This is an example of a contemporary enclosed living room in Melbourne with beige walls, medium hardwood floors and brown 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.

Photo of a mid-sized eclectic enclosed living room in Sydney with a library, green walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a corner tv and brown floor.

Inspiration for a small eclectic formal enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

Stunning Living Room embracing the dark colours on the walls which is Inchyra Blue by Farrow and Ball. A retreat from the open plan kitchen/diner/snug that provides an evening escape for the adults. Teal and Coral Pinks were used as accents as well as warm brass metals to keep the space inviting and cosy.

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

Design ideas for a transitional enclosed living room in Atlanta with blue walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Photo of a small midcentury enclosed living room in Calgary with a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, wallpaper, white walls, dark hardwood floors, no tv and brown floor.

Photography: Dustin Halleck
This is an example of a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Chicago with grey walls, a standard fireplace, medium hardwood floors, no tv and brown floor.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Dallas with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

This formal living room was transform for a family with three young children into a semi formal family space. By building this large fireplace surround and hiding inside it a large smart television and sound bar, the family is able to use the room for both formal and in formal hosting. there was a dry bar built on one side of the room to accommodate the many guests, and a small desk and chairs duplicating as a game table for the kids. photographed by Hulya Kolabas

See what lies behind the doors...
Inspiration for a traditional enclosed living room in Berkshire with dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

The living room in shades of pale blue and green. Patterned prints across the furnishings add depth to the space and provide cosy seating areas around the room. The built in bookcases provide useful storage and give a sense of height to the room, framing the fireplace with its textured brick surround. Dark oak wood flooring offers warmth throughout.

Tim Clarke-Payton
Inspiration for a large transitional formal enclosed living room in London with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, no tv, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

Large midcentury formal enclosed living room in Houston with white walls, dark hardwood floors, brown floor, no fireplace and no tv.

Inspiration for an expansive transitional formal enclosed living room in Orange County with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Builder: D&I Landscape Contractors
This is an example of a large eclectic formal enclosed living room in Dallas with brown walls, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Circles of many hues, some striped, some color-blocked, in a crisp grid on a neutral ground, are fun yet work in a wide range of settings. This kind of rug easily ties together all the colors of a room, or adds pop in a neutral scheme. The circles are both loop and pile, against a loop ground, and there are hints of rayon in the wool circles, giving them a bit of a sheen and adding to the textural variation. You’ll find an autumnal palette of golden Dijon, ripe Bittersweet, spiced Paprika and warm Mushroom brown running throughout this collection. Also featuring Camden Sofa and Madison Chair with ottoman in our Cascade fabric.

The original wood paneling and coffered ceiling in the living room was gorgeous, but the hero of the room was the brass and glass light fixture that the previous owner installed. We created a seating area around it with comfy chairs perfectly placed for conversation. Being eco-minded in our approach, we love to re-use items whenever possible. The nesting tables and pale blue storage cabinet are from our client’s previous home, which we also had the privilege to decorate. We supplemented these existing pieces with a new rug, pillow and throw blanket to infuse the space with personality and link the colors of the room together.