Small Bungalow Beautiful Living Room
Learn how to decorate a small bungalow living room and make a lasting impact!
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In our guide to house styles, you may remember the simplicity and beauty of the bungalow home. With its small single story layout and sloped roof, the bungalow is perfect for first-time homebuyers. However, even with their smaller layout, bungalow’s tend to optimize space by being open-concept. Therefore, it is completely possible to design a small bungalow living room (or other areas of your home) with style and class.
If you have a small bungalow living room but don’t know how to decorate it, then you’ll definitely be inspired by the gorgeous styles, decor, and designs of these stunning spaces:
Small Bungalow Living Room Ideas
For some people, a 1,400 square foot home would be far from ideal. But for others, like this couple in Portland, 1,400 square feet is a dream come true. This small bungalow living room features charm, simple designs, neutral colors, and space. At first glance, looking at this living room, you wouldn’t think this house was as small as it is. That is because the furniture in this home is filled with mid-century modern designs.
Mid-century modern furniture is great at prioritizing function and minimalism. In other words, this furniture is perfect for your small bungalow living room, as you can add variety without crowding your room. Furthermore, mid-century modern furniture uses warm colors and wood elements to bring a cozy feel to a space—ideal for living rooms.
In the small Portland home above, a long runner brings symmetry to the space, as it perfectly lines with the fireplace in the background. By using a mid-century modern table as a centerpiece, the designers are able to optimize their small gathering space around intentionally placed decor without crowding their room.
Lastly, the wicker basket at the side of the couch is great for hiding clutter, which is essential for keeping the space neat and clean. The mix of color and functionality makes this a perfect small bungalow living room!
Small, Narrow, and Neutral
There is no denying the beauty of architect James Laughlin’s work. James brings a neutral palette to his small bungalow living room. The room is filled with warmth but also hosts creativity and individuality. For example, in this room, Jame’s used six sketches from his college thesis and used them as wall art!
In a small and narrow room, it is important that every piece of decor serves a purpose. Your decorations should allow people to easily move in and out your room without having to move things around. Therefore, if you aren’t thoughtful about where you place things, you may overcrowd the space very quickly. It may help to push your couch against a wall to create some space. Even a simple neutral couch can bring character to your room, especially if you pair it with gorgeous wall art, like James modeled for us above!
Additionally, the open shelving of this space allows the designer to use everyday items as decor. By using clean geometric lines on an area rug with simple neutral colors everywhere else, this room brings functionality and clean modernism to its very practical and stunning design.
If your home has a narrow living room, then you can definitely pick up some tips & tricks from this design!
Small Boho Living Room
Many new homeowners are adopting colorful interior designs. One of the most popular and “trendy” designs in the 21st century is known as boho minimalism. Essentially, you use very little decor but pair your furniture with bright and eclectic colors. So, even though there is less in a room, there is still a lot of vibrance and character. For example, the small bungalow living room above doesn’t even have a couch in it, but it still looks well decorated.
While the room might look like it only seats two people, the stunning boho pillows serve two purposes: pop of color for the space, but also some extra floor seating. Small living rooms can be very cozy and casual, and people can easily sit or lounge on comfy pillows. Just removing a living room table has the ability to really open up a space. This is a prime example of how sometimes less is more!
Small Space? Pick small Furniture
When decorating a small bungalow living room, avoid large clunky furniture. If you prioritize smaller items you will be able to update your space, or move things around, without worrying about overstuffing a particular area. Also, don’t forget to use every corner of your home.
Many homeowners with small square living rooms don’t use their limited square footage efficiently. However, you can do so my moving dressers or tables up against corners of your room. Or, like the home above, place accent chairs against each corner. Corners can easily become lost space, but they can also be great for seating or hanging decor or plants. When you have a small room, you have to really think about every little space that you have!
Lastly, this small bungalow living room does a great job of hiding storage spaces within its design. For example, the center table has drawers for storage, and the ottoman on the right can be used as seating or storage. The plants in this room are also sitting on top of small side tables that have a small storage drawer.
This room might be small, but it really uses every area to increase it’s space and storage!
Settee vs. Couch vs. Sofa
Another thing to consider when designing a small bungalow living room is when and where you can opt for a smaller piece of decor. For example, would your space be better with a couch or with a sofa?
