In this Post: You will learn about colorful small living room ideas, the differences between a family room vs. a living room, creative designs such as Moroccan-themed living room decor, café inspired living rooms, and library-inspired living rooms.

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When I first got the keys to my house, it felt like I had a million and one things to do. For example, I wanted to design my kitchen, remodel my deck, and splurge on fancy appliances.  However, out of all of my home improvement projects, I had the most fun designing my living room.

The living room is where you can invite friends, watch TV, read a book, or throw a party. For me, the living room is a place of gathering. There’s something compelling about bringing people together.

The living room becomes a place where you get to develop friendships, create new memories, and enjoy the small blessings of life.

When designing a living room, you want to make sure your space represents you while creating a cozy atmosphere.

Perhaps you want to use an inspiration piece to design your living room. Or maybe, you want to design your living room based on a theme or a culture. Regardless, the living room is a place of creativity and endless possibility.

Family Room vs. Living Room

Depending on the size of your house, you might have a living room and a family room.

Traditionally, the living room is a place of socialization or a place where you can host your guests. The family room is where you usually kick back at the end of a long day of work.  The family room is also a place to spend time with your family.

When thinking about the family room vs living room, there really isn’t much of a difference.

However, people who have both a family room and a living room tend to use their living room more formally than their family room.

For example, if you have little kids, their toys and play area might be located within a family room. At the same time, more expensive entertainment equipment and furniture might be located in a living room.

It is important to note that not everyone has the luxury of having two different spaces. You may not need to design based on a living room vs a family room, as you might only have one space.

If you have a living room and a family room,  then you have a lot of flexibility in designing a relaxation place versus a hosting place within your home. Most individuals usually just have a living room that they use for all things hosting, resting, and entertaining.

However, unlike renting, homeownership comes with a lot of freedom and, therefore, the opportunity for creativity. Let’s explore some options of living rooms that use a variety of design elements and inspiration.

Living Room: is my space too small?

You may not have the luxury of open concept living rooms that look into a kitchen or dining room. New homeowners tend to have starter homes that are smaller in size like bungalows.

If you are new homeowners who are getting overwhelmed with how to decorate your home, do not panic. While there are many design ideas online for large open-concept homes, MOST people do not have expansive layouts.

The reality is, most new homeowners tend to own homes that are between 1200-2700 sq feet. With smaller homes, you need to be rather creative with your decor and furniture placement. However, there are still many ways to decorate and design a small living room.  Here are some colorful small living room ideas that you can easily embed into your home design project.

Colorful Small Living Room Ideas

The best way to design a colorful small living is to– that’s right– use color! For my first house, I had a small space with gorgeous floors that were original to the house. I wanted to pick a color that would compliment my wood flooring’s reddish undertones while creating a natural warmth! I am obsessed with dark blues and have been obsessed with Moroccan designs!

So, it really can’t be a surprise that I used dark blue paint to add cohesion, warmth, and color to my living room. After painting the walls, I used light-toned furniture to lighten the space. After all of my furniture was in place, I realized that I had to bring some life to my space, and I did so with some plants.

By the end, the living room was small, but the colors all brought a sense of unity to space. My living room was my favorite space to spend time in the house!

Use Colorful Furniture

When looking for colorful small living room ideas, you don’t have to rely solely on paint to add “color.” Instead, you can still spruce up small living rooms with neutral walls with wall art and eclectic styles.

If you love decor that is bright and bold, then it is better to keep your wall neutral. If you go with a colorful wall and colorful decor, then you might find yourself in a space that clashes.

The living room above is small, but it uses bohemian designs to add cohesion and warmth to the space. The geometric shapes and designs paired with natural elements like plants and sunlight bring sophistication and creativity to the room. I can absolutely picture myself reading a book on the sectional or drinking coffee with friends.

A small space can be a homey space, especially if you use boho designs to inspire your designs.

Use Smaller Furniture

The secret to a colorful small living room is to use smaller furniture. If you have a small living room, then a large sectional that can fit eight people will be the only item in the space. However, you can use a smaller L-shaped sectional and some chairs around a small table to give the illusion of a large space.

The living room above uses every square foot of its living room to its advantage. For example, the sectional is snug against the wall, and the center table looks big due to the large plant it houses. This space can comfortably seat five people, and there is still room to add chairs if there are more guests.

The colorful elements of the room also don’t clash because there is only one accent wall. Instead, the decor is used to add artistry and cohesion!

