How To Increase Space In A Living Room

The living room is the most occupied room of the house. It can be the comfort zone, the visiting zone, and the party zone depending on the occasion. When all of this is considered, it is easy to allow your living room to get a bit crowded. Here's how to avoid feeling cramped in your living room.

Find Furniture That Fits

First, the furniture in your living room should be comfortable and appeal to your specific sense of style. You do, however, want to consider the amount of space you're working with before splurging on that oversized sofa. Before you hit the furniture stores, measure the space where you want to place your key furniture pieces. Smaller items can be a good investment if you're looking to save space. Consider these options:

• Loveseats
• Armchairs
• Collapsible coffee tables
• Ottomans

If you find you don't have as much space as you'd hoped, you can swap that sofa for a loveseat, or that loveseat for a cushy armchair. Having one central piece will appear less cluttered than filling your room with several smaller pieces, so be aware of the aesthetics of your living room.

Making the most of storage space

The living room might not be the best place to store items, but for those items that do need to find a home in the living room, make the most of your storage space. Certain pieces allow you to store items while still maintaining a clean, uncluttered look in your living room.

• Coffee tables with shelves or drawers
• Benches and stools with removable seats and storage compartments
• Decorative trunks

With so many options available for furniture that doubles as storage, it is easy to incorporate your sense of style into your space saving design. This way, you can have the items you want on-hand like the board games for family game night, or your collection of DVDs.

Getting rid of clutter

Your living room should not be where you drop any unwanted items. Since it is the main room of the house, it is easy to get into the habit of leaving unwanted items splayed across the furniture or thrown across the floor. Utilize hallway and closet storage for the items that end up scattered haphazardly across your living room. Make a rule that if someone is working or playing in the living room, their equipment must be cleaned up after use. Make use of other rooms in the house for storage of these items, including:

• The garage
• The bedrooms
• The kitchen
• The laundry room

It can be difficult to set up a cozy and welcoming living room with limited space. But with so many furniture, storage, and de-cluttering options, help is at your fingertips. Find the right pieces in the right style to not only make your living room look great, but appear spacious and less cluttered for friends and family to enjoy.