Apartment Living Room Ideas for Maximizing Space and Style

Just because you live in an apartment doesn’t mean you can’t embrace popular decor trends. You just have to get more creative in how you use them. You also don’t want to copy a picture in a magazine and end up with an apartment that doesn’t feel like your home.

These small apartment living room ideas will inspire you to decorate your apartment living room. Consider the size of your living room and how you plan to use the space. Also, factor in your personal sense of style and budget. Then combine different elements to create a space that reflects who you are.

1. Simplicity Meets Style

We all face the same problem. Over time, we collect items, and they eventually begin to fill our homes. It’s especially problematic when you live in an apartment and have limited storage space. Instead, take a simpler approach. Walk through your living room and get rid of the clutter. Eliminate the bulk of the decor that’s making the living room feel overstuffed and crowded.

Embrace small apartment ideas where less is more. Have nothing on the wall. If you want to hang something, choose one item like a single painting, a lone floating shelf, a mirror, or a singular candle holder. By eliminating the clutter, you’re letting the room breathe, and by extension, you’ll feel less claustrophobic in the space.

Modern living room with a cream sofa, round metallic coffee table, and pastel throw pillows. — casamiasage/Instagram

White living room with built-in bookcases, white sofas, wooden coffee table, and two small dogs.

Cozy living room with a large window view, bookshelf, armchair, and round coffee table.

Industrial-style living room with beige tufted sofa, dark walls, and a wooden coffee table.

2. Creating a Cozy Oasis

Turn the limited square footage and low ceiling of your tiny apartment into an asset. Your small living room is the perfect space to turn into a cozy living room design equivalent to a warm hug. Say no to an all-white living room and choose warm colors or deep hues. Dark blue, burgundy, or charcoal grey are all great paint colors.

A plush sofa gives you a great place to sink into at the end of the day. Consider placing several decorative pillows and a throw blanket to complete the look. Skip the tightly woven rugs and choose a thicker rug with a high pile that you can sink your toes into.

Most people live in a studio for their first apartment. This singular space combines the kitchen, bedroom, living room, and dining area into one. A Murphy bed could be handy because you can fold your “bedroom” out of the living space during the day. A room divider is also useful for separating the space with your dining table from the sitting area. Another option is a loft bed that raises your sleeping area so you can create a living space underneath it.

Minimalist living room with white sofa, patterned rug, fireplace, and botanical wall art. — househappening/Instagram

Modern living room with grey sectional sofa, patterned rug, wicker chair, and wall-mounted TV. — kymacy/Instagram

Feminine living room with pink velvet sofa, glass coffee table, floral decor, and wall art. — sarchetrit/Instagram

Open modern living room with black leather sofa, large windows, and minimalist decor.

Dark modern living room with glass coffee table, fireplace, abstract art, and cozy shag rug.

3. Family-Friendly Designs

When decorating a living room for a family home, it needs to be a livable space. Think about your family lifestyle and how you plan to use the space in your apartment. It’s most likely where you’ll be entertaining so you’re going to need plenty of seating.

Choose furniture made out of fabrics that are easy to clean. Then look for space-saving furniture. You could have an ottoman that holds several floor poufs. That way, you can tuck them away when not needed or spread them out on the floor when you have guests. Another option is committing to making the space a lounge area. Choose an oversized couch with plenty of sitting area for several people to pile on.

Elegant living room with dark walls, velvet sofa, tufted ottoman, and leather lounge chair.

Rustic family room with grey sectional, farmhouse decor, wood coffee table, and neutral accents. — blessed_and_farmhouse_obsessed/Instagram

Country-inspired living room with neutral tones, wicker decor, and large cozy sectional sofa. — soodecoo/Instagram

Country-style living room with beige sectional, wooden coffee table, and rustic decor accents. — brightyellowdoor/Instagram

4. Embracing Modernity

Modern living rooms in apartments aren’t afraid of empty space. They balance the room and create a comfortable but not-too-cozy apartment. Look for unique lighting fixtures that use LED lights to give your apartment a modern technological feel. You’ll be able to create your own custom lighting scheme in your apartment. You can play with color temperatures to provide more attractive light than the standard overhead fixtures that come in most apartments.

Another easy way to modernize your apartment is by creating an accent wall using modern materials. You could create a custom pattern with stickers or cover the whole wall with removable wallpaper. There are full murals or scenic designs that realistically mimic wood, brick, and stone. There are other murals that create a beach or forest scene.

Elegant living room with leather sectional, nested coffee tables, large windows, and scenic view. — inspiredlifeinteriors/Instagram

Contemporary living room with grey sectional, modern decor, and large windows with sheer curtains.

