An expansive two-story living room in Charlotte with oak floors, a gas fireplace, two-story windows, and a coffered ceiling.
Inspiration for an expansive transitional open concept living room in Charlotte with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and coffered.

Westwood Tudor House Phase II

Julia Chasman Design

We are lucky to have a small window in the Juliet balcony in a second floor bedroom, which afforded these shots of the living room as seen from above. This shot gives us a chance to appreciate the overall layout of the room, and the way the large jute rug outlines the central seating area, furthered defined by the smaller Persian rug which can be appreciated through the glass coffee table. The wonderfully unusual cafe-au-lait Mushroom stools by John Derian for Cisco Home are best appreciated from this vantage, as are the pari of Lane Acclaim side tables, adding a mid-century flavor to the more traditional style of the furnishings. The smaller, corner seating areas are also seen in scale as cozy nooks to escape to for reading, or a quiet cup of tea.

North Lincoln Hinsdale

Plain & Posh

The homeowners wanted to open up their living and kitchen area to create a more open plan. We relocated doors and tore open a wall to make that happen. New cabinetry and floors where installed and the ceiling and fireplace where painted. This home now functions the way it should for this young family!

Herritage Green Ranch

TVL Creative Ltd.

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury open concept living room in Denver with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Bayfront Home with Cusom Cabinetry by Eastburn Woodworks

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Inspiration for a large traditional open concept living room in New Orleans with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and exposed beam.

Living Room

Monarch Custom Homes

This is an example of a transitional open concept living room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and exposed beam.

Living Room Remodel

Blueprint Dreams LLC

We refaced the old plain brick with a German Smear treatment and replace an old wood stove with a new one.
Inspiration for a mid-sized country enclosed living room in New York with a library, beige walls, light hardwood floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, brown floor and timber.

Spring Branch New Construction

Nikole Starr Interiors

Design ideas for a transitional open concept living room in Houston with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and exposed beam.

Central Phoenix Copper Hood

AFT Construction

Inspiration for a large transitional open concept living room in Phoenix with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Newport Island Residence

Eric Aust Architect

Mid-sized country open concept living room in Orange County with light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace surround.

Midcentury Modern Reborn

Tom Bassett-Dilley Architect, Ltd.

This 1960 house was in need of updating from both design and performance standpoints, and the project turned into a comprehensive deep energy retrofit, with thorough airtightness and insulation, new space conditioning and energy-recovery-ventilation, triple glazed windows, and an interior of incredible elegance. While we maintained the foundation and overall massing, this is essentially a new house, well equipped for a new generation of use and enjoyment.

Longview

Brooke Cole Interiors

Inspiration for a transitional living room in Charlotte with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and brown floor.

Custom Home - Todd's Fork Reserves

Legacy Custom Builders

Inspiration for a transitional living room in Cincinnati with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

The Old Forge - Living Room Details

Oliver Grahame Photography

Inspiration for a mid-sized country formal enclosed living room in Gloucestershire with brown walls, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround and brown floor.

A Fancy Farmhouse Feel

Beam & Bloom, LLC

This reclaimed wood mantle breathes fresh air into a freshly painted fireplace.
Photo of a mid-sized country enclosed living room in New York with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and blue walls.

The Ballard - Spurwing Challenge Estates

HIGHLAND HOMES LLC

Country formal living room in Boise with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Durham NC Home

Dhinoy Studios

Warm white living room accented with natural jute rug and linen furniture. White brick fireplace with wood mantle compliments light tone wood floors.

Rustic Coastal Farmhouse

Southern Grace Interiors

Design ideas for a mid-sized country open concept living room in Atlanta with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Oyster Harbors Estate

DANE AUSTIN INTERIOR DESIGN Boston & Cambridge

The clients wanted an elegant, sophisticated, and comfortable style that served their lives but also required a design that would preserve and enhance various existing details. To modernize the interior, we looked to the home's gorgeous water views, bringing in colors and textures that related to sand, sea, and sky. Project designed by Boston interior design studio Dane Austin Design. They serve Boston, Cambridge, Hingham, Cohasset, Newton, Weston, Lexington, Concord, Dover, Andover, Gloucester, as well as surrounding areas. For more about Dane Austin Design, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://daneaustindesign.com/oyster-harbors-estate

Fanny Prat & Alexandra de Brem

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Fanny Prat & Alexandra de Brem, Appartement à Paris, photo © StudioChevojon
Photo of a contemporary open concept living room in Toulouse with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and beige floor.

Living Room Design Photos with a Brick Fireplace Surround

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.