Narrow living rooms can be challenging to work with, to decorate and to buy furniture for due to their awkward, disproportionate shape – I know this first hand, I’ve been there. My last living room was very long and narrow which has taught me a thing or two about good (and bad) narrow living room ideas.
But I’m not just relying on my personal experience – I’ve also asked interior designers and experts to share their top tips on how to make a narrow lounge appear wider, more balanced and generally cosy and stylish. Some of their recommended tricks and advice are similar to good and proven small living room ideas as there is a certain level of overlap. Meanwhile others are quite narrow living room-specific.
‘If you want it to look wider, you have to create a sense of visual trickery without trying to accommodate the narrowness of the space too much, don’t play into the fact it’s narrow or it will feel like it,’ shares Noor Charchafchi, founder of Celine Interior Design, as her general top tip.
1. Give colour drenching a go
Colour drenching is a popular decorating and paint idea, often recommended for smaller spaces. But it can also do wonders in a narrow one.
‘To visually widen the space, we often suggest painting walls, skirting boards, and even ceilings in the same tone – it softens boundaries and creates a seamless flow,’ say Liz and Sarah Hellmers, co-directors of interior design studio Lathams. ‘Painting skirting and walls in the same colour avoids harsh breaks that can visually shrink a space. Ultimately, it’s about continuity – a harmonious palette will always make a narrow room feel broader and more balanced.’
2. Avoid pushing furniture against the walls
This sofa positioning tip of pulling it away from the walls is one that always comes up whenever I speak to experts about making a space look bigger and more elevated. But it also works with other pieces of furniture and with a narrow living room, too.
‘Avoid pushing everything against the walls; pulling seating slightly forward creates depth and prevents that “bowling alley” feel,’ Liz and Sarah at Lathams says.
3. Zone the space
Creating various zones for different activities and purposes is a key principle in small living room design rules. But it doesn’t just make a small room look bigger – it can also make a narrow one appear wider.
‘A long room can feel like a corridor if left unzoned, so our advice is to break it into smaller, purposeful areas. Use rugs to define zones – a seating area at one end, perhaps a reading nook or console at the other,’ Liz and Sarah at Lathams says.
Jo Lane, founder of See Your Place, continues, ‘With a long narrow living room space, my objective would usually be to create a “square” seating zone in the centre of the room. Using furniture and rug placement to direct people to socialise closer together in the centre. This creates a cosy heart of the room and makes the space actually feel wider by concentrating the main living area into a more even footprint. The item that will make the biggest difference? A large square rug to ground the floorplan. Ideally big enough to have at least the front legs of your furniture on it on three sides.’
4. Pick your sofa carefully
A sofa is arguably the most important piece of furniture in a living space that can really make or break the room. And the best sofa styles for a narrow living room are slim designs with legs lifting it off the floor for a look and feel of airiness and more space.
‘In a narrow space, proportion is everything. Opt for a sofa with slim arms and legs to maximise seating without overwhelming the room. A single, well-scaled sofa is often better than trying to squeeze in multiple smaller pieces. If you need flexibility, consider a compact L-shape or modular design that can adapt to the room’s flow,’ Liz and Sarah at Lathams says.
5. Include pieces of various heights
‘Styling for a narrow room is really much the same as any other room but slightly more focus is required to avoid it feeling like a corridor,’ Noor at Celine Interior Design starts.
One way to steer clear of the corridor look and the space feeling long and one-dimensional is to use pieces of furniture and decor of different heights to force the eye to travel around the room more.
‘In terms of styling, it is important to use pieces with a range of heights to break things up visually. Lamps, sideboards, shelving etc., otherwise you could feel you are sitting in a long, narrow corridor reminiscent of a waiting area,’ Jo at See Your Place says.
6. Paint the walls a light colour
We know that light colours visually expand things and spaces. So avoiding dark shades in favour of brighter ones on your living room walls is the best paint idea for narrow spaces.
‘Light colours such as whites, creams, and light blues and greens reflect more light and create the illusion of a larger space,’ says Tara Rodrigues, interior designer of Tara Rodrigues Interiors. ‘Dark colours are perfect for creating a moody, sumptuous space but they do make the room feel more enclosed.’
7. Draw the eye upward
One strategy you can use is to distract from the narrow layout of the room by shifting the focus to the height of the space. In other words, use the often under-utilised vertical space in your favour.
‘Utilise vertical space with tall shelves and curtains that go from ceiling to floor,’ says Alexia Hall, interior designer at Dendo Design. ‘This draws the eye upwards and creates a sense of height.’