Modern loft-style living room with open kitchen, wooden staircase, and large windows.

Contemporary living room with sleek furniture, large TV, and modern lighting fixtures.

Monochrome living room with sleek grey sofa, black TV stand, floor lamp, and modern decor.

Modern living room with brown leather seating, cement feature wall, and minimalist decor.

Modern open-concept living room with high ceilings, grey sofa, fireplace, and artistic decor.

Modern living room with beige sofa, gold accents, large window, and decorative chandelier.

Regal apartment living room with bay windows, striped rug, and contemporary furniture.

5. Space-Saving Solutions

You have limited floor space to work with when you have a small living room. That means you need to get creative with how you decorate. Instead of a traditional couch, you could place a loveseat or two accent chairs. There are even some vintage sofas that are smaller than modern designs. They sit on legs and create the illusion of more room in a small space.

Skip the large and heavy-feeling entertainment center or bookshelf. Try hanging your TV on the wall and mounting floating shelves to hold your books or other decorative items. These ideas will reduce the need for floor space while also utilizing the vertical space in the room.

Small living room with grey sofa, mirrored coffee table, and bay window with shutters. — meandmrhughes/Instagram

Cozy dark living room with grey sofa, wooden chair, wall art, and vintage bicycle decor.

6. Adding Charm

Everyone’s definition of cute is different. Just like not everyone finds the same people attractive, not everyone will think the same living room is adorable. So while you can look at pictures to get inspired, you’ll need to stick with your gut when creating your cute living room. You know your tastes and sense of style the best, so the cutest living room for you is one that embodies your personality.

You could have a simple and masculine design of greys with gold accents. Consider creating a sugary sweet confection of pastels and florals. You might also design an artistic and bohemian vibe with vibrant colors and plenty of greenery.

When decorating your space, keep the basics in mind. You want to balance the room with furniture scaled for the space. Leave enough room to be able to navigate through the room. Create the same level of visual weight on either side of the couch. Choose a focal point and color scheme for the room and center your decorating efforts around them.

Beige sofa with black pillows, rust-colored throw, small coffee table, and minimalist wall art. — 62nelioo/Instagram

Light grey sofa with a patterned pillow, geometric mirror, decorative bookshelf, and soft neutral accents. — tiffanyjanellcreativestudio/Instagram

Colorful living room with green velvet sofa, abstract art, vibrant pillows, plants, and cozy lighting. — vraro/Instagram

Modern grey living room with a sectional sofa, movie posters, laptop, and cozy lighting.

7. Contemporary Elegance in Apartments

You’ll find that contemporary decor ideas work perfectly in an apartment space. They embrace a black-and-white or neutral color scheme. This palette keeps the living room feeling light and bright, which also helps it feel bigger. Try to use black or your chosen dark color as the grounding color in the room.

Once you have the living room furniture and basic pieces in your living room, you can add punches of brighter accent colors. Place some royal blue, magenta, or canary yellow throw pillows on the couch. You might also consider using a bold color for the window treatment.

Skip the vintage pieces and stick with modern furniture that has a simple design and clean lines. Your furniture shouldn’t have a ton of detail. Look for furniture with a Scandinavian feel to put yourself on the right track.

Beige sectional sofa in a minimalist living room with modern lighting, potted plant, and open shelving. — crisfulness/Instagram

Modern living room with grey sectional sofa, black nested tables, wall art, and potted plant decor. — klemstua/Instagram

Contemporary living room with dark sofa, rustic decor, antler wall display, and cozy wooden accents.

Industrial loft living room with large windows, grey sofa, orange accent chairs, and exposed wooden beams.

Industrial living room with exposed brick walls, built-in shelving, brown sofa, and large window.

Cozy living room with grey sofa, telescope, bookshelf, abstract rug, and large window with a city view.

Industrial loft living room with exposed brick walls, grey leather sofa, metal staircase, and large window.

8. Stylish Brown Tones

The color brown tends to get overlooked all too often when talking about living room decorating ideas. It’s the color that gets taken for granted as a neutral color for furniture pieces. But you could use it as one of the primary colors in your color palette.

You could have a dark chocolate brown couch, leather accent chairs, or a patterned area rug. Darker browns will give your living room a sense of warmth and sophistication. You can then pair this with darker woods for the coffee table, floor lamp, or mantel. You could mount a mantel on the wall and create a faux fireplace for a cozy vibe.

