This is an example of a small midcentury formal enclosed living room in Minneapolis with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Master Suite Sitting Room

Mackin Architects

The sitting room has a brick wood burning fireplace with window seats on either side.
Inspiration for a large traditional formal enclosed living room in New York with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and multi-coloured floor.

Glen Ridge Home

Toledo Geller

Design ideas for a large beach style formal enclosed living room in New York with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and no tv.

Color Design-beachy bungalow

Rachel Perls, Hue Consulting

Photo by Marot Hartford Styling by Kelly Berg Color design by Rachel Perls
Beach style formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with green walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Post + Beam Reimagined

Melinda Mandell Interior Design

Our goal was to create an elegant current space that fit naturally into the architecture, utilizing tailored furniture and subtle tones and textures. We wanted to make the space feel lighter, open, and spacious both for entertaining and daily life. The fireplace received a face lift with a bright white paint job and a black honed slab hearth. We thoughtfully incorporated durable fabrics and materials as our client's home life includes dogs and children.

Three Arch Cottage

Nate Fischer Interiors

Bright and airy cottage living room with white washed brick and natural wood beam mantle.
Photo of a small beach style open concept living room in Orange County with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and vaulted.

Farmhouse 1

Stellar Homes Inc.

Plumbing - Hype Mechanical Plumbing Fixtures - Best Plumbing Mechanical - Pinnacle Mechanical Tile - TMG Contractors Electrical - Stony Plain Electric Lights - Park Lighting Appliances - Trail Appliance Flooring - Titan Flooring Cabinets - GEM Cabinets Quartz - Urban Granite Siding - Weatherguard exteriors Railing - A-Clark Brick - Custom Stone Creations Security - FLEX Security Audio - VanRam Communications Excavating - Tundra Excavators Paint - Forbes Painting Foundation - Formex Concrete - Dell Concrete Windows/ Exterior Doors - All Weather Windows Finishing - Superior Finishing & Railings Trusses - Zytech Weeping Tile - Lenbeth Stairs - Sandhills Railings - Specialized Stair & Rail Fireplace - Wood & Energy Drywall - Laurentian Drywall overhead door - Barcol Closets - Top Shelf Closets & Glass (except master closet - that was Superior Finishing)

The Sycamore

Biringer Builders, Inc.

Design ideas for a country open concept living room in Richmond with white walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Royal Foxhunt, Orland Park

NZ DESIGN & ASSOCIATES INC

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional formal open concept living room in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

A Diamond on the Bay

Casabella Interiors

This is an example of a mid-sized beach style formal enclosed living room in Boston with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, brown floor and no tv.

Spring Lake

Evenflow Interiors

Photo of a large beach style open concept living room in Other with a library, white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Courtyard || Remodel || Austin, Texas || Study

Etch Design Group

While the bathroom portion of this project has received press and accolades, the other aspects of this renovation are just as spectacular. Unique and colorful elements reside throughout this home, along with stark paint contrasts and patterns galore.

Farmville Cottage

Holland Homes LLC

Large country formal open concept living room in Atlanta with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Williamsburg Home

Linda Cava

Photo of a mid-sized eclectic formal enclosed living room in New York with grey walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, medium hardwood floors, no tv and brown floor.

Windermere Renovation

Akers Custom Homes

This is an example of a mid-sized mediterranean formal open concept living room in Jacksonville with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Easy Breezy

SV Design

The layout of this colonial-style house lacked the open, coastal feel the homeowners wanted for their summer retreat. Siemasko + Verbridge worked with the homeowners to understand their goals and priorities: gourmet kitchen; open first floor with casual, connected lounging and entertaining spaces; an out-of-the-way area for laundry and a powder room; a home office; and overall, give the home a lighter and more “airy” feel. SV’s design team reprogrammed the first floor to successfully achieve these goals. SV relocated the kitchen to what had been an underutilized family room and moved the dining room to the location of the existing kitchen. This shift allowed for better alignment with the existing living spaces and improved flow through the rooms. The existing powder room and laundry closet, which opened directly into the dining room, were moved and are now tucked in a lower traffic area that connects the garage entrance to the kitchen. A new entry closet and home office were incorporated into the front of the house to define a well-proportioned entry space with a view of the new kitchen. By making use of the existing cathedral ceilings, adding windows in key locations, removing very few walls, and introducing a lighter color palette with contemporary materials, this summer cottage now exudes the light and airiness this home was meant to have. © Dan Cutrona Photography

Brooklyn Brownstone

fo design

cynthia van elk
Photo of a mid-sized eclectic open concept living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and black floor.

East Hampton Coastal

Sea Green Designs

Sequined Asphalt Studio Photography
Photo of a mid-sized beach style open concept living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Transitional Living Room

Design ideas for a large transitional open concept living room in Boston with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

South Austin Home

Kristen James, AIA, WELL AP + LEED AP

The large living room had dark false beams and a beige popcorn ceiling that was removed and changed to a light and bright slatted ceiling with white semigloss beams for added reflectivity from the large windows on either side of the room. The original whitewashed brick fireplace was a key element we wanted to keep and enhance. A large 80's style mantle was removed from the face and two modern bookcases were installed

Living Room Design Photos with a Brick Fireplace Surround and No TV

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.