35+ Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas
A small space doesn’t limit your design, be inspired by these 35+ cozy different minimalist living room ideas.
The living room is no doubt one of the most used spaces in your home. But just because it’s the hub of activity doesn’t mean it needs to be filled to the brim with furniture and ornaments. In fact, you can create a very livable space by paring back your living room to just a few key pieces. And just because you adopt the ‘less is more’ mantra doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on decorations. As you’ll see, you can make a minimal space for entertaining, hanging out and every-day lounging around that looks and feels beautiful. Sometimes it’s just a matter of knowing where to start, so I’ve had a look around for some of the best minimalist living room ideas to suit any house.
First things first you need to have a think about what you need to have in your living room. You’ll need at the very least from a practical standpoint a sofa, a table and television (although this may not be a necessity for everyone). But from moving on from functionality, you might also want to consider floor lamps, side tables, bookshelves or bookcases, tv cabinets, rugs and artwork.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #1. Add a print to the wall
Just because you want to go the minimal route doesn’t mean you have to leave your walls blank. Take this neutral-themed space for example – it includes a statement print on the wall in a complimentary yellow-gold tone frame.
2. Highlight feature pieces
And you’ll be pleased to know that you can have a lot of fun with your furniture while still keeping it minimal. Look at this round bobble pillow and neutral rug with black pom poms. It’s these little touches that add a whole lot of character to this small space while still keeping it minimalist by sticking to a consistent colour scheme.
3. Use earthy tones
This small minimalist living room incorporates two key colours throughout to keep it looking streamlined. Also, the desert-brown couch matches with the cabinets and small details to achieve a minimalist look without completely stripping away decor.
4. Include a sitting chair
This chair creates an extra area in the living room which can serve as a reading chair or seat for a guest. And the green checkered pillow matches the curtains and is tied in with the greenery in the basket and on the coffee table.
5. Add a single hanging light
Create a simple yet minimal lighting solution by hanging a single light from the ceiling. This will work particularly well if you have a very neutral-coloured space like this light grey one. Also, the glass coffee table and jug add to the minimal feel.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #6. Create symmetry with facing sofas
Another way to incorporate minimalism into your small space is to create symmetry with furniture. This living room uses two sofas faces each other and connected with a small coffee table and rug. While the Scandinavian style is naturally minimal, you can spruce it up with a touches of blue and green in the pillows and plants.
7. Incorporate a clever bench seat
Create interest while keeping it simple with a strategically placed bench seat. This beige-coloured chair is an extension on the left side of the television unit. And it’s a great way to maximise space, especially if you have a small minimalist living room. Add color and texture to the room with a statement piece of art like this soft pink and coloured painting on the wall.
8. Have fun with a swing chair
Add fun to your living room by adding in a cane hanging chair. These beauties are very on trend right now and they look fantastic in a coastal-style home. And try to keep the colours in shades of white and sandy beige to create this easy, minimal style for your own small living room.
9. Add a vase of flowers
A minimalist living room doesn’t have to be devoid of life. Inject colour into your space by keeping a bunch of beautiful flowers on the coffee table. You can update them each week with fresh florals or you can find your favourite fake flowers from Spotlight or any other decoration store. And the good thing is that they come in so many different types – from peonies to sunflowers to more – and they look good all year round!
10. Include a statement mirror
The great thing about mirrors is that they can make small spaces appear much larger than they really are. So if you have a tiny living room, choose a mirror that can sit on top of furniture (like this gold mirror on the mantelpiece), hang from the wall, or one that can sit on the floor. And you’ll be amazed at how open your space appears by using this simple hack.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #11. Frame your living room around a key feature
If you have a feature piece like a fireplace, painting or mirror, frame your living room furniture around it. This creates a cosy space to gather together family and friends. Also, add to the comfort by including a basket full of blankets and by throwing some soft pillows on the couch.
12. Don’t be afraid to add colour
A small minimalist living room doesn’t have to stick to black and white to be effective. Don’t be afraid to include colour in your little space. Take this living room, for example, which incorporates blue with beige neutrals. The blue is intertwined in the lampshade, pillows, armchair, rug, and with books on the coffee table.
13. Add a minimal fireplace
You may not have factored this in, but even your fireplace can be minimalist! This fireplace is unobtrusive and certainly doesn’t take over the room. In fact, it works perfectly with the black feature wall behind it. But it’s also an elegant addition to the living room.
