10 Small Living Room Design Ideas for Your Off-Campus Apartment

Moving from a dorm to an off campus apartment can feel like entering a whole new world of possibility. Suddenly, you have more freedom to spend your time just how you please, spend your money how you please, and, of course, decorate how you want. In this post, our furniture experts at Executive Furniture Leasing in Greensboro, NC are sharing 10 small living room design ideas. With these creative ideas, you can decorate your off-campus apartment to elicit the cozy and welcoming vibe you've always wanted.

Decorating An Off-Campus Apartment 

What’s the difference between a dorm room and an apartment? An apartment off-campus usually comes with fewer restrictions and rules when it comes to decorating and making it your own.

Dorm room walls cannot be painted, curtains can’t be hung, art can’t be nailed up, and spaces like kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms have to be shared with an entire floor. In an off-campus apartment, on the other hand, the rules are likely to be a bit more lax, and the whole place is yours to make into a home. The only drawback? These spaces tend to be pretty small.

If you’re looking for small living room design ideas for your off-campus apartment, keep reading!

Channel Your Inspo for Small Living Room Design Ideas

The first step in decorating? Determining your vision. Pinterest, Houzz, HGTV; there are countless places to pull inspiration from out there these days. 

Consider making an inspiration board full of your favorite pieces, styles, and designers, and look for any similarities between them. Finding those common themes can make it easier to pick an aesthetic for your home. 

Some of the most popular styles include:

• Mid-century 
• Bohemian 
• Industrial
• Minimalist
• Traditional
• Trendy 
• Retro 

Spend some time flipping through design books, surfing home improvement channels, and googling these style terms to narrow down your favorites. In very little time, you'll have your own vision of small living room design ideas that will make your space your own!

Find Furniture

For all their faults, dorm rooms do have one thing going for them: They typically come furnished. Your off-campus apartment, on the other hand, likely will not. This might just be the first time you're faced with the task of buying your own furniture.

Doing so will take a bit of creative thinking on your part. You may be on a budget thanks to other college expenses like, say, tuition, food, fun, etc. Or you may be faced with some space restrictions that require a bit of working around. You may also be unsure of the exact aesthetic you want to go with—after all, if it’s your first place you may need some time to experiment with your own personal style. 

For all of those reasons and more, some prefer renting furniture to buying. At Executive Furniture Leasing, we have 20 years of experience helping North Carolina renters make their apartments feel like home, without the hassle or commitment of buying all-new furniture.  

Consider Convertible Pieces

Another one of our small living room design ideas is a space-saving furniture option: Convertible furniture. Convertible furniture is any that can be easily reconfigured to serve multiple purposes or to be easy to store.

Think Murphy beds, shelves that transform into full-sized desks, or ottomans that double as storage bins. This option is also much more cost-effective for those moving into their first apartment: Why buy a couch, a lounge chair, and a coffee table when one piece of furniture can do the job for a third of the price? 

Add Some Accent Pieces 

Once you have the big pieces in place, it’s time to have some fun with the decor! From rugs to wall hangings to funky light fixtures, there’s no end to the amount of personality you can infuse with accent pieces. 

• Consider adding some texture to make the room a bit cozier; plush fabrics and woven accessories like lamps and baskets are perfect for this. 
• Bring the room to life with bright pops of color, like an orange dining room chair set or fun throw pillows.
• Add visual interest with an accent wall. Why stop at just one small piece when you could make a whole wall an accessory? A dark green can add depth to a room, while a light color can brighten it up.  

Play with Lighting 

Never underestimate the power of good lighting. Even the smallest room can look larger with the help of bright lights that illuminate corners and serve multiple purposes. 

Wall sconces on dimmers are an especially great choice, as they can add mood lighting to any room without taking up very much floor space.

Even during the day when these light fixtures aren’t serving a function, they can still serve serious looks if they’re stylish, effortlessly elevating a space. 

Pick Some Plants

Indoor plants have become trendier than ever in the past few years and for good reason. Not only are they a beautiful addition to a room, but they also have been found to bring some health benefits that can’t be beaten. Studies have found that house plants can increase your creativity, reduce stress, contribute to better air quality, and boost your overall mood. 

If you’re new to the world of plants and plant care, you may want to consider some of the low-maintenance members of the flora family, such as: 

• Snake plants
• Pothos
• ZZ plants
• Peace lily 
• Spider plant 

These are great plants for those just starting out on their plant parent journey, as they require minimal care with maximum return. 

Contact Executive Furniture Leasing for Your Small Space Furniture Needs 

We hope these small living room design ideas gave you the inspiration you were looking for! If you’re moving into an off-campus apartment, congrats! It’s time to have fun bringing your space to life, from decking out your kitchen to getting creative with the best small living room design ideas. 

One of the quickest and most affordable ways to make your apartment feel like home is through furniture rentals at Executive Furniture Leasing. We offer full sets of furniture for every room, from the dining room to the bedroom to the living room. Choose from a variety of styles and even customize your package to fit your needs.

When it’s time to move on, or even if you want to just try a new look, you can do so in no time at all and with no loss of investment. To learn more about short-term and long-term leasing, call us at  336-851-1351 or fill out the form below.