Decorating a Long Narrow Living Room Wondering how to decorate a long, narrow living room? While it can be tricky to decorate an oddly-shaped space, there are certain tips and tricks to help you prevent your living room arrangement from creating the tunnel effect, which can make the room resemble a bowling alley rather than a welcoming living space. These long, narrow living room design ideas from the interior design experts at Star Furniture & Mattress can help.

Long Narrow Living Room Idea #1: Float the Furniture

Especially when decorating small living rooms, many people tend to push all the furniture against the walls in an attempt to create as much space as possible. While it may seem counterintuitive, pulling your living room furniture away from at least one of the walls can create the illusion of a wider room.

Long Narrow Living Room Idea #2: Separate Your Space

While long narrow living rooms can pose an interior design challenge, they also create an exciting opportunity for open plan spaces. Consider how you might split up the long, narrow living room into two distinct zones. For many, this looks like one zone for more traditional living room seating and one zone for a home office, den, or breakfast nook. To create even more distinction, try experimenting with different rugs, lighting, and color schemes in each section of the room.

Long Narrow Living Room Idea #3: Incorporate Round Pieces

Worried about the bowling alley effect? Try incorporating home décor with soft, rounded edges. Whether you decide to go with a round coffee table, round ottoman, round end tables, or some combination of the three, the rounded edges will counteract the room’s straight lines. Plus, geometric furniture is one of the hottest interior design trends of 2019.

Long Narrow Living Room Idea #4: Utilize Vertical Space

When you’re dealing with small or narrow spaces, it’s important to draw the eye upwards. You can create the illusion of height by utilizing tall furniture like high bookshelves, arranging your wall art all the way up to the ceiling, and hanging curtains right where the wall meets the ceiling. If you’re considering wallpaper or curtain patterns, keep in mind that vertical stripes naturally move the eye upwards, which can make your narrow space seem more proportional. Ready to start furnishing your living room? Visit one of our furniture stores in Houston, Austin, San Antonio or Bryan, Texas today. You can also check out our interior design blog for helpful information and design tips, including the hottest interior design trends of 2019, everything you need to know about modern contemporary furniture, and Feng Shui for beginners.