Beautiful all day, stunning by dusk, this luxurious Point Piper renovation is a quintessential ‘Sydney experience’. An enclave of relaxed understated elegance, the art-filled living level flows seamlessly out to terraces surrounded by lush gardens.

Flinders Flair

Let's Talk Kitchens & Interiors

A contemporary holiday home located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula featuring rammed earth walls, timber lined ceilings and flagstone floors. This home incorporates strong, natural elements and the joinery throughout features custom, stained oak timber cabinetry and natural limestone benchtops. With a nod to the mid century modern era and a balance of natural, warm elements this home displays a uniquely Australian design style. This home is a cocoon like sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation with all the modern conveniences one could wish for thoughtfully integrated.

Contemporary Living Room

This is an example of a contemporary open concept living room in Sydney with beige walls, a ribbon fireplace, beige floor, panelled walls and a plaster fireplace surround.

Balwyn North

Design N Build Construction

Formal Living Dining with french oak parquetry and Marie Antoinette floor style reflected on the ceiling coffers, and a hand crafted travertine fire place mantel

MCLEAN

User

Angie Seckinger
Inspiration for a large traditional enclosed living room in DC Metro with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and vaulted.

Hidden Lake

Arcanum Architecture

Inspiration for a large country open concept living room in Sacramento with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, wood and wood walls.

Vacation Home in Paradise Valley, AZ

AB Design Elements, LLC

Studio Four G Photography
This is an example of a contemporary formal living room in Phoenix with beige walls, a corner fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Interior in Oak Hill

Oak Hill Building & Remodeling

Photos by Nick Vitale
Large traditional formal open concept living room in DC Metro with a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, a ribbon fireplace, beige walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Palo Alto Modern High Tech Home

Design Loft Company

Inspiration for a large contemporary formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a tile fireplace surround, a ribbon fireplace, no tv and beige floor.

Greatroom

Color Craftsmen: Fireplace Makeovers

This wood ceiling needed something to tone down the grain in the planks. We were able to create a wash that did exactly that. The floors (reclaimed red oak from a pre-Civil War barn) needed to have their different colors highlighted, not homogenized. Instead of staining the floor, we used a tung oil and beeswax finish that was hand buffed. Our clients wanted to have reclaimed wood beams in their ceiling, but could not use true old beams as they would not be sturdy enough to support the roof. We took their fresh- cut fir beams and used synthetic plasters, paints, and glazes to give them an authentic aged look. Taken by Alise O'Brien (aliseobrienphotography.com) Interior Designer: Emily Castle (emilycastle.com)

Home in Hampton Lake

Coastal Signature Homes

A lovely, relaxing family room, complete with gorgeous stone surround fireplace, topped with beautiful crown molding and beadboard above. Open beams and a painted ceiling, the French Slider doors with transoms all contribute to the feeling of lightness and space. Gorgeous hardwood flooring, buttboard walls behind the open book shelves and white crown molding for the cabinets, floorboards, door framing...simply lovely.

The Colony Project

Hudson + Bloum Design

Lucy Call
Photo of a large contemporary open concept living room in Salt Lake City with a home bar, beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, beige floor and no tv.

Mendota Design Gallery

Mendota Hearth

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Cedar Rapids with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Great Room

O’Hara Interiors

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design & Photo Styling | Troy Thies, Photography | MDS Remodeling, Home Remodel | Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For info about our work: design@oharainteriors.com

Ridgewood Great Room

Ethan Allen of River Edge, NJ

Inspiration for an expansive transitional formal enclosed living room in Orange County with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Rye Transitional home

Lorraine Levinson Interior Design

Photo of a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in New York with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

Asheville Retreat

B.O.B. - Beyond Ordinary Boundaries Architecture

Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room in Richmond with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Greenwich, CT

Valerie Grant Interiors

Peter Rymwid
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in New York with a music area, beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv and a stone fireplace surround.

Menlo Park Full Remodel

Fiorella Design, LLC

Living room with paneling on all walls, coffered ceiling, Oly pendant, built-in book cases, bay window, calacatta slab fireplace surround and hearth, 2-way fireplace with wall sconces shared between the family and living room. Photographer Frank Paul Perez Decoration Nancy Evars, Evars + Anderson Interior Design

Moraga Residence

Jennifer Weiss Architecture

Midcentury open concept living room in San Francisco with a tile fireplace surround, beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

All Fireplace Surrounds Living Room Design Photos with Beige Walls

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.