Apartments

Living room Small Space Design for Apartments

Keep one clear route and make infrequent activities share a footprint. Measure what happens when the room is occupied.

Explore the ideas
Open living and dining area with a wood partition and television unit
Living room inspiration: a visual boundary between shared zones.

Plan in this order

  1. Remove items used elsewhere and list what still needs to fit in the room.
  2. Put frequent-use storage against a fixed edge and test whether shallow storage works there.
  3. Tape the occupied footprint of the largest movable item, including the user and the space needed to operate it.
Worked example

A compact living room must host guests but has no separate dining area.

Use nesting tables and movable chairs that store against one wall; keep the central route clear when the room is in lounge mode.

How to test it

Rehearse the busiest moment with everything open or pulled out. If the route disappears, change the furniture size or position.

Apply it to this space
Layout
Keep a direct entry-to-balcony route clear; group seating around conversation rather than across the walkway.
Detail
Use a low media unit and layered ambient and reading light to keep sightlines open.
Trade-off
A larger sectional increases seats but consumes flexible floor area.
  • Map door swings and walking paths
  • Check glare on the screen at daytime
Living room with green and rust-colored seating around a low coffee table
Living room inspiration: conversation seating with a clear central table.

The Elixir portfolio

Details worth a closer look

Photographs for design inspiration
Living room with a television wall, wood shelving and a glass partition
Living room inspiration: media storage beside a glazed divider.
Living room arranged with an L-shaped sofa and wall shelving
Living room inspiration: seating grouped around a shared focal point.

Related design guides

Talk to a Designer