7 tricks for organizing a small living room

1. Use the space under the staircase

In a small living room, no space should be wasted. The space under the staircase can be big enough to make a small office. Or it can be small but suitable for a coat rack. It all depends on your needs. Determine what hinders your room and check if it can be placed under the staircase. From children's toys and dogs to storing shoes and cleaning supplies, you can store almost everything in this space.

Sometimes you might need to assemble shelves for optimized storage. In that case, you'll need tools:

• Wood and cardboard
• Screws and drill
• Circular saw
• Tape measure

If you have handyman skills, you can build storage under the staircase to tidy up your living room.

2. Consider multifunctional furniture

Multifunctional furniture allows you to save money on buying multiple items that could clutter the room. A coffee table with shelves inside will help store remotes and stationery items that take up space on the table. Similarly, a sofa with storage will help you store children's toys that fill your space.

You can also buy a convertible sofa that serves as a bed when you have guests. Multifunctional furniture doesn't mean sacrificing your home's design. On the contrary, it gives you more space to cozy up your home.

3. Install floating shelves

In a small living room, there's little floor space. But walls can have lots of hidden space you don't notice. Why not install floating shelves? Corners are perfect for such shelves. You can store books, vases, toys and anything else that fits.

Building a shelf won't cost much, especially if you can do it yourself. You can use pallets since they are sturdy enough to build shelves from pallets. Make sure you paint them well so they contrast or blend with the interior.

4. Use baskets for storage

Some items are too small to be stored separately. One basket can contain many small things, making it an excellent solution for organization. You can put a smaller basket on the table to store stationery and remotes. Larger ones are perfect for storing pillows and extra blankets.

To save space, consider mounting some baskets on the wall. You might need to buy some wall hooks and drill them into the wall. But if you live in a rental apartment, drilling might not be the best idea. In this case, good metal adhesive glue will do the job.

5. Use less but better items

Small rooms require maximizing available space. One way to do this is by buying larger furniture. A lot of small details can make a room feel crowded. But large pieces make the room appear more spacious. Instead of two small sofas, one big one can take up less space and even accommodate more people.

6. Let in more light

Light creates an optical illusion that affects how depth is perceived. A room with dark corners can seem smaller because you don't see what's in those corners. A small room looks less confined with more light. To get more light, you can leave windows without curtains or use light curtains. Painting walls white will also help reflect light and avoid dark corners.

7. Reduce clutter

One reason a living room may look overcrowded is storing items you don't use. Take a good look at the room and identify things you haven't used for several months. What could go wrong if you gave them away? If your organizing methods aren't working, you might need to reconfigure the entire living room. This could include replacing single-use furniture with multifunctional ones.

You may have a small living room, but you can always make it better by implementing the above organizing ideas. Small living rooms require careful planning before purchasing interior items. Before buying any item that takes up space, ensure it's relevant and serves multiple purposes.