15 Small Seating Area Ideas For Rooms That Won't Fit A Couch

Whether you live in a four-bedroom house, or a one-room studio, we’re all looking to maximize the space in our homes. Some of us just look a little harder ― especially when we only have a few hundred square feet to start with.

When I moved from a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in Chicago into a New York City studio under 300-square-feet, finding practical and trendy multipurpose furniture as well as small-space hacks became my obsession.

That’s why I’ve pulled together some of what I believe are the smartest ideas for small seating areas when you don’t have room for a couch. From floor cushions and lift-up coffee tables, to storage that doubles as a standing desk, below are 15 innovative seating area ideas for small living rooms that won’t fit a couch.

What hacks have you found to make the most of your tiny living room?

A lift-top coffee table

Wayfair

Use it as a study space, your work-from-home area or even a dining table. Bonus points for added the hideaway storage it provides.

Storage shelves that double as as standing desk

Jet

Get it here.

A swivel desk chair that's stylish enough to double as extra living room seating

Target

This velvet arm chair is part of Target's new home line, Opalhouse. The super affordable collection looks like it belongs at Anthropologie.

Nesting furniture

AllModern

To save on space, nesting furniture is an easy way to double your surface space without taking up double the floor space. These nesting tables can be used nested like one piece of furniture, or broken apart and used throughout your living room.

A hideaway desk and dining table

Jet

This table folds up and down, and can be used as either a desk or a dining table. It's ideal for super-small spaces without much floor space. Get it here.

A settee, for a modern sofa look with that oversized armchair feel

Wayfair

Get it here.

Rolling furniture for endless possibilities

Jet

If you have a modular space and need moveable furniture to boot, rolling furniture gives you the versatile mix-and-match combinations you need. This rolling side table can also be used as a dining table and TV tray, a bar cart or even a nightstand. Get it here.

Use floating shelves as end tables and side tables

CB2

If you keep your seating against a wall, floating shelves are a smart way to free up floor space, and still give your seating area some counter space for coasters, lamps, books and more.

An ottoman that turns into a coffee table with an extra foot stool

Hayneedle

It's like three pieces of furniture in one.

Modular furniture for super tight spaces

Burrow

Burrow creates furniture designed for "real life." That is, their sofas, ottomans and sectionals are shipped in easy-to-assemble pieces that aren't a nightmare to get up the stairs into your tiny apartment.

Floor cushions, if you have the floor space

Urban Outfitters

They come in eight whimsical colors. Get them here.

Stackable extra seating

Bed Bath and Beyond

These stackable seats are smart enough to store out in the open, or small enough to hide in a broom closet. Either way, they're there when you need them. Get them here.

A storage ottoman with trays that double as a coffee table

Jet

It can even be used as a bench for additional seating. Get it here.

A bench for added seating and storage

World Market

If you need a versatile piece of furniture for both seating and storage, a bench is a smart way to give your room endless possibilities. Use it at the foot of your bed, along an entry way, at the dining table, or in your living room.

A plush armchair that turns into a twin-sized bed

Crate and Barrel

It's a sleeper chair that doesn't look like a sleeper chair. You'll love it, and your guests will definitely love it.

15 Small Seating Area Ideas For Rooms That Won't Fit A Couch

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