A view from the dinning room through to the formal lounge
Traditional open concept living room in Sydney with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround and black floor.

Contemporary living room
Large transitional enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, brown floor and wallpaper.

A contemporary holiday home located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula featuring rammed earth walls, timber lined ceilings and flagstone floors. This home incorporates strong, natural elements and the joinery throughout features custom, stained oak timber cabinetry and natural limestone benchtops. With a nod to the mid century modern era and a balance of natural, warm elements this home displays a uniquely Australian design style. This home is a cocoon like sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation with all the modern conveniences one could wish for thoughtfully integrated.

Concrete block walls provide thermal mass for heating and defence agains hot summer. The subdued colours create a quiet and cosy space focussed around the fire. Timber joinery adds warmth and texture , framing the collections of books and collected objects.

Bill Taylor
Traditional formal open concept living room in Boston with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and coffered.

This wood ceiling needed something to tone down the grain in the planks. We were able to create a wash that did exactly that. The floors (reclaimed red oak from a pre-Civil War barn) needed to have their different colors highlighted, not homogenized. Instead of staining the floor, we used a tung oil and beeswax finish that was hand buffed. Our clients wanted to have reclaimed wood beams in their ceiling, but could not use true old beams as they would not be sturdy enough to support the roof. We took their fresh- cut fir beams and used synthetic plasters, paints, and glazes to give them an authentic aged look. Taken by Alise O'Brien (aliseobrienphotography.com) Interior Designer: Emily Castle (emilycastle.com)

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Eric Roth Photo

Michelle Drewes
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional open concept living room in San Francisco with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, brown floor and a wall-mounted tv.

Large contemporary formal open concept living room in Salt Lake City with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, white walls and no tv.

Around the fireplace the existing slate tiles were matched and brought full height to simplify and strengthen the overall fireplace design, and a seven-foot live-edged log of Sycamore was milled, polished and mounted on the slate to create a stunning fireplace mantle and help frame the new art niche created above. searanchimages.com

Inspiration for a country formal living room in Minneapolis with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and no tv.

Silk draperies and Roman shades set off this living room’s windows, set in a palette of gold, copper and neutrals. The room features a 1940s French mirrored desk, traditional upholstery, a mid-century cocktail table, metal étagère, Oushak rug and gold sunburst mirror over the fireplace, accented by brass hurricanes and surrounded by glass tile. Cream wood paneling, French doors and an antique French brass and crystal chandelier circa the 1880s accent the dark walnut stained flooring.

I used soft arches, warm woods, and loads of texture to create a warm and sophisticated yet casual space.
Design ideas for a mid-sized country living room in Boise with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

Inspiration for a large contemporary formal open concept living room in Minneapolis with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, no tv, brown floor and a wood fireplace surround.

This is an example of an expansive contemporary open concept living room in Las Vegas with brown walls, a corner fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

Inspiration for a large transitional formal open concept living room in Other with brown walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace, no tv, porcelain floors, a stone fireplace surround and grey floor.

Rick Lee Photo
Country living room in Charleston with a stone fireplace surround.

John Buchan Homes
Photo of a mid-sized transitional loft-style living room in Seattle with a stone fireplace surround, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.