When you have to decide how to furnish a small living room, where every centimetre can be exploited, you have to consider all possible solutions: starting from the basic elements we will try to suggest you how to choose the essential furnishings and how to combine them, and then we will bring attention to some fundamental details. Compact furniture, moving elements and optical tricks: many ideas to make even a small living room cozy and comfortable.

1. Double function

The multifunctionality of the furniture is essential to make the most of the space: a sofa bed, for example, can save you in case of guests, or can hide a useful container under the seat; a pouf, on the other hand, can also be used as a coffee table, so as to have both a support surface and an extra seat. Designing space-saving solutions right from the start can be a very far-sighted choice!

2. The sofa is not a dogma

The sofa is not mandatory: in a small living room, we can also replace it with a mix of armchairs, poufs and chaise longue; this expedient may prove more practical than placing a larger sofa, which will be forced into its position and cannot be moved to make additional space.

3. Lightweight, foldable or wheeled elements

In order to have a different surface area depending on the occasion, a practical idea is to opt for furniture that is easy to move: in daily life you can move objects and furniture to extend a table, transform the sofa bed to accommodate a friend or make space for a small home office; life will be easier by inserting light elements, foldable or equipped with wheels. For example: the trolleys that are generally used for the kitchen are very popular furnishing accessories also for the living room.

4. Minimize

To save space, it is advisable to choose "compressible" furnishings that take up little space and are transformable. For example, it is better to opt for sofas that are rather low and without bulky armrests: a compact backrest will tend to make the sofa look a little wider, while over-bodied armrests would take away seating space. The table, on the other hand, must be small but extendable, so that it can also accommodate, if necessary, a considerable number of diners. However, it is advisable to also take into consideration the base, choosing one that allows the chairs to fit perfectly under the top, so as to free up the surrounding space.

5. Maximizing brightness

Every ray of light is precious in a small space. Maximizing brightness is a goal to be pursued through multiple ways: opt for materials that diffuse light, for example glass furniture and shiny surfaces; prefer white and, if you want to give some color, choose light and warm shades that reflect the light instead of absorbing it; choose wall or ceiling lighting, trying to illuminate all corners; hang large mirrors on the walls, to reflect the light on surfaces and create the optical illusion of a larger room.

6. Eyes up

When the living room is mini in plan but maxi in height, then it is better to use the centimeters upwards, inserting shelves and modular space-saving elements: the equipped wall is an excellent solution to space problems! Alternatively, you can give a more airy effect to the room by decorating the walls up to the ceiling, to enhance the whole length and make your eyes fall upwards.