Peter Landers
Photo of a mid-sized transitional enclosed living room in London with green walls, painted wood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

LINNÉSTADEN, SVEAGATAN 2 B

Entrance Fastighetsmäkleri

Anders Bergstedt
Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian formal enclosed living room in Gothenburg with white walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace and no tv.

Lynn Sitting Room

Denyne Designs

The design of this refined sitting room uses traditional Victorian elements such as the ornate white fireplace mantel/surround with accents of silver and gold to create a formal space in which to entertain. Polished cherry wood flooring and Doric columns lend an air of sophistication against soft beige walls. The inviting club chairs and glass coffee table with it's accents of wrought iron are echoed in the fireplace screen and complete this sophisticated, upscale space.

Lafayette Window Fashions Products

More Than Blinds

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in Cleveland with black walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace, a freestanding tv and black floor.

Harvard Shaker-House Renovation/Addition

Katie Hutchison Studio

The new owners of this house in Harvard, Massachusetts loved its location and authentic Shaker characteristics, but weren’t fans of its curious layout. A dated first-floor full bathroom could only be accessed by going up a few steps to a landing, opening the bathroom door and then going down the same number of steps to enter the room. The dark kitchen faced the driveway to the north, rather than the bucolic backyard fields to the south. The dining space felt more like an enlarged hall and could only comfortably seat four. Upstairs, a den/office had a woefully low ceiling; the master bedroom had limited storage, and a sad full bathroom featured a cramped shower. KHS proposed a number of changes to create an updated home where the owners could enjoy cooking, entertaining, and being connected to the outdoors from the first-floor living spaces, while also experiencing more inviting and more functional private spaces upstairs. On the first floor, the primary change was to capture space that had been part of an upper-level screen porch and convert it to interior space. To make the interior expansion seamless, we raised the floor of the area that had been the upper-level porch, so it aligns with the main living level, and made sure there would be no soffits in the planes of the walls we removed. We also raised the floor of the remaining lower-level porch to reduce the number of steps required to circulate from it to the newly expanded interior. New patio door systems now fill the arched openings that used to be infilled with screen. The exterior interventions (which also included some new casement windows in the dining area) were designed to be subtle, while affording significant improvements on the interior. Additionally, the first-floor bathroom was reconfigured, shifting one of its walls to widen the dining space, and moving the entrance to the bathroom from the stair landing to the kitchen instead. These changes (which involved significant structural interventions) resulted in a much more open space to accommodate a new kitchen with a view of the lush backyard and a new dining space defined by a new built-in banquette that comfortably seats six, and -- with the addition of a table extension -- up to eight people. Upstairs in the den/office, replacing the low, board ceiling with a raised, plaster, tray ceiling that springs from above the original board-finish walls – newly painted a light color -- created a much more inviting, bright, and expansive space. Re-configuring the master bath to accommodate a larger shower and adding built-in storage cabinets in the master bedroom improved comfort and function. A new whole-house color palette rounds out the improvements. Photos by Katie Hutchison

Vardagsrum

Alexander White

Mariatorget 2 Foto: Henrik Nero
Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic formal enclosed living room in Stockholm with white walls, painted wood floors and no tv.

Hastings Residence

Shape Architecture Ltd

Photograph David Merewether
Photo of a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Sussex with green walls, painted wood floors, a stone fireplace surround, a standard fireplace and no tv.

Willemoesgade 8

Din Mægler

Small scandinavian enclosed living room in Aalborg with white walls, painted wood floors and white floor.

Naremburn

Sue Stubbs Photographer

Interior Designer Sally Rhys-Jones
Design ideas for a country formal enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, painted wood floors and white floor.

A House in White

Albertsson Hansen Architecture, Ltd

Photo by ©Adan Torres, Jennaea Gearhart Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary enclosed living room in Minneapolis with white walls, painted wood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and a freestanding tv.

living room

Netease design

my new home！
Large asian formal enclosed living room in Other with white walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Сталинка,ремонт закончен

Татьяна Красикова

Гостиная
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Moscow with a library, beige walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and coffered.

Washington Street Loft

Hi 5 Design Lab

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern enclosed living room in Chicago with beige walls and painted wood floors.

Linnéstaden, Övre Husargatan 2A

Entrance Fastighetsmäkleri

Inspiration for a mid-sized scandinavian formal enclosed living room in Gothenburg with white walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace and white floor.

Modern Beach House

Mint Home Decor

Crystal Waye Photography
Mid-sized eclectic formal enclosed living room in Los Angeles with white walls, painted wood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and white floor.

Marylebone Apartment

TLA Studio

James Balston
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in London with white walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace and white floor.

Canapés Montélimar et Fauteuil Calvi

FranceCanapé

Réalisation Client
Photo of a mid-sized country enclosed living room in Paris with a library, white walls, painted wood floors, no fireplace, no tv and white floor.

The Prevailing Westerlies

Jacobsen Architecture, LLC

Simon Jacobsen
This is an example of a small modern formal enclosed living room in Philadelphia with white walls, painted wood floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and a concealed tv.

Tomtebobarnens gata

WÅG Event & Inredning

Design ideas for a mid-sized scandinavian enclosed living room in Stockholm with white walls, painted wood floors, black floor and no fireplace.

Checker board floor

Audrey Sterk Design

Black and natural wood checked floor
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Boston with painted wood floors.

Enclosed Living Room Design Photos with Painted Wood Floors

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 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 living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which 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 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 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 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.