By Charlotte Vossen For You Magazine Published: 07:00 EDT, 11 October 2024 | Updated: 07:00 EDT, 11 October 2024

While a small living room can have its drawbacks, the fact is that it’s one of the most-used shared spaces in our home. Working with a small footprint requires a clever design scheme; each piece of furniture and decoration should be selected with intention. Most of us are aware that a strategically-placed mirror and light-painted walls can help a small room feel bigger, but did you know that the size of your TV stand matters too?In a video on TikTok, interior designer Brie Turton (@briellynturton) helpfully shared four decorating mistakes to avoid ‘if you’re worried about the size of your living,’ from boxy furniture to small rugs.1. Bare wallsYou probably believe you’re doing the right thing by leaving the walls bare, but according to Brie this actually has the opposite effect. To help a small sitting room feel more spacious, she recommends placing well-sized art on the walls. This will draw the eyes up and make use of vertical space, rather than the small floor space being the focal point.2. Boxy furnitureThere’s nothing that highlights the small footprint of a room more than feeling restricted in the way you can move around. Boxy furniture doesn’t allow you to feel like you’re effortlessly moving through the space, says Brie. Instead, go for rounded or curved edges. Or, if you really do have your heart set on a boxy sofa for example, opt for a softer fabric like a linen. 3. Small rugsAs mentioned, one of the quickest ways our eyes define the size of a space is by the perceived floor space. Having a rug that’s too small and cuts off the room is going to immediately make the space feel smaller, Brie warns. For this reason, you should go for the largest possible rug that you can fit in your small living space.4. Compact media unitsA compact media unit might seem the right choice because you’re saving space, but the reality is that the space you’ve saved on either side of that TV stand is completely non-functional. Therefore Brie suggests placing a media unit to the length of the wall, as it will create a feeling of length and size in small living room.

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4 easy ways to maximise the space in a small living room