Many of the homes made today have an open-concept floor plan. It makes sense that furniture would be made with that same design in mind. If you have a smaller space like we do, it takes a little more effort to pull a living room together. However, with some consideration, decorating a small cottage living room doesn’t have to be difficult.
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start with what the room needs most
When I set out to decorate our living room, I wanted to have a moderate amount of seating. I also wanted to incorporate some storage as well. We don’t watch TV in here, so that was one element I didn’t need to worry about. I wanted to keep the current sofa we had from our previous (open-concept) home as well. I liked the design of it and it was fairly new and felt like I could make it work for this home.
The key is to be intentional with what you need and have a plan. Once you figure out the bigger pieces then you can add in cozy items to help bring the room together.
5 tips for how to decorate a small cottage living room:
1. Keep it neutral
We’ve lived in this house for a long time now and these walls have seen many paint colors over the years. I’ve always kept them fairly neutral though. Finding the right paint color could be a whole other blog post or two in and of itself. A few years ago, I ended up painting the walls a non-tinted matte white which allows the antiques, curtains, pillows, etc. to stand out. I change out curtains, pillows and rugs often in this room and if the walls are white, whatever pattern or color I bring in won’t clash with the wall color.
2. Add interest with patterns
I like to add interest and create a cozy vibe by mixing patterns. Keep the color wave the same, but incorporate different patterns like: florals, checked patterns, block print, gingham, and stripes for example. My new favorite finds are these floral pillows and sofa topper from GreenRow. They’re exactly what this sofa needed. They add interest with pattern, a pop of color and cozy, cottage charm.
3. Mix the old with the new
For me, new items in a room give it a fresh and current feel while the vintage pieces add personality and charm. With antiques, no two pieces are alike which allows you to get creative with found items. I also like to mix wood antiques with painted ones. I typically save painting for pieces that need a make-cover. I opt for paint rather than restoring. Mixing the old with the new is another way to add interest to a room and give it a lived-in and cozy look.
4. Stay Cozy with Texture
A great way to add texture to a room is through a jute rug. Not only are they cozy, but they’re very durable as well as affordable. I have a jute rug in almost every room of our home, they’re my favorite. You can’t go wrong with a jute rug. Another great way to add texture is with baskets and wicker as well as linen fabric. I love these textured linen curtains in our living room. They have a light and airy look but are textured enough to add some dimension.
5. Curate with Care: Fewer Pieces, More Personality
As mentioned, I knew I wanted a moderate amount of seating, however a large sofa like a sectional would be too big for this room. Even though our existing sofa was a little on the larger side, there was enough room for an antique table at the end so it works! I added two slip covered wing back chairs and now there’s plenty of seating. I found a cute antique armoire which is perfect for extra storage.
Final Thoughts on Decorating a Small Cottage Living Room
Decorating a small cottage living room can easily be achieved with a few simple tips. Keep it neutral, bring in some cozy patterns and texture, curate and be intentional with furniture pieces. Keep the room current and fresh with new items and add in personality with found vintage pieces.