14. Create a neutral base
The most simple way to create a minimalist living room is to start with a neutral base. These colors typically include black, white, grey, brown and beige and or often referred to as ‘earth tones.’ In this example, the living room uses light beige and light grey.
It then adds a touch of color with the dark green plant in a terracotta pot. The great thing about a neutral base is that it will look complete on its own, or you can add layers of colour for interest – the choice is entirely yours!
15. Choose quality over quantity
When designing your small minimalist living room, try to select good quality pieces of furniture that will last a long time. Because you’re selecting neutrals, they’ll never go out of fashion. So think ahead, and choose furniture that will serve you in the years to come.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #16. Create integrated open spaces
This living room flows on naturally from both the kitchen and bedroom areas in this open loft-style home. Minimalism works great here because it keeps everything looking tidy and seamless. This space could easily look like a mess if it were filled with too many colours.
17. Invest in beautiful storage
The key to minimalism is to rid your living room of all unnecessary clutter. This is often found on top of surfaces, like coffee tables, tabletops, shelves, and cabinets, and inside drawers. Do yourself a favour and give your living room a tidy up and deep clean. Once you’ve removed all clutter, take the time to invest in stylish storage.
Beautiful cabinets keep your chaos contained inside the cabinets while looking chic on the outside. This is a handy hack for those of you who are wannabe minimalists but are truly maximalists on the inside. While you should clear your space, you can keep some choice pieces hidden away inside your cabinet doors.
If you’re getting cabinets built-in, a custom fitting is the best solution but you should leave it to the professionals and get a cabinet designer to take care of it for you.
18. Create contrast with black and white
Going down the monochrome route can make for a striking space as it really defines zones. A minimalist living room could include a white couch on clean white walls and a white coffee table, this will also make the space seem a lot larger too.
Then in another section of the room, you could use darker colours to really highlight that it is a different zone. For instance black or dark navy paint, furniture and cabinetry.
On the opposite side, the kitchen cabinetry and flooring is a slick dark grey with a shiny black six-person table. You can then bring white into the dark area by way of a small vase with white flowers or other decoration to tie it all together.
19. Add greenery
Any minimalist space will be brought to life with a vase full of greenery. Use a small vase with a little bit of greenery for a subtle touch or take a leaf out of this living room’s book and choose a large vase that makes a statement.
20. Choose clean lines and shapes
Choose furniture with smooth clean lines to create a minimalist space. Clean lines make a space feel uncluttered and simple. Like in this picture, it’s still using a lot of different materials such as timber, marble, grey and black but as it’s all straight edges it’s still maintaining its simplicity and minimalist design.
21. Incorporate green velvet
Now you’re probably asking yourself but why velvet? Well not only is it very on-trend at the moment but a coloured couch in a plush textured finish really lifts a simple room to the next level.
A velvet couch can come in all colours such as a deep blue, dusty pink to mysterious purple, golden yellow, and even this gorgeous bottle green! Throw in a rug for texture and warmth and add in a small pod of coffee tables to complete the room, in a minimal way.
A colourful feature piece of furniture is one of the best ways to add excitement to a minimalist living room.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #22. Add unique furniture
Just because you’re creating a minimalist living room doesn’t mean you need to stick to rectangular or square shapes. Have fun with interesting shapes and sizes but just make sure your surfaces are tidy and clean so the space looks uncluttered.
23. Go all white
White is one of the most wonderful ways to make a small living room appear much larger than it really is. You can achieve this look with white walls, thick white curtains, a white couch and a white lamp shade.
While you’ll want to keep the focus on white, don’t be afraid to add a little bit of color and texture by layering rugs and adding some geometric-print pillows.
24. Choose a minimalist coffee table
Your coffee table doesn’t have to be fancy to be effective. In fact, when it comes to creating a minimal space, the more simple it is, the better! This dark timber coffee table is the perfect choice for this room. It brings the right amount of contrast to an otherwise all-white living room.
25. Add a basic white rug
If you’re wondering how to bring all of your pieces of furniture together to create one seamless look, then it’s time to get a rug. A large rug like this one will provide a clear centre point for your room while drawing your attention to the coffee table in the middle. And if you keep the rug in line with other colours in the space (like this one), you’ll find it’s a great way to complete your minimalist living room.
