I love small living rooms. They’re cozy, contained, full of potential. But making them feel homey? That’s the hard part. So many living room designs look great online but fall apart when you try fitting a TV in a small living room. And the moment you walk into the lounge, the clutter makes it feel like the whole room would pick your opponent’s side in a fight. If you’re in the same pickle, the design ideas below might just save your sanity.
My Favorite Small Living Room Ideas with TV
1. Wall-mounted Frame TV with Floating Shelves
A friend had this gallery-style frame TV that looked like a painting when it wasn’t on. That changed how I now see a blank wall. Mount your television at a comfortable viewing height and add two floating shelves for plants and remotes. It’ll define the TV wall without cluttering your living space. If you want the screen to matter less but still be there, this is one of the best living room ideas with TV you should try.
2. Corner Armchair + Wall Sconces
One of the more clever room layout ideas I’ve spotted came from a rental with no overhead light and nowhere to center the TV. They pushed the TV to a corner, added an armchair facing it, and used wall sconces for light. This kind of layout can turn a small space into a cozy and inviting spot instead of a screen shrine.
3. Wallpaper to De-emphasize the TV
If there’s a particular wall that feels too empty but you don’t want to fill it with frames, try wallpaper. I used a bold pattern behind the screen, and it helped de-emphasize the TV without hiding it. Especially in small living rooms, it keeps the screen from dominating. One dark leafy print made the room feel layered, less techy, and more styled. Bonus: it also disguised a wall patch I never fixed properly.
4. Sleek Console with Open Shelves
This one came from a home design blog post I bookmarked a few months ago. In the inspo pic, they used a sleek TV console with open shelves. The main detail was that the back was cut out so the wall color peeked through. It works way better in small apartments than bulky units. Light passes through and cords stay hidden.
5. Gallery Wall with a TV Tucked In
Instead of centering the screen, hang it slightly off to the left, then build a gallery wall around it: I’m thinking photos, a dried flower, a postcard. When next the TV is off, it won’t feel like a black hole. If you’re styling a living room with a TV and want it to feel more personal, start here.
6. Dark Paint and Seamless Wall
I got this idea from a show set in a moody apartment. The walls and ceiling were the same dark grey. Painting the entire wall and ceiling one color made the screen sit in space better, and in a dark room, it somehow made the room feel bigger. I’d recommend this for anyone sick of contrast lines.
7. Fireplace as the Anchor
Yes, mounting the TV above the fireplace is controversial. But where there’s no other obvious wall, you might as well do so, then flank the TV with two art prints to keep it from looking like a showroom.
8. Poufs Instead of a Coffee Table
When space is tight, a big coffee table can make a cozy living room feel cramped fast. How about switching yours out for two poufs and a small tray? It’ll give you plenty of seating, more footrests, and less visual bulk.
9. Light Source Trick with Oversized Sofa
The best small living room ideas may not always come from expensive interior designers. They may come from mistakes. I once bought an oversized sofa without measuring. It barely fit, but it ended up creating a natural divide in the room. I paired it with a tall side table and a low light source behind it, and the screen tucked into the corner didn’t matter anymore. The main seating area was the star.
10. One Wall, Multiple Zones
A work friend of mine had just one usable wall and a lot of stuff. She arranged furniture in vertical zones: TV up high, bookshelf below, tiny desk to the side. Just like that, you can make your small space feel like it was made for your TV without compromising your layout.
Conclusion
Plenty can work in a small living room if you’re thoughtful about layout. Instead of letting the TV be the focal point, make it blend into the bigger picture. In small living rooms, the goal is to make the whole room feel balanced. Your guiding principle? Treat the TV as part of the design, not the main element. our space will feel just right.