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The bare essentials for a flexible living room

Decorating your first living room on a budget can be challenging. But it’s possible! Here’s how to furnish a flexible and functional small space with just three pieces of furniture.

An IKEA EKEBOL sofa, TINGBY side table and TERTIAL lamp in a staged living room setting with green walls and floor.
An IKEA EKEBOL sofa, TINGBY side table and TERTIAL lamp in a staged living room setting with green walls and floor.

We chose multipurpose furniture to make a small living room feel flexible and comfortable. This rustic sofa seats you and several, too. It doubles as storage with built-in shelves and an airy wire frame. Just add hooks to hang personal items.

The table comes with castors and can be moved out of the way or rolled from house to house. Extra cushions and a rug add a soft touch to the living room — and make comfy floor seating. Store the cushions in a sturdy carrier bag when you’re not using them.

Finally, we lightened the mood with an adjustable lamp. The light doesn’t take up floor space, making more room for activities (and parties). Clamp it onto different surfaces so you can use it around the room, and fold it when it’s time to move out.

We love to see our customers get creative with our products. Go for it! But please note that altering or modifying IKEA products so they can no longer be re-sold or used for their original purpose, means the IKEA commercial guarantees and your right to return the products will be lost.

Made by
Interior designer: Fredrik Biel/Nathalie Kamkum
Writer: Jennifer Lee