26. Change it up with angular design
While choosing key furniture pieces often consists of looking for items that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing to the eye, these angular chairs are more for people who are attracted to geometric styling with a contemporary flair.
Featuring unique, eye-catching furniture that showcases oddly angled structures can make your space feel a little less casual living room and a little more modern art gallery.
27. Minimalist statement lighting
Your lighting doesn’t have to be complex, fancy or over the top. In fact, the most effective lighting can be a unique statement piece. This interesting structure includes a single hanging light bulb with a doily-shaped cover, making for a really artsy space.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #28. Square design
When it comes to keeping things minimal yet elegant, you simply cannot go wrong with a square design. And this living space is no exception – it centres around a simple white fabric coffee table in the same style as the four armchairs that surround it.
29. Coastal minimal design
Create a tranquil minimalist living room by using linen in shades of blue. Add touches of timber and lots of white to make the space a coastal delight for any beach house or wannabe seaside escape. This space will have you kicking your shoes off and cosying up with a glass of red in hand.
30. Pink and grey
These two colours are a match made in heaven. The best way to create an inviting room is to use grey as a base and then add touches of pink or blush. Take this living room, for example, which uses dark grey carpet, a light grey couch, and adds pops of soft pink with the pillows. Little touches of pink have also been added in the form of ceramics on the timber shelves of the white cabinet.
31. Marble coffee table
If you’re looking for a classic style that will last the test of time, then you simply can’t go past marble. It looks fabulous with everything, especially when used as a centerpiece in a small minimalist living room. Add a tray, a small vase with some flowers or greenery, and your favourite coffee table book to top it all off.
32. Black-and-white style
How beautiful is this living room? I love the design strictly sticks to black and white. This creates an elegant and timeless style that you are sure to love for years to come.
33. Burnt orange leather and black
If you’re the kind of person who likes to draw outside the lines, then burnt orange might be the choice for you. Create a foundation of black and white walls, flooring and furniture, and then add a pop of colour with burnt orange leather chairs and a gorgeous orange-red glass vase on the coffee table.
Also, scroll back a tick and look at the roof here, the panelling on the roof also makes a statement and brings together the modern furniture with a more classical designed home.
34. Pink couch
How fun is this pink couch? It stands out as a feature piece in this stark white room and something that you can easily recreate. If you have white walls, simply add silver detailing, and then include one fun couch in the colour of your choosing. But if I were you, I’d choose pink! (I really like pink, just in case you couldn’t already tell.)
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas #35. Minimalist retreat
Simply looking at this small minimalist living room makes me feel calm. It’s because the design uses clean lines and interesting shapes in colours and interesting textures. Also, I love the big statement light shade and how it matches the timber structure of the sofa and the small curved coffee table – the combination is so interesting!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a minimalist living room?
A minimalist living room is a space designed with simplicity and minimalism in mind, focusing on clean lines, uncluttered spaces, and a sense of tranquility.
Why are cozy minimalist living rooms popular, and what makes them appealing?
Cozy minimalist living rooms combine the comfort of a cozy atmosphere with the aesthetics of minimalism, creating a space that is both inviting and visually pleasing.
Can you have a cozy minimalist living room in a small space, or is it more suitable for larger rooms?
Cozy minimalist living rooms can be designed for both small and large spaces, as the focus is on decluttering and creating a sense of comfort, regardless of room size.
How do I achieve a cozy minimalist living room look, and what are some key design elements to consider?
Achieving a cozy minimalist living room look involves choosing a neutral color palette, incorporating comfortable furniture, reducing clutter, and using natural materials.
Cozy Minimalist Living Room Ideas: Summing Up
I hope these 35 unique living room ideas have sparked your interest, so you can get busy creating your very own minimalist living room. It’s amazing what you can do with a small space if you put a bit of care and attention into making it special. We suggest you consider our article and also share your knowledge of home design tips with more TikTokers through Tiktokstorm, enhancing your reach and connecting with a wider audience.
So what will you do next? Add a statement couch? Perhaps a marble coffee table? Incorporate a bench seat? Or add a large white rug? Also, whatever you do, make sure you continually clear your living room of clutter so you can enjoy the calm and tranquillity that comes with a clean, minimalist space.
Do you have any other suggestions on minimalist design? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