If you go with an all-dark color scheme, your living room can look too gloomy. You can either embrace the moodiness or add additional lighting to brighten the small room up. Another option is to pair your dark brown with lighter colors to create a brighter space that’s also grounded.

Rustic living room with brown sectional sofa, plaid cushions, black feature wall, and decorative wall art. — littleflatat34/Instagram

Modern living room with geometric accent wall, sleek furniture, floor-to-ceiling windows, and cozy lighting.

Industrial living room with leather seating, oversized lamp, exposed beams, and large windows.

Modern living room with leather sofas, central fireplace, wooden slat wall, and cozy lighting.

Brown living room with leather chairs, horse painting, bar setup, and modern shelving.

9. Designing on a Budget

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to decorate your apartment living room. You could buy a set of frames and hang pictures of your family, friends, pets, or adventures to create a gallery wall. If you’re creative, you could paint your own decor, weave unique wall hangings, or sew original accent pillows.

Another budget living room decorating approach is the strategic use of plants. If you’re going for a more bohemian, artistic, or even farmhouse appeal, then plants are an affordable decorating idea. Skip the large nurseries and hardware stores, though. Look for local places or private sellers who offer discounts. Buy plants with light requirements that your apartment can meet. Some need lots of direct sunlight, while others can happily survive with very little light.

Cozy living room with neutral sofa, patterned rug, round coffee table, decorative pillows, and fresh flowers. — housemadelovely/Instagram

ohemian living room with exposed wall, pink velvet sofa, large plants, and natural light. — jess.at_.home_ /Instagram

Cozy living room with grey sectional sofa, cat lounging, dark accent wall, and minimalist decor. — justlivingathome/Instagram

Modern living room with grey sofa, blue accent chair, wall shelves, and large bay window. — lou_myhomestyle/Instagram

Bright living room with floor mattress, potted plants, large windows, and patterned rug. — mademoiselle_nobs/Instagram

Two brown chairs with blue polka-dot pillows, large potted plant in between, and modern window shades. — the.plant_.chronicles/Instagram

10. Contemporary Flair

If you live in a classic high-ceiling flat, then you’ll want to embrace the traditional architectural structure of your apartment. Go for a traditional decor design with ceiling-to-floor drapes, a large sofa, a coffee table, and an area rug.

With taller ceilings, you can use darker colors and create a sophisticated and slightly moody living room. This works well if you want to create a more masculine feel. Accent the darker colors with modern textures and materials. You could have a coffee table that uses concrete for the base or a bookshelf made from glass and metal pipe.

Modern living room with grey sofas, mirrored wall decor, wooden floors, and a neutral color scheme. — emmersonhome/Instagram

Contemporary living room with a purple sectional sofa, camo pillows, industrial coffee table, and patterned curtains.

Industrial-style bachelor pad with exposed beams, metal walls, leather chair, and eclectic decor.

Industrial living room with exposed brick walls, wooden furniture, blue sofa, and a motorbike display.

Small living room with grey sofa, wall-mounted bicycle, open kitchen, and modern decor.

Contemporary living room with modular grey sofas, geometric decor, round coffee table, and minimalist lighting.

Modern living room with white sofa, wood accent wall, black lounge chair, and minimalist decor.

11. Urban Chic

You don’t have to live in a million-dollar apartment to have a living room that feels like a million bucks. Say goodbye to the traditional living room design trends and get bold with your decor choices. Mimic the look of upscale apartments by using double-sided tape to attach crown molding and ceiling trim temporarily. You can create a central design on the ceiling around your light fixture.

Hang an oversized piece of art or sculpture on the wall. It could be something made of metal and abstract or just something that you love. While the rich might hang an entire motorcycle from the ceiling, you could mount small, uniquely painted gas tanks or handlebars on your wall.

Bold living room with black walls, red armchairs, mounted motorbike, and modern decor accents.

Retro-inspired living room with grey sofa, vintage van mural, bar setup, and exposed brick walls.

FAQs

How can I decorate my new apartment?

Start the decorating process by hanging window treatments. They’ll provide privacy and make the space feel more like a home. Then access the lighting and add the fixtures necessary to create the ideal mood you’re going for. Finally, choose furniture that fits the space.

How can I decorate my apartment without damaging it?

You could apply a faux or temporary wallpaper that you can remove when you move out. If the wallpaper is too much, some decals can decorate the wall without completely covering it. You can use adhesive strips or hooks to hang pictures or fabric on the wall.

How can I decorate without walls?

Some apartments have an open floor plan, which makes the space feel bigger. However, it limits the number of walls you have to decorate. Try placing an easel in the corner to display your favorite art.