How to declutter a small living room

While cosy and homely, small living rooms can become a tad overcrowded. If you are struggling for space in your living room, rather than doing anything drastic like planning for an extension or even putting your home on the market, a small living room might just need some comprehensive decluttering.

Here’s how to declutter a small living properly to maximise space.

Discard anything you don’t use

It might sound obvious, but you may be surprised at how many things you have in your living room that you don’t actually use. Old magazines on a coffee table shelf, for example, or children’s books that the kids have grown out of. Be ruthless in discarding anything in a living room that has become redundant or only gets used very occasionally.

Replace bulky furniture with sleeker alternatives

That bulky armchair you once loved may have had its day but it’s taking up far too much room. Or that corner sofa that demands two walls and almost half of the living room’s floorspace.

Furniture can be bulky, especially older pieces that were often made deliberately large. Again, be ruthless in replacing large chairs, tables, sofas, and other items, with smaller, sleeker more minimalist alternatives to declutter the room and create a greater sense of space.

Strip sofas and chairs of cushions and throws

It may sound harsh but overloading settees and sofas with cushions and throws will make a living room feel significantly more cluttered. Keep such accessories to a minimum to successfully declutter your living room and make it appear and feel bigger.

Make use of wall space

Instead of using valuable floor space to house items, make use of the walls. For instance, if your living room comprises of a standing bookshelf, get rid of it, and replace it with wall book shelving. And while you replace the standing bookshelf, be sure to go through the books and throw out any you no longer want.