Julie Florio Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in New York with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Reclaimed French Limestone Barr Gris

Vintage Elements LLC

Gray Barr or Barr gris limestone flooring, finished with custom milled limestone baseboard and limestone thresholds.
Inspiration for an expansive mediterranean formal open concept living room in Other with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a built-in media wall.

Brookhaven Remodel

Graystone Design

Michael McNeal Photography
Large contemporary open concept living room in Atlanta with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a built-in media wall.

A Beautiful Home in Wellesley, Mass

Lou Lou's Decor

Designer Stacy Carlson has created a cozy and colorful family room, using an aqua trellis rug, coral printed chairs and pillows, a stone fireplace surround, a coffee table that doubles as ottoman seating for four with a custom nautical chart top! Photo Credit: Shelley Harrison Photography.

Private residential Kent Uk

Greenleaf Lighting Ltd

This is an example of a contemporary living room in London with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a built-in media wall.

Traditional Living Room

This is an example of a traditional living room in Minneapolis with black walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a built-in media wall.

Living Room + Fireplace + Built-in Cabinet Detail

Jordan Iverson Signature Homes

This is a living room, feature wall I designed/built. It is ledgestone, with a ribbon flame, gas fireplace and built-in TV cabinet door, which actually swings open to reveal an abundance of built-in storage behind. The built-in cabinets that flank it also offer additional storage and built-in speakers. The square cabinets below hold the subwoofers for the Dolby 7.1, movie theater surround sound.

The First Love

Nelson Construction , LLC

Inspiration for a large transitional enclosed living room in Austin with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Chelsea Loft NYC

ORA Studio NYC by Giusi Mastro

Richard Cadan
Contemporary living room in New York with a ribbon fireplace, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Silver Leaf Court

Delaney's Design

Large transitional open concept living room in Dallas with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

The New Traditional

Kalaa Chakra Interiors

A Traditional home gets a makeover. This homeowner wanted to bring in her love of the mountains in her home. She also wanted her built-ins to express a sense of grandiose and a place to store her collection of books. So we decided to create a floor to ceiling custom bookshelves and brought in the mountain feel through the green painted cabinets and an original print of a bison from her favorite artist.

Whole House Remodel

Thomas Consulting and Construction

Photo of a large transitional open concept living room in Orlando with grey walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Evanston: Gross Pointe

Lugbill Designs

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Chicago with white walls, light hardwood floors, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, brown floor and a standard fireplace.

Tiffany Court

K and Q Interiors

This great room has custom upholstery in beige tweed, black velvet and shimmery faux leather. the beams and beautiful and the limestone fireplace is perfectly flanked by gorgeous custom wallpaper. The TV pops out of the custom built in to the right of the fireplace.

Truehart

Clearcut Construction, Inc.

We are so thankful for good customers! This small family relocating from Massachusetts put their trust in us to create a beautiful kitchen for them. They let us have free reign on the design, which is where we are our best! We are so proud of this outcome, and we know that they love it too!

Birch Road Beach House

GLDESIGN

Large beach style enclosed living room in New York with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a built-in media wall, brown floor, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

Scandinavian Sophistication

City Homes, LLC

This is an example of a mid-sized scandinavian open concept living room in Minneapolis with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Clean Modern

COHN

The architecture of this modern house has unique design features. The entrance foyer is bright and spacious with beautiful open frame stairs and large windows. The open-plan interior design combines the living room, dining room and kitchen providing an easy living with a stylish layout. The bathrooms and en-suites throughout the house complement the overall spacious feeling of the house.

Town Mountain Modern

Allard + Roberts Interior Design, Inc

The great room plan features walls of glass to enjoy the mountain views beyond from the living, dining or kitchen spaces. The cabinetry is a combination of white paint and stained oak, while natural fir beams add warmth at the ceiling. Hubbardton forge pendant lights a warm glow over the custom furnishings.

Lecia's 2019 Project A

Scottie's Interiors

This is an example of a contemporary living room in Other with grey walls, laminate floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

All Fireplaces Living Room Design Photos with a Built-in Media Wall

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.