Contemporary living room in Gold Coast - Tweed.

Inspiration for a large contemporary living room in London with a music area, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a corner tv, green walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Los Altos Cozy Home

Isolina Mallon Interiors

Arnona Oren
Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, no fireplace, no tv, brown floor and medium hardwood floors.

Ideal Home magazine

Ali Attenborough

Simon Whitmore
Inspiration for a contemporary living room in London with green walls, painted wood floors and white floor.

MODERN MOROCCAN - THE BOLDING RESIDENCE - FAYETTEVILLE

Whiteline Designs

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Other with blue walls, carpet, no fireplace and no tv.

Arlington Residence

KUBE architecture

Complete interior renovation of a 1980s split level house in the Virginia suburbs. Main level includes reading room, dining, kitchen, living and master bedroom suite. New front elevation at entry, new rear deck and complete re-cladding of the house. Interior: The prototypical layout of the split level home tends to separate the entrance, and any other associated space, from the rest of the living spaces one half level up. In this home the lower level "living" room off the entry was physically isolated from the dining, kitchen and family rooms above, and was only connected visually by a railing at dining room level. The owner desired a stronger integration of the lower and upper levels, in addition to an open flow between the major spaces on the upper level where they spend most of their time. ExteriorThe exterior entry of the house was a fragmented composition of disparate elements. The rear of the home was blocked off from views due to small windows, and had a difficult to use multi leveled deck. The owners requested an updated treatment of the entry, a more uniform exterior cladding, and an integration between the interior and exterior spaces. SOLUTIONS The overriding strategy was to create a spatial sequence allowing a seamless flow from the front of the house through the living spaces and to the exterior, in addition to unifying the upper and lower spaces. This was accomplished by creating a "reading room" at the entry level that responds to the front garden with a series of interior contours that are both steps as well as seating zones, while the orthogonal layout of the main level and deck reflects the pragmatic daily activities of cooking, eating and relaxing. The stairs between levels were moved so that the visitor could enter the new reading room, experiencing it as a place, before moving up to the main level. The upper level dining room floor was "pushed" out into the reading room space, thus creating a balcony over and into the space below. At the entry, the second floor landing was opened up to create a double height space, with enlarged windows. The rear wall of the house was opened up with continuous glass windows and doors to maximize the views and light. A new simplified single level deck replaced the old one.

Betsy Burnham

Burnham Design

Large contemporary living room in Los Angeles.

Living Room

Glenn Robert Lym Architect

Looking past a den's archway into the living space and out into the dining kitchen beyond
Photo of a contemporary living room in San Francisco with medium hardwood floors.

My Aberdeen Property - Apartment

Niall Hastie Photography

Living room at apartment. Photography by Niall Hastie Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary living room in Other with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

Kirkland 4 Star Built Green Custom Home

H2D Architecture + Design

The living room is designed with sloping ceilings up to about 14' tall. The large windows connect the living spaces with the outdoors, allowing for sweeping views of Lake Washington. The north wall of the living room is designed with the fireplace as the focal point. Design: H2D Architecture + Design www.h2darchitects.com #kirklandarchitect #greenhome #builtgreenkirkland #sustainablehome

Residence - Harnish Modi

P & D Associates

PHX India - Sebastian Zachariah & Ira Gosalia
Mid-sized contemporary living room in Other with blue walls and grey floor.

RSA Residence

PURPLE STUDIO

Deepak Aggarwal
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary formal living room in Delhi with medium hardwood floors, brown floor and grey walls.

Preston Hollow Modern

Linda Fritschy Interior Design

This is an example of a contemporary open concept living room in Dallas with grey walls, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

Iris Hollow Model

Sharif & Munir Custom Homes, Inc.

Dan Piassick
Expansive contemporary open concept living room in Dallas with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Chelsea Apartment

Into interior design

Photo by Valerie Bernardini, L-shape sofa from Roche Bobois, Cushions from Designers Guild and Roche Bobois/Lelievre
Inspiration for a contemporary formal open concept living room in London with light hardwood floors and white walls.

Torzetto Residence

RA Nelson LLC

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Denver with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Full interior remodel

RD Architecture, LLC

Completed in 2010 this 1950's Ranch transformed into a modern family home with 6 bedrooms and 4 1/2 baths. Concrete floors and counters and gray stained cabinetry are warmed by rich bold colors. Public spaces were opened to each other and the entire second level is a master suite.

Marylebone

Vogue Kitchens

Mid-sized contemporary living room in London with concrete floors and grey floor.

Rénovation Appartement 120m2

Couleurs et déco

Contemporary living room in Paris with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a freestanding tv and brown floor.

7th Avenue North

Naples ReDevelopment, Inc.

Contemporary open concept living room in Miami with white walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding tv and grey floor.

Contemporary Turquoise 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.