55 small living room ideas for compact spaces

The small sitting room in Emma Burns’ former London flat is a striking demonstration of her clever way with space. Filled with an impressive amount of furniture, art, books and collected objects, it nevertheless looks calm, harmonious and comfortable.

A generous L-shaped sofa wraps around the walls, and a bookshelf incorporates a small desk as well as plenty of storage. Another bookshelf was custom-made for the space between the windows, and Emma designed a banquette to go beneath it, so that the glass dining table could be squeezed in as close to the wall as possible.

Deep, elegant cornicing and skirting boards, simple curtains and pale grey paint on the walls form an elegant backdrop to Emma’s collections.