Tips for decorating a long living room: 10 fundamentals that will make the room feel more expansive

If you have a long, skinny living room, these tips will help you maximize its potential.  

If your living room is long and narrow, you know how difficult it can be to make it seem spacious while still providing ample comfortable seating for all your guests.  

Aside from knocking down walls and starting over, there is probably not much you can do to make your rectangular space appear more square other than spend a lot of time rearranging furniture.  

But have no fear, for there are plenty of creative solutions for decorating a small living room. To view the video, click here (opens in a new tab) and expert tips, there are a plethora of options available to help transform your uninspiring living space into a refined and fashionable haven.  

First, avoid having a cluttered long living room.

(Photo by: The Future)

One of the quickest and easiest ways to give the impression of more space in a long living room is to get rid of clutter.  

Stay on top of clutter with the help of some ingenious storage solutions for a small living room. In this new window: Getting rid of clutter like toys, plants, and knickknacks can make a room feel much more open and comfortable.  

Use the right pieces of furniture to make the most of a small living space.

(Photo by Hoedemaker Pfeiffer / Haris Kenjar)

Investing in the right pieces of furniture for long living rooms can be a hassle, so it's important to plan the arrangement out ahead of time, as suggested by Hoedemaker Pfeiffer. This link opens in a new window/tab. done in this cramped, confined area  

The use of a glass coffee table and sofas and chairs with open arms and legs is recommended. Both will maintain the illusion of a much larger, more uncluttered room, making it easier for light to sneak in under and around pieces of furniture.

Third, get the furniture out from the walls.

This picture was taken in the future by Mel Yates and is credited to Future.

An additional helpful hint is to avoid pushing massive pieces of furniture up against partitions. You don't have to stuff every inch of a long room with furniture. Arrange your furniture so that it is symmetrical around the room's center, leaving the room's edges open but not empty.  

Modify the scale of your living room furniture if you have a long space.

(Photo by Paul Raeside for Future)

Adjust the size of your furniture to the proportions of the room, and don't get in the way of traffic. Find the best couch for your compact living space. It's a new tab that opens up the full article. Keeping the room's proportions in mind, you should steer clear of bulky sofas and other pieces that could potentially crowd the space. A room will appear smaller if furniture and decorations are in the way; if the floor can be seen, the space will appear more open.

fifthly, illuminate a confined area

Photo by Rikki Snyder / Becca Interiors.

For instant results, let light in by removing any obstructions to its entry, such as draperies or blinds. Apartment living room ideas can be found here. In this new window: , like this compact room designed by Becca Interiors, try sheer window coverings or install white wooden blinds or shutters to let light in during the day while providing privacy during the night. To view the video, click here (opens in a new tab)

Six, bounce light off of mirrors

(Photo by Jonathan Gooch for The Future)

It comes as no surprise that mirrored surfaces make a beautiful addition to any interior. (link opens in new window/tab) allows a narrow living room to give the impression of width Place a large mirror across from or close to a window to make the space feel more open.  

At any time of day or night, a room can be made to appear brighter and larger by strategically placing mirrors so that they reflect both natural and artificial light. If you put mirrors on the walls and use glass for the tables, it will give the impression of more space and light.  

To make a long, narrow room seem more spacious, try using paint.

(Photo by Richard Powers, courtesy of Future)

Painting the two end walls of a rectangular room a darker color than the other two walls creates the illusion of more space. A lighter shade of paint on an opposing wall can create the illusion of a greater distance, while a darker shade can have the opposite effect.  

Eight, divide a long room into sections with decorative accents.

(Photography by Sarah Shields and graphic design by Whittney Parkinson)

Whittney Parkinson Design breaks the mold of impersonal, elongated living rooms by In this new window: has implemented some clever zonal effects, making the room significantly more inviting  

Designing for limited quarters (New window/tab) Rugs have the ability to visually unify a room's furnishings, providing a focal point while also increasing the space's coziness. A quirky piece of art, a vase, or a striking lampshade that stands out from the rest of the scheme can be visually interesting while also hiding the awkward layout.

9: Properly Display Pictures

Picture by Paul Raeside for the Future.

Placing only one or two large pieces of artwork on the wall can open up a room that is otherwise cluttered with pictures and other wall hangings.  

Select wide, low pieces of art to hang over the sofa or fireplace to make the room feel more spacious.

Combining two separate rooms into one

Image by Sara Tramp / Ginny Macdonald Design.

It's a good idea to choose a couple of your favorite colors and use them as key tones to coordinate the one space if you have a long living room that is divided into two — for example, a living room on one end and a dining room on the other. like Ginny Macdonald, an interior decorator In this new window: done here

To further break up the space, try positioning your sofa so that it runs perpendicular to the length of the room. You don't want the line of your sofa to run directly into the line of your dining table.

If you have a long living room, how do you recommend arranging the furniture?

If at all possible, avoid having all of your living room furniture pushed against one wall. To prevent the room from looking too narrow and long like a hallway, alternating furniture groupings or making better use of the middle can help direct traffic in an 'S' shape.

How can a long living room be put to good use?

Don't let oversized cabinets, sofas, or chairs make a narrow room feel even narrower than it already is.  

Arrange your furniture at an angle to give the impression of more space in the room, as opposed to pushing it all up against the walls.

Further, regardless of wall color, painting the ceiling a paler shade will make the room appear taller, which is especially useful in making a small living space feel more open.