Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Little Richardson

Mcmahon and Nerlich

Living room makes the most of the light and space and colours relate to charred black timber cladding
Design ideas for a small industrial open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor and wood.

Two Pavilions House

Tom Robertson Architects

Lillie Thompson
Photo of a large contemporary open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove and grey floor.

Fairfield.2

Excelsior Master Builder

Renovation of existing victorian and modern extension to rear creating amazing light with splayed vaulted ceiling in select grade ply. Kitchen comprises combination of stone and recycled timber giving a warm feel with black butt flooring through out. Photos by Emma Cross

Umbau K

G2W Planung gmbh

UMBAU UND SANIERUNG EINES REIHENMITTELHAUSES Ein winzig kleines Reihenmittelhaus, komplett überarbeitet und erweitert. Daraus entwickelte sich ein schlichtes, modernes Wohnhaus mit unkonventionellen Details im Innenbereich!

Haus im Ammertal

LARS POPP & FRIENDS

Design ideas for a mid-sized scandinavian open concept living room in Munich with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a plaster fireplace surround, grey floor and wood.

Shepherdess Walk, Hackney

Michael Barrow, Photographer

Design ideas for a scandinavian formal enclosed living room in London with beige walls, concrete floors, a wood stove and grey floor.

Small Home on the Shore

Laurens Wit Construction

Heather Gurney Burgess (whomakesit.ca)
Photo of a transitional living room in Toronto with a library, white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround and a freestanding tv.

Modest Modern

Atmosphere Design Build

Kathleen Brennan http://www.brennanstudio.com/
Photo of a contemporary living room in Albuquerque with concrete floors and a wood stove.

Tongass Ledge

Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects

A cozy reading nook with deep storage benches is tucked away just off the main living space. Its own operable windows bring in plenty of natural light, although the anglerfish-like wall mounted reading lamp is a welcome addition. Photography: Andrew Pogue Photography.

Brunswick West House

Taylor Knights

Tom Blachford
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Melbourne with concrete floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, green floor and white walls.

Belgravia Green Net Zero Energy Home

Effect Home Builders Ltd.

Effect Home Builders Ltd. Awards Received for this Project: National Green Home Award from Canadian Home Builders Association Provincial Green Home Award from Canadian Home Builders Association - Alberta Sustainable Award from Alberta Chapter of American Concrete Institute Awards of Excellence in Concrete Best Infill Project from the Green Home of the Year Awards Alberta Emerald Awards Finalist Tomato Kitchen Design Award - Runner Up

Russian River Studio

Cathy Schwabe Architecture

West End of Studio Space. Cathy Schwabe Architecture. Photograph by David Wakely
This is an example of a contemporary living room in San Francisco with concrete floors and a wood stove.

Warm Eclectic

Earth Clay Works. American Clay

Design ideas for a large formal enclosed living room in Denver with beige walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Palouse Residence

Uptic Studios

An efficient floor plan and modest structure designed for a young couple to blend in with the surrounding farming community. The expansive south and east facing glass captures incredible views form every room in the loft-like living area. The timber columns and overbuilt awnings further defines the appearance of a dilapidated barn from the casual passersby.

Omahen's Residence

CO Architectural Designer

Morso woodstove
Modern living room in Boston with concrete floors, a wood stove, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Seaside Residence

QUARTER design studio

QUARTER design studio
Small modern open concept living room in Providence with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove and a freestanding tv.

Living Room, Southwest Paradise

Videre Decor

The sitting area is accented with antique Native American Art and sheltered from the cold with bold roman shade fabric mixed with patterns on the custom upholstery. An extra deep, extra tall, extra long settee was created just for this home with a pleated round ottoman and multiple fabrics on the accent chairs.

Urban Lofts

Frazier Associates

Interior of urban home- open floor plan, stained concrete flooring, exposed brick walls, new staircase with metal railing and storage incorporated underneath. Mark Miller Photography

Glasshouse Mountains Residence

Maytree Studios

Toby Scott
Photo of a mid-sized industrial open concept living room in Sunshine Coast with concrete floors, a wood stove, a wall-mounted tv, white walls and grey floor.

Living Room Design Photos with Concrete Floors and a Wood Stove

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.