Inspiration for a mid-sized beach style open concept living room in Other with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, no tv, beige floor and planked wall panelling.

Coder Residence

Starwood Custom Homes

This is an example of a large modern open concept living room in Phoenix with a home bar, white walls, ceramic floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, timber and planked wall panelling.

Farmhouse Living Room

Photo of a country living room in Seattle with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, a metal fireplace surround and planked wall panelling.

Cliffside Farmhouse // Modern Farmhouse

Younger Homes

Design ideas for a mid-sized country open concept living room in Austin with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

Living Room Facelift

Grayscale Homes Designs

Photo of a large country open concept living room in New York with beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

Mclaughlin

Meg Blu Home

Photo of a mid-sized country open concept living room in Los Angeles with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, medium hardwood floors, brown floor, timber, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

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.

Sherman Oaks Eclectic

Meridith Baer Home

Design ideas for an eclectic living room in Los Angeles with white walls, terra-cotta floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, red floor, exposed beam, timber, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

Harbor View

Albert, Righter & Tittmann Architects, Inc.

Harbor View is a modern-day interpretation of the shingled vacation houses of its seaside community. The gambrel roof, horizontal, ground-hugging emphasis, and feeling of simplicity, are all part of the character of the place. While fitting in with local traditions, Harbor View is meant for modern living. The kitchen is a central gathering spot, open to the main combined living/dining room and to the waterside porch. One easily moves between indoors and outdoors. The house is designed for an active family, a couple with three grown children and a growing number of grandchildren. It is zoned so that the whole family can be there together but retain privacy. Living, dining, kitchen, library, and porch occupy the center of the main floor. One-story wings on each side house two bedrooms and bathrooms apiece, and two more bedrooms and bathrooms and a study occupy the second floor of the central block. The house is mostly one room deep, allowing cross breezes and light from both sides. The porch, a third of which is screened, is a main dining and living space, with a stone fireplace offering a cozy place to gather on summer evenings. A barn with a loft provides storage for a car or boat off-season and serves as a big space for projects or parties in summer.

Water's Edge

ID by Gwen

Inspiration for a beach style open concept living room in Seattle with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

CRAFTSMAN BEACH HOUSE

VanderMeer Homes Ltd.

Design ideas for an arts and crafts living room in Other with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

TV hidden behind a pocket panelled slider

Broswick Builders Ltd

Living room cabinetry feat. fireplace, stone surround and concealed TV. A clever pocket slider hides the TV in the featured wooden paneled wall.
Mid-sized modern formal open concept living room in Auckland with black walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a concealed tv, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Jordan Residence

Geoff Chick & Associates

Photo of a large beach style formal open concept living room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, coffered and planked wall panelling.

Design Build Modern Farmhouse

YW Builders Inc.

Design ideas for a large transitional formal open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, no tv, beige floor and planked wall panelling.

81st Cape Cod

Alison White Homes

Design ideas for a beach style living room in Los Angeles with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Marshall Homestead

Gateway Builders

Design ideas for a large country open concept living room in Other with a home bar, white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, exposed beam and planked wall panelling.

Living Room & Dining Area

Beth Howley Creative LLC

Living room and dining area featuring black marble fireplace, wood mantle, open shelving, white cabinetry, gray countertops, wall-mounted TV, exposed wood beams, shiplap walls, hardwood flooring, and large black windows.

Fall Home Styling

Home Setup by Sarah Eaves

Inspiration for a small country living room in Boston with a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and planked wall panelling.

Fall Home Styling

Home Setup by Sarah Eaves

Inspiration for a small country living room in Boston with a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and planked wall panelling.

Leeds Custom Bungalow

Curtis White Companies

Design ideas for a mid-sized open concept living room in Birmingham with grey walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor and planked wall panelling.

Living Room Design Photos with a Standard Fireplace and Planked Wall Panelling

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.