The Sofa Mistake That's Ruining Your Small Living Room, According To Bobby Berk

If you have a small living room, you might be familiar with the challenges of styling a compact space. Ever tried to kick your feet up only to bump your knees on the coffee table? While it may seem intuitive, squeezing your couch into a tiny living room is not as simple as it seems. Bobby Berk, Netflix interior design star on "Queer Eye," sat down for an interview with Homes & Gardens to offer tips about designing small spaces, like a small living room. One thing he noted was that many folks choose their sofas based on comfort. While this is a good consideration for any home, it is not the only factor that goes into finding the right couch for your living space. Berk says while "you do want one that is comfortable...you also want one that works with the scale of the room."

A good practice to make the most of a small living room is to choose furniture that feels proportional to your square footage. U-shaped and bulky sofas with deep cushions may not be ideal for a tiny living space. Instead, you may want to choose couches that are slim, have smaller cushions, provide a lower profile, or are classified as a loveseat. Whether you live in a small apartment or a quaint cottage, here's how to conquer the sofa mistake that's ruining your small living room design, according to Bobby Berk.

In a small living room, scale is a vital consideration for achieving the perfect design. A large sofa in a small space could feel cramped and interrupt flow. When choosing the right sofa shape for your living room, consider how much square footage you have to work with. Designers sometimes use the two-thirds rule or the golden ratio to determine if pieces are proportional. Using this guideline, an ideal sofa should take up no more than two-thirds of the visual space. Also, consider the height of your walls. Berk says, "If you have a room with lower ceilings, you don't want to buy a sofa that has a really tall back." (via Homes & Gardens) The goal is to make the walls feel taller than they are. To achieve this, choose a low-profile sofa that is less than 30 inches off the ground. Or, choose a backless sofa like a chaise.

Avoid deep designs in favor of seating that is no more than 38 inches in depth. Minimal sofa designs, which feature slimmer silhouettes, are often good choices for small spaces. Berk also suggests adding armless chairs to your small interior so compact spaces are more inviting. A small L-shaped loveseat with an attached armless chaise could be a great choice. There are several tips and tricks to make a sofa work seamlessly in a small living room, including opting for sleek, simple, minimal furniture that won't take up too much floor or wall space.