How to Decorate a Small Living Room With Built-ins

Decorate built-in shelves with style.

Built-in shelves, bookcases and niches lend a living room character. In a small interior, they can serve as your principal storage area, leaving the tight floor plan free for other types of furnishings. However, built-in architectural features can also make a small living room feel more cluttered and less open. Create a streamlined, breezy feeling with living room decor that takes advantage of built-ins without making them the focal point of the room.

Things You'll Need

• Cleaning rags
• Paint or stain
• Storage containers
• Furniture
• Lighting

Instructions

1. Clear clutter away from your built-in features. Move tall or bulky pieces that block access to your built-in shelves. Stacks of paper, bits of hardware, mail and other daily detritus do not belong on open shelving.

2. Clean your built-in features. Lint-free rags work well to wipe away the cobwebs and dust that tend to collect inside and around built-in shelves. If your built-ins have engraved or embossed trim or crown molding, you may need to use a damp rag to remove built-in dirt.

3. Paint your built-ins to coordinate with your living room. In a small living room, you should paint built-ins to match the surrounding wall and the ceiling to give the impression of more volume. Cool tones such as white, cream, stone gray, robin's egg blue or lavender make walls appear to recede. A semi-gloss or stain finish reflects light around the room.

4. Invest in coordinated storage containers for a streamlined look. A line of simple metal buckets, white cardboard boxes or decorative glass canning jars makes your storage containers blend into the background as opposed to standing out.

5. Furnish your small living room with simple, functional pieces. Since you already have built-ins, keep shelving to a minimum and focus on seating and tables. Low, modular couches and chairs with lightweight, angular frames keep the space feeling more open. Use a pair of ottomans, rather than a coffee table, so you can tuck them into tight corners or separate them to use as end tables.

Tips & Warnings

• Illuminate small living rooms with accent lighting. Pendant lights or a chandelier have sculptural style, while track lighting above built-ins can illuminate any artwork or accessories you display.

References

• Real Simple: Which Type of Paint Is Right for You?
• Apartment Therapy: Ideas for This Built-In Shelf Area