Creating cohesive spaces in a large space requires excellent design, which is created here with fireplaces, dropped ceilings, and carefully placed furniture.

Laurel Way Beverly Hills luxury home modern living room with sliding glass walls

Whipple Russell Architects

Laurel Way Beverly Hills luxury home modern living room with sliding glass walls. Photo by William MacCollum.
This is an example of an expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in Los Angeles with a standard fireplace, a freestanding tv, white floor and recessed.

Project Shades of Grey

Urbaine Home

Large contemporary open concept living room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Roseland Manor

Frahm Interiors - Burlington ON

Great room with 2 story and wood clad ceiling
Expansive contemporary open concept living room in Toronto with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concealed tv and wood.

Queens Park

Todd Sutherland

This is an example of a contemporary living room in London with white walls, grey floor and exposed beam.

East London Loft Apartment

Beacham Architects

The existing property was a Victorian Abrahams First Floor Apartment with 2 bedrooms. The proposal includes a loft extension with two bedrooms and a shower room, a rear first floor roof terrace and a full refurbishment and fit-out. Our role was for a full architectural services including planning, tender, construction oversight. We collaborated with specialist joiners for the interior design during construction. The client wanted to do something special at the property, and the design for the living space manages that by creating a double height space with the eaves space above that would otherwise be dead-space or used for storage. The kitchen is linked to the new terrace and garden as well as the living space creating a great flor to the apartment. The master bedroom looks over the living space with shutters so it can also be closed off. The old elements such as the double height chimney breast and the new elements such as the staircase and mezzanine contrast to give more gravitas to the original features.

Tip-Top Tudor: Living Room

Tamara Day Design

Inspiration for a contemporary open concept living room in Kansas City with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor and exposed beam.

Квартира рокера в ЖК Небо

Карпенко Владимир

Photo of a small contemporary open concept living room in Moscow with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor, recessed and panelled walls.

Chez D

Studio Crystelle Terrasson

Rénovation complète d'une maison des années 1980 ; Décloisonnement complet, et création d'un ensemble sur-mesure cuisine - claustra - meuble TV ; Relookage complet de l'espace.

West River Home Remodeling Project

IRG Renovations

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in Baltimore with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, brown floor and vaulted.

University Park

Urbanology Designs

Relaxed modern home in the SMU area of Dallas. Living room features a conversational layout with art and décor in lieu of television. It displays a beautiful monochromatic style that elegantly flows among white walls and oak wood floors.

Our Work

Bishop Design

Design ideas for a large contemporary open concept living room in Cincinnati with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and exposed beam.

Noida House

Aditi sharma design studio

living room is planned keeping grey as base colour and splash of colours is added by colourful and vibrant cushions . Centre table is made of antique beaten brass which compliments the copper and brass art work on the concrete texture wall . Afghani khilim underneath adds anther layer of texture and pattern to the space .

Modern Newport Fireplace Mantel Styles

DeVinci Cast Stone

The Newport Fireplace Mantel The clean lines give our Newport cast stone fireplace a unique modern style, which is sure to add a touch of panache to any home. The construction material of this mantel allows for indoor and outdoor installations.

Winter Street Townhouse

Charles Maccora Design

Photo of a small contemporary open concept living room in Geelong with white walls, concrete floors, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor and vaulted.

nice workes

Kaiden Seidel interior decorations

Photo of a large contemporary formal open concept living room in New Orleans with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

13 - Arlington Historic Living Room

Aspire Fine Homes

Benjamin Hill Photography
Design ideas for an expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in Houston with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv, no fireplace, brown floor and exposed beam.

CT Family Room

Beth Rosenfield Design, LLC – Associate ASID

The field stone fireplace is the focal point of this inviting Connecticut family room. Ample seating, warm colors, and a fresh mix of patterns and textures make this a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy movies by the fire.

Mountain Modern

CT Design

This living room was part of a larger main floor remodel that included the kitchen, dining room, entryway, and stair. The existing wood burning fireplace and moss rock was removed and replaced with rustic black stained paneling, a gas corner fireplace, and a soapstone hearth. New beams were added.

Russian Hill - Top-to-bottom redesign on a San Francisco downtown view home

EAG Studio

Design ideas for a contemporary open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, light hardwood floors, beige floor and recessed.

All Ceiling Designs Contemporary Living Room Design Photos

A living room, often referred to as a lounge room in Australia and New Zealand, is the hub of the home. If you only have one living room in the house, it’s likely to serve multiple purposes: be it a place to watch TV, play games, spend quality time with family or hang out with friends. If you have the luxury of two living areas, one is usually a formal living room or lounge room, reserved for reading, relaxing and entertaining. A successful contemporary living room design is inviting, has enough seating for the whole clan – a comfortable couch is a must – and encourages conversation. Browse photos on Houzz for living room layouts, furniture and decor, and strike up a conversation with the interior designers or architects of your favourite picks. For even more contemporary living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which contemporary living room layouts will work best for you?

Every living area will have design challenges. A long, narrow lounge room, for example, risks looking like a hallway if furniture is lined up against the walls. Instead, opt for small furniture items, like a cosy two-seater couch, and create various focal points throughout the space. In square living rooms, a symmetrical layout encourages a formal setting. Place seating on either side of the room, with a focal point in the middle to pull the room together. For a truly intimate vibe, replace your couch with some occasional chairs positioned around a coffee table or ottoman. This will make the main focus conversation. An open-plan home – one where the lines are blurred between kitchen, dining and living – may require a layout that focuses on definition. You’ll want to make sure furniture doesn’t block the flow between spaces, and instead use something like an area rug to create zones.

How can you decorate your living room?

The living room can be a place in which to show off your personality, but if you want a timeless living room scheme, stick to neutral walls, couches and ottomans. Colour can be added through accessories, and is a lot more interchangeable! Rugs, cushions and throws are great for adding colour, while mirrors, lamps and ceiling lights will set the mood. Make your contemporary living room unique by including family heirlooms and photos. For a polished look, try creating a coffee table vignette – you could use books as pedestals or group items together on a tray. Try adding a vase, a mixture of round and rectangular objects and some books.

What are some small living room ideas?

Small living room designs can be tricky to work with, but aren’t doomed to fail. Often, you just have to get creative with furniture. An open-back chaise can create a sense of spaciousness, while small side tables paired together can substitute a coffee table. Even better, an ottoman can be used as a footrest, coffee table or extra seating. Big furniture items like the couch are best kept in light colours, and if there’s room for a coffee table, a glass-top one is best. If you have two spaces in one – perhaps your contemporary living room sits in front of a single-wall kitchen – make sure they are connected by decor, colour and style. For definition, just add area rugs, or use your couch as a dividing wall. It’s worth having a few furniture pieces, whether a bookshelf, couch or entertainment unit, in the same colour as the walls, too, so they blend into the room and visually expand the space.

Is open-plan living for you?

Today’s homes often embrace open-plan living, whereby the living room runs off the kitchen and/or dining areas. Open-plan living allows greater functionality, but can risk creating a vast, soulless space if not done right. To avoid a cavernous feel in an open-plan design, define areas with furniture, rugs and lighting, or consider using a wall divider. Also be sure to keep flooring, lighting and materials consistent throughout, for cohesiveness. Noise may be an issue – someone banging pots and pans while you’re watching TV, for example – so include lots of soft contemporary furnishings, such as rugs, curtains and couches to help absorb the noise. You will also need to factor in plenty of storage, so mess is kept at bay.