When it comes to narrow living room decor ideas, the challenge lies in creating a space that feels open, inviting, and functional, without overcrowding it with bulky furniture or excessive accents. The key is to make thoughtful design choices that maximize space, while still offering comfort and staying true to your style. Whether it’s selecting furniture with visible legs to enhance openness or using vertical decor to draw the eye upward, there are plenty of clever strategies to make the most of your narrow living room. In this blog, we’ll explore 10 space-saving ideas that bring elegance and functionality to even the tightest of spaces.
1. Use furniture with legs
For your sitting furniture and accent tables, opt for styles with visible legs. Platform sofas, floor chairs, and other low-profile furniture provide a grounded, cozy feel to a space, but they can feel bulky in a narrow living room, creating a ‘wall’ effect. On the other hand, furniture with legs enhances the feeling of openness and keeps the room from feeling blocked off.
Why it works: Furniture with legs helps open up the floor space and creates a sense of lightness and flow.
Suggestions: Choose sofas, armchairs, and accent tables with visible legs for a more airy feel.
Tip: Go for designs with clean lines and narrow legs.
2. Add vertical art and decor
Vertical art and decor not only make strategic use of space available to you, they draw the eye upward to emphasize the feeling of spaciousness. This is a simple narrow living room idea, but makes a huge impact on space.
Why it works: Vertical lines bring the attention up, making the room feel taller and more spacious.
Suggestions: Tall artwork, a collection of slim, framed prints, or hanging decor.
Tip: Keep the decor simple to avoid overwhelming the space.
3. Create zones with rugs and lighting
When you’re decorating a small space or an open floor plan living room, creating zones using rugs, furniture, and lighting is a great strategy. This way, you can make functional use of the limited space, whether it’s for a sitting area, a breakfast nook, a reading corner, or a meditation space.
Why it works: Delineating spaces within a narrow room makes it feel larger and more dynamic.
Suggestions: Use rugs to define areas (e.g., sitting area vs. reading nook).
Tip: Layer different light sources (ambient, task, accent) to add depth and warmth.
4. Choose light, neutral colors
Light, neutral colors remove visual clutter and allow light to be reflected throughout the room, opening up your narrow living room. While color drenching and color blocking make a bold statement, stick to light tones in if you want to give the illusion of space in a narrow living room. White, beige, light blues and greens, warm grays, and other sandy colors are wonderful choices.
Why it works: Light colors reflect light, creating a sense of openness.
Suggestions: Soft whites, light grays, pastel shades, and pale beige tones.
Tip: Use a cohesive color palette throughout the room to enhance the flow of your design pieces.
5. Incorporate mirrors
It’s no secret that mirrors can instantly make a narrow room feel larger, and the beauty of this narrow living room idea is its versatility. From different shapes and sizes to a variety of frame materials, the options are limitless for finding a mirror that suits your style.
Why it works: Mirrors visually expand a room by reflecting light and surroundings.
Suggestions: Large wall mirrors, mirrored furniture, or decorative mirrored accents (e.g. mirror trays).
Tip: Place mirrors opposite windows or light sources to amplify natural light.
6. Avoid overcrowding the room with decor
While we love a maximalist home (See our Maximalist Style Guide), you don’t have to fill your home with decor to show off your style. This is especially important to remember in a narrow living room, so try to stick with statement pieces such as a vintage coffee table or a show-stopping curtain, instead as your living room’s focal point.
Why it works: One rule to remember when thinking about narrow living room ideas is that too many accessories can make a narrow room feel even smaller and cluttered.
Suggestions: Stick to a few statement pieces, such as a large piece of art or a bespoke coffee table, rather than overcrowding the space with baubles.
Tip: Edit your decor regularly to ensure the room remains streamlined and visually uncluttered.
7. Use wall-mounted lighting an easy narrow living room idea
Wall-mounted lighting is one of the easiest and most effective space-saving solutions for a narrow living room. Ideally, the best fixture is one that coordinates with your walls or curtains, creating a seamless, stylish flow throughout the room.
Why it works: Floor lamps and bulky table lamps can take up valuable surface area and create a cramped feel in narrow spaces.
Suggestions: Install wall sconces or pendant lights to provide ambient lighting while saving floor and table space.
Tip: Choose adjustable wall-mounted lamps that can direct light where you need it or dimmable lamps, creating a layered, cozy ambiance.
8. Go for a statement sofa with clean lines
If you’re looking for narrow living room ideas that make a big impact, then a statement sofa with sleek lines is one to seriously consider. A showstopper sofa can serve as the focal point of a narrow living room without overwhelming the space. By choosing a minimalist design, you create a sense of openness while enhancing the room’s proportions.
Why it works: A streamlined sofa can act as the focal point of a narrow room without overwhelming the space.
Suggestions: Choose a sofa with a slim profile and minimal ornamentation, but with a bold color or texture for added style.
Tip: Pair a statement sofa with smaller, complementary pieces to balance out the proportions in the room. Think a coordinating side table or curtains in a complementary tone.
9. Add a long, narrow coffee table
A long, narrow coffee table is a great addition to any living room but is particularly helpful in a narrow room, offering both style and functionality. Its sleek design helps maximize floor space while providing a surface for drinks, decor, or books. Plus, it can easily complement a variety of interior styles, from modern to traditional.
Why it works: A long, narrow coffee table works better in tight spaces because it maintains proportion with the room’s shape.
Suggestions: Choose a low-profile, rectangular or oval coffee table made of glass, wood, or reflective metal.
Tip: Keep the table uncluttered with just a few decorative pieces like a bowl or a tray to maintain a clean, streamlined look.
10. Keep window treatments minimal
There is a time and place for dramatic window treatments—for instance, velvet blackout curtains layered with sheers for a luxe look that doubles as insulation during the cold months. But, in a narrow living room, keep window treatments minimal to maximize light and give the illusion of a larger, more open space.
Why it works: Heavy curtains can make a narrow room feel even smaller.
Suggestions: Use sheer curtains or blinds that allow for natural light to filter through.
Tip: Hang curtains higher than the window frame to create the illusion of height.
Switching out window treatments is one of the easiest changes you can make in our list of 10 narrow living room ideas that save space. Take a look at our sheer white curtains to help you transform a narrow living room into an airy, functional, and inviting space.
