Rooms

Kourtney Kardashian’s Living Room Trick: Why Oversized Furniture Works

Recreate Kourtney Kardashian's Oversized Look in a Small Living Room

By Sara Kitnick

Senior Content Strategist

Sept. 27, 2025 5:07 AM PT

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We challenge the old rule that small rooms need small furniture.
We’ll show you how to use oversized pieces, inspired by Kourtney Kardashian’s style, to make a small room feel intentional and luxe.
The keys to success are precise measuring, choosing furniture with smart details (like legs), and using texture.
You’ll learn how to anchor the room with a large rug and use mirrors to create a sense of space.
Balancing large furniture with “negative space” is the secret to avoiding a cramped feel.

While we’ve all heard never to “crowd” a small space... but Kourtney Kardashian’s living room seems to be throwing that idea out the window. So, instead of trying to shrink your furniture to fit, why not go bold and use scale to your advantage? It’s a counterintuitive trick, but it works.

Here’s how you can get that same elevated, roomy feel. Even if your living room is tiny.

What to Know About a Small Living Room

The old advice was to always buy small scale furniture for a small living room. The fear was that anything large would feel overwhelming. But the truth is, a bunch of tiny furniture (like a dinky love seat and a tiny table) often just makes a room feel cluttered and... well, small.

Going for buying larger scale furniture in even the tiniest room is a power move. It feels thrilling because it’s confident. Instead of apologizing for the room’s size, you’re defining it. A single, beautiful small sofa that sits fully in the space, rather than a collection of tiny pieces, can make the tiniest room feel intentional. Kourtney Kardashian’s living room, for instance, includes two ivory sofas separated by a dark wooden table, showcasing how bold choices can define a space.

It’s all about thoughtful planning. The goal isn’t to cram. The goal is to choose one or two main pieces, like the bed or seating area, and make them the unapologetic heroes of the cozy space. This approach, which is a hallmark of Kourtney Kardashian’s design, turns a cozy room into a statement. But it takes thoughtful planning to get it right.

How to Measure Your Space Before Buying Big Furniture

Then you can figure out where your main zone for seating will be and how people will walk through the room.

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How to Measure Your Space Before Buying Big Furniture

Okay, first things first, you have to know your space inside and out. Get out the tape measure and map out your room’s dimensions, and don’t forget to mark where things like windows, radiators, and doors are.
Then you can figure out where your main zone for seating will be and how people will walk through the room.

Before you even think about buying, grab some painter’s tape and outline where your dream sofa would go on the floor. It really helps you see how much space it will take up. It’s a simple step that has saved me from so much furniture-buying regret.

Let your sofa’s front legs sit just off the edge of your rug. It helps anchor the piece in the room without making it look all boxed in.

Choosing the Right Sofa for a Tiny Room

Madeline Slate Blue Short Sofa

(Kathyn Kuo Home)

If you can fit a true 3-seater sofa while still leaving about 10–12 inches of walking space around it, go for it.

But if that’s too tight, you could get a wide armless sofa. Or a regular sofa with a matching ottoman, you can push up against it. The bottom line is you get the feeling of a large sectional without all the bulk.

Look for sofas with slim arms and a lower profile. And legs. Legs are important because they create a little airiness so the piece doesn’t feel so heavy. Midcentury modern or Scandinavian styles are great at balancing a larger scale with a lighter feel.

Try getting a sofa with taller legs, maybe 5 to 7 inches, which lets you see the floor underneath, which is a classic trick for making a space feel bigger. A total game-changer.

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How to Style Oversized Furniture

So, how do you make larger scale furniture work without it just looking... big? This is where you style oversized furniture with texture and proportion.

In a generously sized room, you can get away with a lot. But in a smaller space, every piece counts. You’re aiming for what designers call quiet luxury. It’s not about flashy logos; it’s about plush textures and confident proportions. Think of Kourtney Kardashian’s home, famously guided by interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. It’s a perfect example of balancing big, statement pieces with a richer palette and soft light. Her living room also showcases a combination of natural stone-inspired walls and sleek black cabinetry, adding depth and sophistication.

The real secret is contrast. A striking, eye-catching tiled fireplace with a herringbone pattern serves as a focal point in Kourtney Kardashian’s living room, demonstrating how bold design elements can anchor a space while adding visual interest.