Recap

When looking at colorful small living room ideas, you should:

• Use bright & bold colors while being intentional about item placement (accent wall, neutral colors as a base, pop of color using furniture, etc.)
• Look for decor inspired by eclectic designs/styles (boho, Moroccan, and Spanish styles are all great places to look for design inspiration, as they use colors in everything!)
• Use smaller furniture to conserve space (use chairs, smaller tables, push things against a wall, optimize corners).

Most people looking for colorful small living room ideas are either hoping to make their space feel bigger or make a statement with little work. Light colors and mirrors make space look bigger, whereas paint and wall art are great ways to make a statement.

Let’s now explore three unique living room ideas!

Moroccan Themed Living Room Decor

Many living rooms take inspiration from the designs and architecture of the world. Moroccan designs are quite popular due to their bright colors and eclectic designs. Here are some gorgeous examples:

Moroccan-themed living room decor includes patterns, multiple rugs, bold colors, some natural elements, and of course– a pouf!

If you have a small living room, you can add a lot of depth, texture, and color by using Morocco to inspire your designs. Like the colorful small living room ideas above, Moroccan designs naturally come with various smaller furniture options. Therefore, you can easily design a living room with lots of details without compromising on space!

Contemporary Colorful Small Living Room Ideas

The Spruce defines Contemporary style by “simplicity, subtle sophistication, deliberate use of texture, and clean lines. Interiors tend to showcase space rather than things.”

Contemporary living rooms are one of the most popular styles in the 21st century. While the contemporary style focuses on minimalism and space, it also embeds color and many intentionalities.

The three contemporary living rooms above use designs that focus on space more than decor.

Most contemporary living rooms are actually quite small. You can trick people into thinking that an area is bigger than it is by using creative designs. In other words, with contemporary living: less is more.

Clever designs, like having a center table with legs that match your couch’s legs, help create a cohesive contemporary style. Geometric shapes and small colorful accents are also high impact because they naturally bring attention to themselves.

These designs are not only easy to create but are also are easy to maintain. So, busy homeowners looking for some creativity and simplicity should definitely be inspired by contemporary living rooms!

Hollywood Regency Living Rooms

Decor Aid defines Hollywood Regency as a “high-octane everyday glamor infused with the requisite high-shine lacquered finishes, metallics, and precious fabrications with a nod to Art-Deco decadence and Mid Century Modern practicality. Think dramatic, sensual, modern, uncluttered, and carefully edited with a mix of delicate and bold for a gender-neutral setting that’s timeless in appeal.”

Hollywood Regency designs are also great for small living rooms because they are usually found in smaller spaces like high-rise condos or apartments. If you like expensive looks, colors that intentionally clash, and expensive elegance– then these are for you!

The Hollywood regency designs above are not afraid to be bold. There is a deep love for animal prints and gold decor. Also, as expected with anything Hollywood, there is a regal elegance with the trims, colors, and mood of this design.

Unlike minimalistic styles, Hollywood regency is focused on including more and being as extra as possible!

Unique Living Room Designs:

When you are a homeowner, you can do almost anything when it comes to design and decor. For some people, there might be a spot in your neighborhood that you love, and you may want to mimic that feeling/design in your own home. For example, some beautifully designed coffee shops create warmth and homeyness to their space. Perhaps you may want to be inspired by some of these designs for your living room! Here are some café inspired living rooms!

 Café Inspired Living Rooms

Coffee shops are designed for you to spend hours in them. A coffee shop filled with people studying, sipping coffee, or reading a book is a place successful in creating a comfortable environment. Café inspired living rooms can be great, as they can take small spaces and make them multifunctional and inviting. Your favorite coffee shop can inspire many small colorful living room ideas and designs.

The designs above use bricks and rustic elements to create a modern mill look. Eclectic chairs, wall art, and subtle lighting is also a great way to bring a space together. If you have a hard time designing spaces, then finding inspiration from your favorite places is a great way to start!

Another place to grab some inspiration is from your local library! If you are like me, you love to sit on a comfy couch for hours while getting lost in a good book. Libraries have started to gain a lot more popularity over the years, especially after years of decline. Many libraries have also invested in their designs to be more inviting and calming to their visitors.

Library inspired living rooms

From the design and decor of your local library, you can learn how to bring sophistication and warmth to a space. Books bring natural color and creativity to a room. By using books, colorful bookcases, and comfortable furniture, you can turn a small living room into the most inviting space in your home.

In the end, there is an infinite number of ways you can design your living room. If you have additional colorful small living room ideas or places you draw inspiration from, please comment below or share some pictures with us. We are always looking to feature the creativity of our readers!

Thanks for reading!