl wallpaper Erismann Bliss, OBI. Wallpaper on a flocked base is not afraid of temperature fluctuations. The vinyl layer resists abrasion and handles wet cleaning well.

Or leave the space open

On 37 square meters, designers We Create Studio decorated an open space: a compact entrance hall transitions into a well-ventilated living room-bedroom and then into a spacious kitchen with a bar counter by the window. There's no shortage of square meters.

Design: We Create Studio
Design: We Create Studio
Successful purchases: Ceiling spotlight DeMarkt, OBI. Can illuminate three zones simultaneously. Suitable for use in the living room, bedroom or office. Pendant light DeMarkt, OBI, metal base and carved shade. Curtain "Cozy", OBI, has a universal mounting system. Installation on PVC windows without drilling.

Create ambiance with details

Designer Andrey Rybakov in one of his studio projects re-planned and created two zones: bedroom and living room. The living room has minimal furniture but enough stylish elements: a large blue sofa, an unusual table lamp in current copper color, the same ceiling light and minimalist wall clocks.

Design: Andrey Rybakov
Successful purchases: Ceiling paint "Tex", OBI. Matte water-dispersible ceiling paint for dry rooms. Paint forms a matte breathable coating. Pendant light Luminarte Vida, OBI, two shades in the shape of hemispheres. A smaller one is placed inside a large transparent shade. Parquet board "Sinteros", OBI. One-strip board with bevel from the premium collection.

And complement the interior with vintage elements

Designers Olga Buravkova and Anna Dobrokovskaya in this studio project decided to decorate the single room as a living room with a pull-out sofa. The interior was styled in the Scandinavian style, assembling vintage items: just like Scandinavian homes usually look.

For the living room, designers came up with an unusual element — artificially aged doors with mirror glass that visually expand the room — it seems there is a third part of the hallway behind the doors.

Design: Olga Buravkova and Anna Dobrokovskaya
Design: Olga Buravkova and Anna Dobrokovskaya

On the cover: design project of Geometrium studio.