Balance heavy with light. If you have a massive three seater sofa, pair it with a table lamp that has a delicate base or a side table with mirrored glass.
Use tactile fabrics. This is non-negotiable. A chunky bouclé texture or a luxurious pillow (like an Allegra velvet pillow with its elegant pleated effect) adds inviting depth and cozy warmth. A dimensional weave from brands like Scalamandre add texture and visual interest. Even fur accents or a subtle sheen on a cushion can break up a large fabric surface.
Go for sculptural décor. Don’t just add stuff. Add shapes. An aged terracotta jar, a striking accent piece with a bulbous shape, or other organic accessories work to soften the hard lines of a sofa. Sculptural décor bring dimension.
Play with pattern (carefully). While natural stone inspired walls or sleek black cabinetry might provide a neutral backdrop, woven rugs with intricate patterns can anchor the room. Just be careful not to go too wild. A bolder print is great, but you might balance it with a subtle heathered look elsewhere.

The idea is that confident proportions bring balance. Your sofa isn’t just a sofa; it’s the anchor for a whole look. These details—the dimensional weave creates from contrasting yarns, the cool touch of brass introduce, the softness of fresh blooms—are what make the most memorable interiors. They give the space a distinct personality and make even a larger space feel intimate.

The Full-Rug Trick: How to Anchor Furniture in Small Spaces

Go bold with a full rug (under everything). Use a rug that’s big enough to go under the front legs of all your major furniture. It just pulls the whole room together and stops your furniture from looking like it’s all floating in the middle of the room.

And this is a great place to add some serious depth with texture. Think wool, jute blends, or even layered weaves.

If you find a rug with a bold color you love, let that be the starting point for your room’s entire color palette.

Use Mirrors and Lighting to Make a Small Room Look Bigger

(Antok Store/Amazon)

This is where things like brass, mirrors, or smoked glass side tables come in handy. They bounce light around and just generally make the space feel bigger and brighter.

Putting a mirror across from or near the sofa can visually double the space. It’s an old trick for a reason.

Slender floor lamps or cool arc lamps can also add some height to the room without taking up much floor space.

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Layer Textures and Patterns for a Cozy, Luxe Look

You don’t want your giant sofa to look like a big, boring block. So, cover it with plush throws, some boucle pillows, and a mix of different fabrics like linen, velvet, or something woven.

A few sculptural accessories or plants can also soften all the straight lines of the furniture.

Use your accent cushions to pull in colors from your walls, the rug, or any art you have hanging.

Negative Space: The Secret to Small Room Design

Your walls need some breathing room, too. You don’t have to pack every single inch with art or shelves.

Try to leave a little gap, maybe 6 to 8 inches, between the back of your sofa and the wall. It lets light trickle behind it and keeps it from feeling crammed.

And when you can, choose open shelving or floating units instead of heavy, closed-off cabinets. Makes a huge difference.

Styling Checklist: How to Pull It All Together

Before you buy a single thing, please use that painter’s tape trick on the floor. Walk around the tape outline. Does it feel right? You can avoid so many frustrating surprises this way.

When you’re shopping, remember to look for pieces with taller legs. It’s a simple thing, but seeing the floor underneath really does open up your sightlines and make the room feel less cramped.

Then add in mirrors, a glass tabletop, maybe some brass finishes. Anything to get light moving around the room.

So it doesn’t feel flat, layer in different textures with pillows and throws. Boucle, velvet, linen… just mix them up. It adds so much warmth. But don’t feel like you have to fill every corner. Leaving some empty space, some negative zones, is what keeps the whole layout from feeling boxed in and stressful.

Shop the Oversized Furniture Look for Under $1,000

Though it’s not confirmed which specific sofa Kourtney purchased, it has been said she favors a full-sized 3-seater to anchor the space and incorporates sculptural chairs and mid-century influences. Her living room is designed by Jeff Andrews, whose expertise brings a cohesive and luxurious feel to the space.

Here are a few Kardashian-inspired ideas:

Pouf or ottoman to pair with your sofa
Mirror panel (leaning or wall-mounted)
Modular armless sofa piece
Slender brass or smoked-glass side table
Textured throw & pillow set

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is this: Don’t let a small room bully you into small-scale thinking.

The Kourtney Kardashian living room approach is all about confidence. It’s about picking a fantastic, room-defining seating area and building a cozy room around it. It’s a look that feels curated, intentional, and deeply personal. The room is designed to be comfortable and functional for family life, embodying a vibe described as ‘really chic but practical’ by Kourtney Kardashian.

Yes, it takes thoughtful planning. You have to measure. You have to be smart about legs and mirrors and textures. But when you get it right, you don’t just have a small room with a big sofa. You have one of those memorable interiors that just works.