Tara also recommends ‘incorporating tall bookcases and using floor to ceiling curtains to draw the eye upward, making the ceiling feel taller and the room more spacious. Keep the styling quite simple and uncluttered, using too many accessories can make the room feel crowded.’
8. Choose the right furniture pieces
Usually, a narrow living room is just a very particular shape of a small living room. And how you arrange furniture in a small living room and what pieces you incorporate into the layout can either make the space appear bigger or make it look cramped and cluttered. And the same goes for a narrow living space.
‘Choose furniture that fits the scale of the room. Avoid oversized pieces that can overwhelm the space,’ Alexia warns. ‘Opt for furniture that serves multiple purposes, like a coffee table with storage or a sofa bed. And consider wall-mounted shelves and cabinets to free up floor space.’
Tara continues, ‘Choosing furniture on legs makes the room feel more spacious by increasing the amount of visible floor space.’
9. Avoid symmetrical arrangements
Avoiding symmetrical furniture arrangements in a narrow living room might sound counterintuitive but it’s effective nonetheless.
‘I would avoid a symmetrical arrangement in a narrow living room as it draws attention to the size of the room and in order to create the illusion of height, it's better to play with varying heights and layers in the room,’ Tara explains.
10. Mount the TV onto a wall
Mounting your screen onto a wall is one of the best small living room TV ideas as it frees up precious floor space and draws the eyes up again. And it works even better in a narrow living room.
‘A wall-mounted TV placed on the longest wall will save floor space and avoid cluttering the walkways. If the room has a fireplace, placing the TV above it, is a good use of space or creating a slim fitted media unit to house the TV would also achieve the same streamlined look,’ Tara advises.
11. Use strategically placed mirrors
Placing a mirror on one (or both) of the longer walls of a narrow living room is one of the best ways to make a small living room look bigger with mirrors.
‘You can utilise strategic mirror placement – place mirrors on one of the longer walls to create the illusion of more space,’ Alexa recommends.
12. Create a feature wall
A living room feature wall idea is not only a lovely way to create a decorative statement in your space. It can also be used strategically in a narrow space to make it seem shorter and therefore more balanced and wider at the same time.
‘If you want to add some depth, consider a darker colour on one of the shorter walls to create a focal point and visually shorten the room,’ Alexa explains.
Get the look
Dulux paint never disappoints with its wide shade range, affordable price point and high quality. And for a light shade that's not as plain (and somewhat boring) as classic white, we love this elegant and warm taupe shade called Gentle Fawn.
Including a mirror in your narrow living room will create an optical illusion of depth and wider space. And while you can opt for a wall-hung design, I particularly love this large arch mirror from The Range and I want to lean it against my living room wall.
I'm currently searching for the best coffee table for my small living room. And while I still haven't quite decided, this design is certainly in the running given its ample storage.
I used to have this washable rug in my narrow living room and it got so many compliments whenever I had guests over - and it's perfect for zoning a space.
Swyft recently opened its first standalone store where I got to try the brand's sleek Model 10 sofa. And not only that it's super comfortable, the slim profile and armrests paired with the tapered legs make it perfect for a narrow lounge.
I have my eye on this wall shelf from H&M myself. The design is super clean and minimalist yet very stylish and most importantly, it guides the eye upwards.
FAQs
How to make a long, narrow living room cosy?
There are several ways in which you can turn a narrow space into a cosy living room idea, whether that’s through textures or lighting.
‘Soft, warm lighting can make the room feel inviting,’ says Alexia Hall, interior designer at Dendo Design. ‘Use table lamps and floor lamps rather than harsh overhead lighting. Incorporate various textures through throws, cushions, and fabrics to add warmth and depth.’
Tara Rodrigues, interior designer of Tara Rodrigues Interiors, continues, ‘Creating distinct zones within the room, such as a cosy seating area, a reading nook, or a small workspace, using area rugs and wall coverings to help define these zones. Use furniture with rounded edges and organic shapes to soften the look of the room and make it feel more inviting and cosy.’
What’s the best style of sofa for a narrow living room?
Just like when it comes to sofa ideas for small living rooms, narrow spaces too benefit from particular styles of seating over others. And something you definitely need to avoid are bulky sofa designs.
‘Sectional Sofas, L-shaped or modular sectionals can work well if they are proportionate to the room's size and placed against the wall to save space,’ says Tara Rodrigues, interior designer of Tara Rodrigues Interiors. ‘My first choice is a slim sofa with a low back or an armless sofa to create an open feel and take up less visual space.’
As you can (hopefully) see, having a narrow living room is not the end of the world just as long as your decorating choices are carefully thought out and considered.
