20 Things To Remove From Your Living Room To Double Its Size, Say Professional Organizers
Is your living room feeling more cramped than cozy? Professional organizers know that the secret to a spacious-feeling living area isn’t always about having a bigger house.
Sometimes, it’s about removing the right items that are secretly stealing your space. Here’s what the experts recommend clearing out to visually double your living room’s size without knocking down a single wall.
1. Oversized coffee tables
Walking around a massive coffee table in a modest living room feels like navigating an obstacle course. Professional organizers suggest swapping that chunky wooden behemoth for something with a glass top or open base.
The visual lightness creates an illusion of more floor space. Consider nesting tables that can be tucked away when not needed.
2. Bulky recliners
Though wonderfully comfortable, that overstuffed recliner is essentially eating half your living room! The disproportionate size creates an imbalance that makes everything feel squeezed.
Instead, consider armchairs with slim profiles and exposed legs. When furniture appears to float rather than squat heavily on your floor, the entire room breathes easier.
3. Excess throw pillows
What started as a few accent pieces has multiplied into a pillow invasion! When half your seating disappears under decorative cushions, it’s time for a reality check.
Stick to two or three statement pillows per sofa. Quality over quantity creates a polished look without the clutter. Your guests will appreciate actually having somewhere to sit!
4. Outdated media consoles
Remember those massive entertainment centers designed to house bulky TVs and DVD collections? If you’re still hanging onto one, it’s claiming precious square footage unnecessarily.
Modern flatscreens need minimal support—try wall-mounting yours or using a slim console. Without that hulking cabinet, your living room instantly gains breathing room and a contemporary feel.
5. Unused side tables
Has your living room accumulated random side tables over the years? These furniture barnacles often serve no purpose beyond collecting dust and stubbing toes.
Assess which ones actually hold your coffee cup or reading lamp, then ruthlessly eliminate the extras. For occasional needs, consider C-tables that slide under sofas when not in use.
6. Floor lamps with wide bases
Those tripod floor lamps might look stylish in catalogs, but their sprawling bases are secretly space thieves. In compact living rooms, every square inch of floor matters.
Switch to wall sconces or pendant lighting instead. If you must have floor lamps, choose slim designs with small footprints. Your pathway through the room will instantly feel more generous.
7. Wall-to-wall bookshelves
Bibliophiles beware! While displaying your entire collection might seem intellectually impressive, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves can make walls feel like they’re closing in on you.
Consider curating a smaller collection on floating shelves instead. The negative space around carefully arranged books creates breathing room, while the floating design maintains an airy feel compared to heavy traditional bookcases.
8. Large area rugs
Contrary to popular belief, oversized rugs can actually shrink your space visually. When a rug covers nearly every inch of flooring, rooms feel confined rather than defined. Try smaller rugs that allow some flooring to show around the edges.
This creates the illusion of more square footage and helps establish distinct zones without overwhelming the room’s proportions.
9. Decorative bowls and trays
Those beautiful ceramic bowls seemed perfect in the store, but now they’re just dust-collecting space invaders on every surface. Decorative containers multiply mysteriously in most homes! Keep just one statement piece as a focal point.
When decorative items crowd horizontal surfaces, they create visual noise that makes rooms feel cluttered and smaller. Let your surfaces breathe again.
10. Duplicate seating
Having seating for a theoretical party of twelve in a modest living room is ambitious but impractical. Those extra chairs and ottomans create an obstacle course rather than a welcoming space.
Keep only what you use daily, plus perhaps one or two extra seats. For occasional gatherings, consider folding chairs stored elsewhere or versatile poufs that can be tucked away.
11. Extra blankets and throws
While snuggling under a cozy throw sounds delightful, the collection of blankets draped over every surface creates visual chaos.
That mountain of textile comfort is actually making your room look messy. Choose one beautiful throw per seating area and store the rest in a closed cabinet. Your room will instantly appear more intentional and tidy without sacrificing comfort.
12. Stacks of magazines
Those inspiring home magazines you’ve been saving since 2015? They’re not just collecting dust—they’re eating up valuable real estate and dating your space.
Tear out pages you truly love and organize them in a single binder. For current reading, limit yourself to this month’s issues only. Digital subscriptions offer the same content without the physical clutter.
13. Excessive framed art
When every inch of wall space is covered in frames, your carefully chosen art pieces lose impact and walls feel like they’re closing in.
Gallery walls can quickly cross from curated to chaotic. Select a few statement pieces instead of dozens of small frames. The negative space around artwork gives eyes a place to rest and makes rooms feel more expansive.
14. Tall houseplants
Your indoor jungle ambitions might be suffocating your living room! Massive floor plants eat up valuable square footage and can make ceilings feel lower than they are.
Swap some floor plants for smaller specimens on shelves or hanging planters. You’ll maintain that biophilic connection while freeing up floor space and creating vertical interest that draws the eye upward.
15. Large storage ottomans
That massive storage ottoman seemed practical for hiding blankets and game controllers, but its bulky presence dominates your room like an aircraft carrier.
Hidden storage comes at a visual cost! Consider wall storage solutions instead. When you move storage upward rather than outward, your floor plan opens up dramatically while maintaining the same functional capacity.
16. Cluttered mantel decor
Has your fireplace mantel transformed into a crowded display shelf for family photos, candles, and holiday cards? This prime focal point often becomes a magnet for miscellaneous decor.
Edit ruthlessly and limit yourself to three to five carefully chosen items. The restraint creates a sophisticated vignette that draws attention to your fireplace rather than the clutter surrounding it.
17. Extra chairs “just in case”
Holding onto that odd dining chair or folding seat for hypothetical visitors? These “just in case” items consume precious real estate daily for rare occasions.
Store occasional seating elsewhere or invest in stylish stacking chairs that can be neatly tucked away. Your living room shouldn’t be a permanent waiting room for guests who visit twice a year.
18. Baskets on the floor
Those charming woven baskets for magazines and toys quickly become floor-space hogs. While they contain clutter, their very presence creates visual heaviness at eye level. Try wall-mounted solutions or furniture with built-in storage instead.
Eliminating floor baskets creates cleaner sight lines and improves traffic flow, making your room feel instantly more spacious.
19. Visible cords and tech clutter
The tangled web of charging cables, power strips, and device cords creates visual chaos that subconsciously registers as clutter.
Even worse are the devices themselves scattered across surfaces. Create a dedicated charging station in a drawer or cabinet. Use cord organizers and wireless solutions where possible. This simple tech cleanup makes rooms feel instantly more serene.
20. Overfilled display cabinets
When curio cabinets and display shelves are packed to bursting with collectibles, they create visual weight that drags down the entire room. That cherished collection might be visually overwhelming your space. Rotate collections seasonally instead of displaying everything at once.
The breathing room between objects creates elegant negative space, while the rotation keeps your decor feeling fresh throughout the year.