36 Affordable and Trendy Apartment Living Room Ideas

Don’t worry if you’re unsure about coming up with your apartment living room ideas. There’s no need to be scared. Making the most of a small living space doesn’t mean adding huge furniture that you might trip over or leaving guests without a place to sit.

Choosing the perfect paint color or wallpaper, curtains, flooring, rugs, lights, and furniture such as a sofa, chairs, coffee table, and end tables is essential.

Adding nice touches like pillows, lamps, and a cozy blanket will make your living room a comfortable and welcoming space.

Let’s explore different ideas to make your apartment living room cozy and beautiful.

Apartment Living Room Ideas

Here are a few lovely living room ideas that you might adore:

1. Hang a Standout Light Fixture

Try adding a unique and striking light fixture to your apartment living room instead of putting up too many decorations on the walls.

This will be like a cool piece of art that hangs from the ceiling, making the room interesting without making it too busy. Just keep the rest of the room simple to balance things out.

2. Paint the Ceiling

Consider painting your apartment’s ceiling, even if it seems like a bold move in a small space. The key is choosing the right color.

For example, using a light icy blue on both the walls and ceiling can make the room feel more open and cohesive. The sunlight coming in through the windows helps create a unified look in the living room.

3. Stick with a Color Scheme

Choose a consistent color theme for your whole apartment to make it look bigger and less messy, especially if you have a studio or one-room space.

Check out the art studio in Denver for inspiration.

4. Arrange Things Artfully

In a small apartment living room, you don’t have to keep things minimal. Take this living room, for example.

It has a lot of furniture, but they arranged it in a way that looks neat and avoids feeling cramped and overcrowded.

5. Integrate Vintage Furniture

Make your place look cool and unique by adding old, stylish furniture. When someone compliments your furniture, you can proudly say, “Oh, it’s vintage!”

It might take some searching, but finding special pieces, like the ones in this London apartment by Emilie Fournet Interiors, adds a special touch to any space, especially a small living room.

6. Go Long

If you have a narrow living room in your small apartment, check out this stylish setup for inspiration.

Get furniture that’s small and has legs, so it doesn’t look too heavy. Put important pieces like your sofa against the walls to make the most of your floor space.

7. Make it Monochromatic

For a light and open feel in your apartment living room, whether it’s big or small, stick to a color theme.

Choose shades of white for everything – walls, furniture, and window treatments.

8. Embrace a Multipurpose Room

If you don’t have room for a separate dining area, living room, and breakfast nook, take a cue from this apartment.

Use furniture that fits well and arrange things in a way that makes your space look intentionally open, giving the impression of more than just a single room.

9. Get Your Reflection on it

Put some mirrors in your small space. Mirrors make your place feel more open and airy.

That’s why the owner of this living room used them to create a cool illusion in their tiny living space.

10. Keep Things Linear

Use straight lines and patterns in your small apartment living room. Consider adding geometric and linear prints, like the bold rug in this apartment.

This not only gives your space a more organized look but also makes it seem like it’s a bit longer and wider than it is.

11. Install a Wall of Books

Transform a small living space into your favorite room by turning an empty wall into a floor-to-ceiling mini library.

This not only gives you lots of storage but also makes a bold statement, creating a luxurious built-in look.

12. Embrace Awkward Angles

If your apartment has odd angles or corners, don’t see it as a problem; embrace it as an interesting challenge.

Use these unique spaces to purposefully arrange your furniture, as they did in this Manhattan apartment, to create a comfortable conversation spot without taking away from the amazing city views.

13. Keep Your Space Alive

Plants can make a room look great, and you can have fun with them in your living area.

Check out this lovely home where they’ve set up a small living room and cleverly hung plants to save floor space.

14. Floor-to-ceiling Curtains

Make your room look taller by using floor-to-ceiling curtains. Hang them close to where the wall meets the ceiling and let them just touch the floor.

Light-colored sheer curtains work well for this, especially against a dark background like in this home.

15. Layer a Rug Over the Carpet

If you’re dealing with not-so-great carpet in your apartment, and you can’t change it, try adding a rug on top.

It’s a simple way to cover up a large part of the carpet and improve the look of the space.

16. Keep it simple

Keep things simple! If you don’t have a lot of space but want to add some color, start with neutral colors as your base.

Then, pick one main color and one metallic accent to mix things up a bit.

17. Add Different Seating Options

Include different seating options in your small living room. If a big sectional sofa doesn’t fit, go for loveseats or movable stools.

These can be rearranged or put away based on your needs when you have guests over.

18. Try a Scenic Backdrop

A New York real estate expert named Michael Lorber decorated his home with special antiques and art. He picked a Park Avenue apartment because its living room was just the right size for a big Sultanabad rug.

The backdrop for his art collection is a mural of an Italian landscape (by Iksel), which adds a strong and interesting touch to the room.

19. Use Muted Tones

Create a calm and relaxed atmosphere in your living room with clean lines, natural materials, and soft colors. This style was used in a San Francisco condo designed by Cathie Hong Interiors.