Essentially, a sofa is an upholstered bench with cushions and has the ability to seat many people. A sofa can be rather bulky and can come in different shapes and sizes. For example, you may find a sofa which is a sectional or a love seat, and while they may differ slightly in their look, they all still basically upholstered benches. Overstock has a great guide on the top 5 sofa styles that you could check out to learn more about the differences.
On the other hand, a couch tends to be smaller than a sofa and usually lacks arms. You should be able to lay down on a couch with ease without your head or legs hitting an arm rest. However, nowadays most people refer to couches as less formal sofas. While these words may be used interchangeably, it is important to know the difference because it may help you narrow down your search!
If you are trying to furnish a small bungalow living room, then you are more than likely trying to get something that is small but also functional. A sofa is more than likely to be too big for your square footage, and you might be looking exclusively at smaller couches. However, you should also take a peek at settees.
A settee is a stylish, elegant, and slim seating area. If you have a very busy lifestyle and don’t spend too much time in your living room, then a settee might be just for you. A settee tends to have intricate designs with a small and easy to move frame. A settee paired with some accent chairs can seat quite a few people but still allows you to keep a large and open area. However, if you like sitting in your living room for long stretches, then you are better off with a couch over a settee. Sit on a settee for too long, and you may start noticing your back hurt, as they are less comfortable than couches.
Small Modern Living
L-Shaped couches are great at optimizing seating area and comfort. However, many homeowners with small living rooms think that L-shaped sectionals are just too big for their space. That however is not always true.
If your living room is mostly used for lounging, then you exclude buying furniture like: drawers, storage tables, and accent chairs. Instead, you can make a large sectional the focus of your living room. If you are worried that a large sectional will prevent your space from looking unique and gorgeous then think again!
The room above uses colorful high-quality pillows to add a lot of character and texture to its space. The best part is that the pillows don’t take up any additional space, as they sit on the sectional, and are great for comfort and decor. Pair your pillows with a gorgeous rug, and some wall art, and you can easily create a stunning modern living room. In other words, if your focus in on seating instead of storage, then an L-shaped sectional is definitely worth the investment.
Does Your Bungalow Have a Dining Room?
When designing your small living room, you should think about the purpose you hope your space will serve. For example, does your home have a dining room? Or, are you part of the rising group of new homeowners who prefer open concept spaces over dining rooms? Zillow considers open concept to be the new dining room. Now, I know what you might be thinking!
What does my dining room have to do with my small living room?
Well, if you have a small living room and no dining room, then you may actually use your living space as an eating space. Sure, you may eat your meals in the kitchen on your kitchen island, but many people tend to watch TV in their living room while they eat. If this sounds like you, then you will want a decent sized table for your living room so you can host guests and also eat your meals. This will naturally require smaller decor and furniture around your center table.
However, I personally believe that a living room is best for lounging, resting, and socializing. So, if you have a small living room, and you don’t need a large table— then, you’re in luck! By getting a smaller circular table, you can get away with purchasing larger seating furniture, while still giving your small living space some character and a spot to place a few additional items.
5 Additional Small Bungalow Living Room Ideas!
This living room focuses on wall art, and uses black and white as a way to create a contemporary modern space. While seating is limited, this small space does a great job at showcasing the designers style and individuality.
This bungalow living room is super small, yet it can still seat many people! The homeowners for this space made a bench to add storage and a seating area. Creative designs like this make the best use of style and functionality! If you are crafty, and like this bench, then here is a great DIY tutorial!
If you have a beach home or have a home filled with coastal colors, then this small beach-y bungalow might be right up your alley. With a coastal colored sofa, and small white-washed furniture, this space is both simple and beautiful.
Many homeowners place their couch in a way where it faces their fireplace. However, this home places their couch up against their picture window. This allows for the central part of the room to be open and comfortable. Therefore, in this design, you can have multiple seating areas and an open feel, even though the space is actually quite small. Placement of furniture can make a huge difference!
I have named this small bungalow living room “the essentials.” This space has everything a living room needs: a couch, a table, and some decor. You can rest in this space, you can eat here, and you can even add some chairs and host here. If you have a small living room, and are on a tight budget— then The Essentials is all that you’ll need!
Do you have a small bungalow living room? How did you decorate it? Email us some pictures and we may feature you on our blog! Otherwise, comment below and share your favorite design! We love hearing from you! As always, thanks for reading!