They made clever use of storage, like the wall-mounted Danish midcentury bookshelf and the freestanding book tower, to maximize the available space.

20. Connect Spaces With a Large Area Rug

Put a big rug in your apartment living room; it’s not just for looks, but also to dampen the sound of your footsteps for the neighbors below.

In this example from BHDM Design, they covered the entire floor from the living room to the dining area with one large rug, making the space look larger than it is.

21. Convert a Closet

If you’ve got a spare coat closet in your living room that you’re not using for storage, turn it into a bar.

This not only makes it ready for hosting guests but also adds a cool touch, especially if you paint it a different color for contrast.

22. Devise a Spot to Work From Home

Even in a small living room, having a work-from-home setup with a desk is doable. For example, you can place a slim desk between the couch and the window.

You can spread out your work during the day, and when you’re done, it kind of disappears into the background.

23. Go for a Sofa Sleeper

Even if your apartment living room is small, you can still host guests without a problem. Get a sleeper sofa like the one in this apartment.

It quickly transforms from a couch into a bed that your guests will be comfortable sleeping on.

24. Paint it Black

Want to be bold? In a small apartment living room, you can make daring design choices, like painting the entire room black.

Louis Duncan-He Designs did it in this living room, and it looks cool and dramatic. The black paint serves as a stylish backdrop for eye-catching furniture, such as a rust-colored couch and a feathery floor lamp.

25. Hang Uniform Art

In small apartment living rooms, things can get messy quickly. But in this neat and open space by BHDM Design, the art on the walls is a big part of keeping things tidy.

It’s hung in an organized and uniform way, looking just right in its place.

26. Choose Light and Airy Window Treatments

Pick light and airy window coverings for your apartment living room instead of heavy curtains.

These not only let in sunlight and give you privacy but also make the room feel more spacious.

27. Pair of Matching Loveseats

In a small apartment living room, you might not have room for a big sectional sofa. Instead, go for two matching loveseats.

Place them facing each other for the best setup for chatting and cozying up.

28. Keep Furnishings Minimal

To avoid making your small apartment living room too crowded, begin with just the basics: a sofa, a coffee table, a lamp, and a plant.

Add more things slowly until the room feels furnished without feeling cramped.

29. Trade a Couch for a Daybed

Swap out a regular couch for a sleek daybed in your small apartment living room. Unlike bulky sofas, this daybed in a bright Swedish apartment from Fantastic Frank is stylish and versatile.

Add cushions and linens, and it works both as a comfy couch and a place for guests to sleep.

30. Match the Sofa to the Walls

Devin Kirk painted the walls in a color called Bird’s Egg by Benjamin Moore to match the sofa. The sectional is from Jayson Home and is covered in a fabric by Robert Allen Schiele, which is also used for the curtains.

They added a jute rug for texture and depth without overwhelming the small space with too many colors.

31. Prioritize the View

Don’t worry too much about the size of your apartment living room if you have a great view.

In this example from BHDM Design, they kept things simple in the room so that nothing took away from the awesome view.

32. Add an Accent

Add a special touch to your small apartment living room by creating a small accent area.

Take inspiration from this living room, where a nice green arch adds visual interest to the space.

33. Mix and Match Bold Patterns

Use bold patterns to give your living room a burst of personality. Always mix and match patterns for a lively look. Look at this space designed by Travis Londons for ideas.

The zigzag wallpaper behind the couch makes a statement, making the room look longer. And the diamond-patterned rug complements it with a similar but distinct feel.

34. Embrace Low Ceilings

Don’t let slanted ceilings in your apartment bring you down. You can make it work just fine. Look at this living room for inspiration.

Use neutral colors and modern shapes to make the space feel cozy and inviting.

35. Hide the TV in a Gallery Wall

Hide your TV in plain sight by surrounding it with a gallery wall. In this setup, the TV is like the centerpiece, and you arrange various pieces of wall art around it in different sizes.

It’s a clever way to integrate the TV into your overall design.

36. Paint Halfway Up The Walls

Painting the walls with a warm beige color, covering about two-thirds of the height, instantly modernizes the space and creates the illusion of more room.

It gives a refreshing look, grounding the seating area and making the ceilings seem taller.

What are the Small-space Design Tips?

When dealing with a small living space, there are some clever design tricks to make it seem more spacious.

Here are tips from Kathy Kuo, the CEO and Founder of Kathy Kuo Home:

Go for Light Colors: Paint the walls, trim, and ceiling white to create a sense of openness.
Choose the Right Rug Size: Make sure your rug fits well; if it’s too small, it can make the space feel cramped.
Use Mirrors: Incorporate mirrors to make the room appear larger by reflecting light and space.
Limit Accessories: Keep your decor simple with a well-chosen collection of a few accessories. Too many small pieces can make the room feel cluttered.
Go for Multi-Use Furniture: Embrace minimalist design by choosing furniture that serves multiple purposes.

Discovering cool apartment living room ideas can turn your space into a trendy and practical sanctuary that mirrors who you are and how you live.

It doesn’t matter if your place is small or if you want a comfortable feel, the goal is to make the most out of the space and add your flair.